I've made no secret my disdain for Horacio Ramirez. When the Sox acquired him, I simply stated that he "sucks." I didn't think the acquisition needed much more than that extemporaneous analysis. It's not like he was going to stick around. He was just a temporary fix to a problem that would surely be temporary. It's not like he was going to see much action; right?
And yet, here we are, a month later. Ramirez has appeared 15 games, allowing a baserunner in 14 of those outings. He's universally horrible. Lefties hit him well; so do righties and switch hitters. He can't strike anyone out; only 2 of the 65 batters he's faced have gone down via the strikeout. He hasn't carried over his control from Kansas City; 8 of the 65 batters he's faced have reached base via the walk. He's a pitcher with zero redeeming qualities.
That headline is not an exaggeration. There have been a total of 15 players in baseball history to pitch in 15 or more games in a season while posting a WHIP of 2.5 or greater. Horacio Ramirez just pitched in his 15th game with the White Sox; he has pitched 11.1 innings and allowed 30 baserunners, for a WHIP of 2.65.
Congrats, Horacio. You're #16.
In all of baseball history there have been only 15 other pitchers so inept, so putrid. In all honesty, I'm was surprised there wasn't more. But the truth is, if you've proven yourself this horrible over the span of 15 games, you get your walking papers. And yet, there is Ramirez, still on the team, a team fighting for a playoff spot, getting higher-leverage work than half the bullpen, hiding the occasionally useful Adam Russell. It's time we blow the horn on this joke. There's no reason we should ever see this guy on the mound again.