That’s what I thought when I heard Jose Ramirez became the first Cleveland Indians player in history to have at least 35 home runs and 35 stolen bases in a season. He came into Monday night’s game with 39 thefts and 35 home homers.
I attempted to think of prior Cleveland players who possessed both speed and power.
Grady Sizemore served as the White Sox’s interim manager when the Guardians recently faced them.
For a few years, Sizemore had it all in Cleveland. He hit with power. He was a Gold Glove centre fielder. He could steal bases.
In 2008, he hit 33 home runs and stole 38 bases. That was his final entirely healthy season in the majors. He was 25 years old.
Sizemore began to suffer from back, knee, and other issues. For the rest of his career, he never played more than 112 games per season. His statistics were pretty average to mediocre.
The only Cleveland player who came close was Joe Carter, who hit 32 home runs and swiped 31 bases in 1987.
The secret superstar
Sorry, I forgot about someone else. Jose RamÃrez.
In 2018, he hit 39 home runs and swiped 34 bases.
Ramirez, Carter, and Sizemore.
In Cleveland baseball history, only three players have had at least 30 home runs and 30 steals in the same season.
Want to make things even harder? How about 30 home runs, 30 steals, and 100 RBI in a single season?
Only one player has ever done it for Cleveland. Guess who.
That’s Jose, who’s done it twice: 2018 and 2024.
A secret quality
Durability is rarely mentioned.
To have 35 home runs and 35 stolen bases in a single season, you must not only play at an exceptional level, but also play a large number of games.
Players who steal a lot of bases need to slide a lot. That frequently results in bruises, ankle sprains, jammed toes, and agony when the body takes a beating.
Consider how Ramirez runs the bases. He is fearless. Head first slides. Helmet flies off. Sometimes you wind up with a mouthful of dirt and a fielder whacking you in the back or even the head while attempting to tag you out.
For some athletes who can accomplish it, the physical cost isn’t worth it.
Ramirez does not steal bases only to put up numbers.
“It’s super impressive,” remarked Guardians manager Stephen Vogt. “Every home run and stolen base is computed. It’s because of his dedication, preparation, and talent. All of these factors contribute to the outcome. It’s not an accident.”
Ramirez is expected to play at least 150 games this season. This will be the fourth consecutive year, and the seventh in his 11-year career.
Former Cleveland manager Terry Francona discussed Ramirez’s displeasure with missing games. When he isn’t playing, he struts around the clubhouse and then the dugout, eager to be a part of the action.
Francona admitted that he sometimes inserted Ramirez into the lineup to avoid hearing his star gripe about sitting on the bench.
A little history
This season, Ramirez isn’t the only player with a 35-35 record. Shohei Ohtani began Monday with 47 home runs and 48 stolen bases. Prior to 2024, the Dodgers’ designated hitter had never stolen more than 26 bases in a season.
Alfonso Soriano has the most 35-35 seasons. He repeated it three times. Atlanta’s Ronald Acuna has done it twice: in 2023 and 2019.
Willie Mays, Bobby Bonds, and his son, Barry Bonds, are the only players with more than one 35-35 season. They each did it twice.
Then there’s José Ramirez, who is currently making history. Today (September 17) is his 32nd birthday, and this could be his best season yet.
