Jose Ramirez Just Became Cleveland's All-Time Games Played Leader, and It Took 108 Years to Break the Record
Jose Ramirez made history Monday night against Kansas City. The Guardians' All-Star third baseman stepped into his 1,620th game and officially became the franchise leader for games played, surpassing Terry Turner's mark that had stood since 1918. Turner spent 15 of his 17 big league seasons with Cleveland from 1904 through '18 and played in 1,619 games. Ramirez got the recognition he deserved when longtime Cleveland first-base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. handed him the third-base bag before the sixth inning.
A Rare Achievement in Baseball Today
Here's what makes this even more special: according to MLB, Ramirez is the only active player to lead his franchise in games played. Think about that for a second. In an era where rosters turn over constantly and free agency reshapes teams every offseason, Ramirez has been the constant in Cleveland. He made his major league debut on Sept. 1, 2013, as a pinch runner for Carlos Santana during the ninth inning of Cleveland's game at Detroit. That was over a decade ago, and he has been the heartbeat of this franchise ever since.
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Ramirez has been part of six AL Central Division titles, including the 2016 World Series squad, which lost in seven games to the Chicago Cubs. But his resume goes way beyond playoff appearances. He is the only player in Cleveland's 125-year franchise history to have at least 250 home runs and 250 stolen bases. Currently sitting at 286 home runs and 289 stolen bases, Ramirez leads the franchise in extra-base hits with 729 and has 27 multihomer games. He ranks second in home runs, stolen bases, total bases (3,018), and RBI (954), third in doubles (400), and seventh in hits (1,674).
This is what it looks like when one player becomes synonymous with his team. Ramirez didn't chase the biggest contract or jump franchises. He stayed, he showed up every single game, and he became irreplaceable. That's the kind of player Cleveland built this era around.
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