Topic: Rafael Ramirez

Rafael Emilio Ramírez Peguero (born February 18, 1958 in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic), is a former professional baseball player who played in the major leagues primarily as a shortstop from 1980-1992. Ramirez made his major league debut on August 4, 1980 for the Atlanta Braves and played his final game on October 3, 1992 as a member of the Houston Astros.

One of a handful of ML players from the town of San Pedro de Macoris in the Dominican Republic, Ramirez was the Braves' speedy, smooth-fielding shortstop from 1981 to 1986, leading NL shortstops in double plays four straight years while hitting quite well for his position. He made the NL All-Star team in 1984 with a .304 average at mid-season, but in 1987 torn knee ligaments limited him to only 56 games and he was traded to Houston after the season. With the Astros in 1988, Ramirez posted his best batting average since 1983 (.276) and drove in a career-high 59 runs. After that, his production slipped, with his batting average never again rising above .261, and plummeting as low as .236 in 1991. He retired following the 1992 season.