Tonight, Jose Ramirez will become the player who has played in the most baseball games in history while wearing a Cleveland uniform.
Jose Ramirez was born in Bani, Dominican Republic. Is it possible for him to be the most Cleveland of all baseball players? The players he surpasses at the top of this list – Terry Turner and Nap Lajoie – were from Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, respectively. The greatest players in Cleveland baseball history were all not born in Ohio, let alone Cleveland. So, Jose has
as much claim to be the epitome of the essence of the city as anyone does.
Let’s examine his credentials:
-Despite being an atypical body type and height, Jose is on a Hall of Fame trajectory as a player. Cleveland is often overlooked as a city and glories in its underdog status. Jose embodies the underdog mindset better than any player ever has.
-Jose gives 100% every time he is on the field. In Cleveland, the weather is pretty nasty six months out of the year. Cloud cover is more common than not. The region isn’t home to some billionaire-minting Silicon Valley-type of industry. If you want to make it here, you work hard and refuse to give up.
-To stay in Cleveland, you really have to love the city unreasonably. You have to display an unhinged loyalty to the shores of Lake Erie and our version of Midwest nice/blue collar grit/down home kindness. Jose has openly proclaimed his appreciation for Cleveland fans and displays our ideals every time he takes the field.
There would be no question that Jose is the greatest Cleveland baseball player of all time if Jose had found a way to be part of a team that won a title. But, the title drought of which he has been a part somehow makes Jose even MORE Cleveland. Our joys are always mixed with grief, our happiness with sorrow, our accomplishments always with a sense that we could be more.
For about 10 years now, Jose Ramirez has been a part of my daily life. My children know him by sight and everyone who knows me knows he is my favorite baseball player of all time. He’s a national and local treasure who adds joy and hope to each day of my life, even if he is in a bit of an early season slump right now. I know if he’s chasing too much, he will stop. If he’s just under the ball, he will adjust. My confidence allows me to watch him in anticipation of him breaking out of it instead of dreading that he has entered some kind of steep decline. He has never let us down and I believe he never will.
Tonight, Jose becomes the most Cleveland player of all time, officially. But, he has embodied our city for a while now. And, most importantly, he has three times chosen to stay here and left no doubt that he loves this city, this team, this fanbase and playing ball in the same cold Northeast Ohio air that my children will be entering to play coach pitch. The day José’s extension was announced in 2022 was the greatest day of my sports fandom.
I love him so much. Congratulations, Jose!
