October 26, 2008 The Chicago Tribune reports that Aramis Ramirez is expected to be named winner of the National League Hank Aaron Award, presented by major league baseball for offensive statistics, prior to Game 4 of the World Series Sunday night.
Our View:Ramirez hit .289 with 27 homers and 111 RBI. He is a surprise winner, considering he did not even have the best offensive statistics in the National League at his position, third base. The Mets' David Wright hit 33 homers and drove in 124 runs while hitting .302. And Ramirez's numbers pale in comparison to the Cardinals' Albert Pujols, who hit .357 with 37 homers and 116 RBI. But for the first time, fans voting at MLB.com picked the winner, which explains the reason Ramirez won.
September 30, 2008 Aramis Ramirez has been the most consistent power bat in a stacked Cubs lineup all season, according to the Cubs Official Website. "He's been our anchor all year and without him we wouldn't be in this position," teammate Jim Edmonds said. "He's about as solid a No. 4 hitter as you get in this league."
Our View:Ramirez set career bests with 44 doubles, 74 walks and a .380 OBP. He also hit .423 in "late and close" situations to lead baseball, on his way to socking 27 dingers while driving in 111 runs. He will be a key cog in the Cubs attempt to end their massive World Series drought.
September 24, 2008 Aramis Ramirez hit a 10th-inning home run on Wednesday to propel the Cubs to a 9-6 victory over the Mets. He drew three walks in the game and finished the night 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI.
Our View:The slimmed down 2008 version of Ramirez has not lost much of his power. His 27 home runs and 11 RBI are more than last season's totals.
September 17, 2008 Aramis Ramirez finally hit his 25th home run on Wednesday night in the Cubs' 6-1 loss to the Brewers. The home run was Ramirez's first one since August 28.
Our View:Ramirez has had a home run drought in the last few weeks but he continues to drive in runs. His RBI total is up to 108 on the year and his average is climbing to .285.
September 9, 2008 Aramis Ramirez has been taking some criticism about his defense lately but he has not been taking the fielding woes to the plate. Ramirez was 3-for-4 with two RBI on Tuesday in a losing effort against the Cardinals.
Our View:Ramirez has been solid all year with over 100 RBI and 24 home runs.
