Rudy Jaramillo Denies Aramis Ramirez is Refusing Help

Late last week, rumors were swirling that struggling Chicago Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez was refusing to work with highly-paid hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo. Ramirez, a successful hitter for many, many years believed that he needed only to deal with his issues at the plate on his own, according to the rumors. Jaramillo says it isn’t true.

“I started approaching him, because I want him to hit,” Jaramillo said. “All I’m trying to do is just help out. He’s been great about it. He hasn’t resisted in any way. But again, it has to start from me. I’m the one who has to prove myself to him. He’s already done his job over and over. I come in new, new ideas and stuff. It’ll work out.”

Jaramillo said he has worked with Ramirez in the batting cage and Ramirez has been “asking for ideas” about hitting.

Ramirez comes into Saturday’s game hitting .153 with 27 strikeouts in 111 at-bats.

“But you know what, this guy has hit by himself his whole career, and all of a sudden I come in, and why is he supposed to listen?” Jaramillo said. “I’ve got to win him over, prove myself to him, and that’s what I’m trying to do now- get a report going for him. There’s no doubt he can hit. You can see the bat speed and stuff. The timing is a little off. he’s getting that squared off and it’s coming around.” Chicago Breaking Sports.

Eh. To me it still sounds like there’s an issue. The Cubs made Jaramillo the highest paid positional coach in baseball this winter so that he could help guys in precisely this situation. Given the volume of aging, overpaid vets in the Cubs’ lineup, surely the Cubs weren’t intending that Jaramillo would work only with the youngsters.