Tipsheet: Ramirez returns to bolster Pirates - STLtoday.com
It was only fitting that Aramis Ramirez ended up back in Pittsburgh to finish out his career. Twelve years ago, almost to the day, the Pirates sent Ramirez to the Cubs in one of these ill-advised trades that kept them in "also-ran" mode for two decades. Ramirez, 37, later moved on to the Brewers, where he would have ended his career but for Milwaukee's collapse and subsequent fire sale. "I'm so sorry to see Aramis go, and we've been playing well lately and he's been a big part of it. He's swung the bat real well lately," Brewers manager Craig Counsell told reporters. Thursday's trade, which sent pitching prospect Yhonathan Barrios to the Brewers, kept Ramirez in the National League Central and gave him one last chance to play for a contender before his expected retirement after this season. Manager Clint Hurdle will give Ramirez plenty of at bats at third base in the near term and possibly first base later on. "The fact we've got two players that are out probably for a large chunk of time is what really pushed us into action here,"... 214 with an on-base percentage of. 236 in April, Since then Ramirez has. The Pirates originally signed Ramirez back in 1994. He played parts of six seasons with the team before moving to the Cubs with Kenny Lofton in a salary-dumping trade. Source: www.stltoday.com
