It is Official!
May 17, 2008
In a ceremony symbolically held on the grounds of the future home of the Miami Marlins, Hanley Ramirez, along with Genreal Manager Larry Beinfest, owner Jeffrey Loria, and Manager Freddi Gonzalez, finalized the deal which will keep the star short stop on the team through 2014.
With several fans in attendance, as well as his family and agent, the former Rookie of the Year agreed to a six-year, $70 million contract. As per club policy, the terms and stipulations were not made public. Ramirez expressed his desire to stay with the club and called South Florida his home. “You are the best fans in the world,” said Ramirez, moments after signing the contract. He also promised fans that he would do anything he can to take the team to the playoffs.
When asked about the details of the deal, Beinfest said that the proposition to keep the short stop was presented to Loria around March. Loria immediately pursued the offer, and the organization had been working since Spring Training until about one week ago to seal the deal. Ramirez and his family seemed to be happy about the contract and about staying in South Florida, regardless of pressure from the Players’ Association to fish for more money.
After addressing the media, Ramirez, signed autographs and conversed with fans with his son by his side.
Ramirez’s contract is the largest ever signed in franchise history. The Marlins management ensured that this was a new chapter in the franchise’s history by holding the ceremony on the grounds of the Orange Bowl. Present were Mayor of Miami Manny Diaz, Chairman of the Commissioning Board Bruno Barreiro, and several other county and city officials.
After the conference, Loria said there hasn’t been any other prospective deals presented to him to keep any other players on the team for longer, but he would “listen” if there were any.
Ramirez and the Marlins take on the Kansas City Royals tonight in the second game of the inter-league series, after losing game one.
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