Hanley Ramirez gets benched for not hustling

5/18/2010 12:00:00 AM

 In the second inning, Ramirez misplayed Tony Abreu's blooper that fell in short left field. After a attempt to pick up the ball by swiping at it with his glove, Ramirez accidentally kicked the ball away — down the line, into foul territory, almost to the corner. What made the moment unforgivable was that Ramirez did not sprint after the ball.  He jogged.

In the first inning, Ramirez had fouled a pitch from Edwin Jackson off his left shin and was attended to by a trainer.

Gonzalez wasn't buying the shin as a factor. After having a brief but animated word with Ramirez in the dugout, Gonzalez told him he wouldn't be needed for the rest of the game. Gonzalez also benched him for the next game.

This is not the right way for a Big League player to play the game. This doesn't set a good example for kids or anyone. Play hard or play elsewhere.