The Florida Marlins did not have superstar shortstop Hanley Ramirez in the lineup on Tuesday but they rolled vs. the online bookmaker odds anyway, routing Arizona 8-0. Ramirez was benched on Monday for not hustling and he was not in the lineup on Tuesday. The Marlins didn’t miss a beat and won easily without Ramirez vs. the offshore betting odds.
Online bookmaker odds heavily favored Florida on Tuesday and they did not disappoint as they routed Arizona. The Marlins are a contender in the National League East and it would appear they are better with Ramirez in the lineup. Ramirez is a two-time All-Star and he won the batting title in the National League last season. He was benched on Monday after not running hard on a ground ball and then booting a ball in the outfield and not running hard after it. The players are supporting manager Fredi Gonzalez. Ramirez used the excuse that he was going as hard as he could after the ball. “I wasn’t trying to give up,” Ramirez said.
“That was the hardest I could go after the ball.” Not many people believe that to be the case though. Wes Helms said that Ramirez needs to apologize to the team. “I can’t overlook it,” Helms said. “I know people say that’s just the way he is, but you know what? That’s not the way it is. That’s not the way the game’s supposed to be played. And that’s what we want from Hanley. We want him to be that guy that goes out there every day … and busts his butt and does anything he can for his this team. That right there will earn the respect of not only his teammates but everybody in the league,” he said.
Offshore bookmaker stats indicate that Ramirez is hitting .293 this season. He has seven home runs and 20 RBIs this year. Ramirez is the highest-paid player on the Marlins and he is considered their top player. Ramirez does not have a reputation as a player who always hustles though and this is not the first time this has been a problem. “It’s our team. I’m just the guy that makes the lineup,” manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “I can’t control everybody going 4-for-4, but you can control the effort.” It will be interesting to watch how the Marlins do this week when Ramirez is in the lineup.