Ramón Hernández

Why didn’t Jeremy Giambi slide?

Hindsight is always crystal clear, much to the chagrin of involved parties. The Yankees mystique built upon a century of dominance over major-league baseball. The ill-advised enthusiastic wave by third-base coach Ron Washington, perhaps blind to actions outside his tunnel of vision. The cruel spectacle of a slow runner attempting to score from first base as the team’s best opportunity to mark the scoreboard.

In the heat of the moment, everyone thought Giambi would score. The 55,861 fans in attendance; the Oakland Coliseum employees; virtually all the Athletics and Yankees; and the millions who watched on television and subsequent replays. They have all conveniently forgotten the wicked caroms in Oakland’s spacious right field, almost signaled by divine intervention or surgical precision; the wild throw by Shane Spencer, whose effort missed not one (Alfonso Soriano) but two (Tino Martínez) cutoff men; and the fact that Mike Mussina had already registered two outs so Giambi was moving on contact by Terrence Long.

Only a few souls were not clouded by enthusiasm. Jorge Posada, the catcher, and Derek Jeter, the architect, who wore the pinstripes, and whose attention was centered only on the moving baseball. Kerwin Danley, the home-plate umpire, who was impartial. And Ramón Hernández, the on-deck batter, who frantically signaled his oblivious teammate as the ball, against conventional logic, made its way to Posada’s mitt a split-second before Giambi crossed the plate. “I saw it all unfold,” Hernández told the author. “I was yelling at him to slide. From my vantage point I saw it all unfold, but that’s baseball for you: a player in a position he typically wouldn’t be, throwing out a slow runner at the plate in a one-run game.”1

While Hernández would play more than 1,500 major-league games, most fans recognize his silhouette on the lower right corner of the ill-fated play. For Hernández, a quiet, unassuming catcher whose livelihood was earned wearing the mask, it’s just fine.

Ramón José Hernández Marín was born on May 20, 1976, in Caracas, Venezuela, to a middle-class family. His father worked as a systems programmer and his mother was a social worker. Four other countrymen born in the same year (Kelvim Escobar, Alex Prieto, Freddy García, and Liu Rodríguez) made it to the major leagues. He fell in love with baseball at an early age, passionately picking up the bat and attempting to hit left-handed with fellow children from his neighborhood, frenzied by béisbol in a manner typical of his countrymen.

Hernández was scouted by a few teams but was ultimately signed as an amateur free agent on February 18, 1994, by the Athletics on the recommendation of Ubaldo Heredia, who enjoyed a brief, 10-inning cup of coffee in 1987 for the Montréal Expos. Oakland was Hernández’s favorite team as a youngster, given the bravado of the late 1980s/early 1990s clubs: “Rickey Henderson, Dave Parker, José Canseco, Mark McGwire, Carney Lansford … those teams just had attitude.”

Though he saw himself as an infielder, another player did not attend the tryout, so Hernández was asked to catch and impressed the team with his throwing ability. He was encouraged to play in the Dominican Republic summer league, an offer he eagerly accepted, with his club winning the Santo Domingo central division.2 He flashed his promise, hitting .246 but displaying good plate discipline by drawing 18 walks to reach base in a third of his appearances.3

By then, fully committed to the position, Hernández began tracking the exploits of Eddie Pérez and Carlos Hernández, the flag-bearers of Venezuela backstops. “Both of them helped me during the winter league,” he recalled, “by giving me suggestions and tips on how to play the game.”

Oakland had taken the baseball world by storm in the late 1980s. The franchise developed young stars Canseco, McGwire, and Walt Weiss alongside veterans Dave Stewart, Lansford, and a reborn Dennis Eckersley to three consecutive World Series appearances and one trophy. By 1993, injuries, trades, and performance drops had led to a losing record, the first of six in a row. Backstop Terry Steinbach, a former All-Star Game MVP, entered his age 32 season in 1994 and was rumored to want to play with his hometown Twins. Although the club had many needs, bulking up its catcher corps was paramount, and Hernández fit the part.

Hernández began his professional career in the 1995 Arizona Rookie League. Despite being a fresh-faced 19-year-old, he hammered hurlers at a .364 clip with a 1.105 OPS, claiming the league’s MVP Award.4 Appearing in 31 games at catcher, 13 as first baseman, and six at third base, he committed 12 errors. However, the Athletics liked his defensive makeup enough to install him as the main backstop for their 1996 Midwest League affiliate, the West Michigan Whitecaps. The heightened competition brought Hernández’s batting to a more pedestrian .255 but his keen eye at the plate earned 69 walks, good for a .355 OBP and a spot in the all-star team.5 Baseball America rated him as the organization’s fifth-best prospect, ahead of future compadre Miguel Tejada.6 The young farmhands would rise through the Oakland ranks together and eventually become godfathers to each other’s children, Alexia Tejada and Ramón Jr: “We’re united by a beautiful friendship since we were in the minors.”7 He also appeared on his first baseball card, with Bowman (“the home of the rookie”) including him in its base set with number 220, a stoic shot as the appears to return the baseball to the pitcher.

In 130 games for Visalia and Double-A Huntsville in 1997, Hernández had an .858 OPS with 19 home runs. He was named to the all-star team for a third consecutive year and punished the Class-A (advanced) California League with Visalia, though pitchers retaliated by beaning him nine times in 86 contests.8 The Southern League provided tougher, as his hitting shrank to .193 after a call-up.

Meanwhile, in the major leagues, a triumvirate of Brent Mayne (.289 in 85 games), George Williams (.289 in 76 games), and Izzy Molina (.198 in 48 games) shared the position for the A’s before turning it over to Mike Macfarlane and A.J. Hinch in 1998. Baseball America rated Hernández as the game’s 74th-best prospect, and he responded with a .296/.389/.445 slash line.9 Come the beginning of 1999, he was regarded as the heir-apparent with Baseball America anointing him as the Athletics’ seventh-best prospect.10 He began the season with the Vancouver Canadians (Triple-A Pacific Coast League, 77 games, .261) before Oakland recalled his services. His years in the minor leagues were a lesson in more than just baseball, as he had to navigate “living on my own, getting to the stadium, staying with host families” alongside many players, some of whom would become his big-league teammates.

 “I was in awe of the stadiums when I first arrived in the major leagues,” said Hernández, though he disguised his wonder well. Debuting on June 29, 1999, in front of 11,762 spectators, he played every one of the dozen frames required to finish the contest. Three Hall of Famers – Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martínez, and Tim Raines – suited up for the game and managed but one hit; Hernández swatted two, both off Mariners starter John Halama. With Raines on first base after drawing a walk, Hernández bunted toward Seattle third baseman Russ Davis, who was perhaps unfamiliar with the rookie. Though the A’s loaded the bases, they failed to score and trailed by the slimmest of margins until the seventh inning. In his third plate appearance, Hernández hammered a line drive to left-center field to score Jason Giambi. Although Seattle scored in the 12th inning for the win, Hernández astutely guided four hurlers – starter Mike Oquist, and relievers Doug Jones, Billy Taylor, and T.J. Mathews – through 157 pitches, impressing not only his teammates but also the coaching staff.11

Hernández followed his debut with a three-hit effort that included his first home run, off Dámaso Marte in the eighth inning of a 14-5 A’s win. He punished the Mariners with a walk, a single, and a double in addition to this round-tripper. He boasted a .831 OPS in 19 games, all starts, through July 25, but a collision at home plate against the Royals landed him on the disabled list. Returning on August 27, he caught most of the team’s remaining games, providing a robust .279/.363/.397 line as the young A’s finished second in their division with an 87-75 record, 21-19 in the contests he appeared in. His 40 appearances would be the fewest he would enjoy until his final year in the big leagues. He fielded 299 chances and authored 274 putouts, with 19 assists, five double plays, and six errors for a .980 fielding average. He caught 26 percent of would-be base thieves but sabermetrics calculated a -1 total zone catcher runs above average.

In 2000, firmly entrenched as the on-field general, Hernández played in 143 games and yielded a .241/.311/.387 line. The team won 69 of his 118 starts, with Hernández driving in 62 runners in 479 plate appearances. Despite a putrid start (he finished April with a .164 average), the front office was committed to his development, and he shepherded the staff to 91 wins and the division title. The Yankees awaited in the postseason with Roger Clemens starting the first game against the A’s Gil Heredia. Hernández deftly led the veteran hurler through a serviceable start (three runs in six frames) and connected for two hits off Clemens; a single in the fifth and a double in the sixth, both of which enabled Eric Chávez to score. Though the A’s lost the next two games, Hernández had a hit in each. He could not figure out Clemens in the rematch, but his teammates did as the Yankee ace was roughed up (six earned runs in five innings) while Barry Zito and a trio of relievers scattered eight hits for only one run. The decisive fifth matchup was doomed from the start as Heredia failed to get out of the first inning; Andy Pettitte, while far from sharp (five runs in 3⅔ innings) handed the lead to the vaunted pinstripe bullpen corps, which limited Oakland to three hits the rest of the game. For the series, Hernández led the team with a .375 average and .912 OPS but went home empty-handed.

Hernández would improve his hitting in 2001, setting new highs in runs (55), hits (115), doubles (25), and home runs (15) while turning a league-high 15 double plays from behind the plate. The A’s won 102 games but it was good only for second place as the Seattle Mariners tied a major-league-record 116 victories initially set by the 1906 Chicago Cubs. Oakland again met the Yankees and pushed the New Yorkers to the limit before falling in in five games. Although Hernández struggled (no hits, one walk, four strikeouts in 11 plate appearances), he guided the pitchers to a 2.86 ERA and 1.159 WHIP and played a secondary role in baseball immortality. The young Athletics were up 2-0 against the Yankees, buoyed by two victories in the always-daunting Yankee Stadium, making the third game truly pivotal. Much has been written about the contest, played less than five weeks after the harrowing events of 9/11. “Our dugout was on the third-base side, and we had a great view of Terrence hitting that ball into the corner. I thought Jeremy would score. I knew he would score,” laconically said Oakland manager Art Howe.12 Washington, whose left arm could have been injured by his enthusiastic waving of Jeremy Giambi, recalled “the throw is way over everything … so I’m winding Giambi and I’m sure we’re going to tie the game. And then Derek goes over and gets that ball.”13 Hernandez did what he could to help Giambi, yelling at his teammate to slide and putting both hands out, palms down, and vigorously pushing toward the ground – the universal baseball sign to slide.14 Unfortunately for Oakland, it was not meant to be. Jeter, whose unofficial mantle as the Yankees captain was not made official until 2003, may have earned the title with that play. Ever humble, he deflected praise by stating, “I’ve seen it a lot. I was where I was supposed to be. … I’m not supposed to throw it home, but that’s where I’m supposed to be. I’ve never been one to sit down and sing my own praises. I’m happy it was a big moment for us. Maybe years from now, but I’ve just never sat down and looked at it like that.”15

Hernández remained durable in 2002, appearing in 136 games and again showing exemplary plate discipline. Although this batting average of .233 was pedestrian, his OBP was a solid 80 points higher (.313) and his Defensive WAR (1.7) was seventh in the American League.16 The A’s enjoyed a remarkable 20-game winning streak to revalidate their division title and avoided the Yankees by matching up against the Central Division champion Twins. The teams were evenly matched and finished the five-game series with identical ERA (4.50) and similar OPS (.833 for the A’s, .829 for Twins). Minnesota slipped by, 5-4, in the last game, again breaking the Oakland fans’ hearts. Hernández managed one hit in 17 at-bats, extending his postseason malaise.

He appeared in the 2003 All-Star Game as a reserve thanks to a strong first half. Playing in 80 of the team’s first 93 games, he blistered opposing pitchers with a .364 average (.984 OPS) in March and April. Although he cooled off in May and June (.205 and .250, respectively) he caught teammate Mark Mulder, Brendan Donnelly, and Keith Foulke during his four innings in the midsummer classic. He replaced Posada on the field as part of a double switch and grounded out on his only at-bat, becoming the second Venezuelan to appear at catcher. (Bo Díaz, in 1981 with Cleveland and 1987 with Cincinnati, was the first.) 17

Hernández finished the season with a .273/.331/.458 line with 21 home runs, 78 RBIs, and 70 runs scored, but the team once again flamed out in the postseason, this time in five games against Boston. Hernández reached base five times, with three singles and two walks, driving two runs, including the game-winner in the first game with an expertly executed bases-loaded bunt in the bottom of the 12th inning. It appeared he had reached a zenith, but the franchise was in transition. Jason Giambi had left during the 2001 postseason and Tejada was rumored to be departing during the offseason, his asking price untenable to the small-market franchise. Before the shortstop signed with Baltimore, Hernández was traded to the San Diego Padres along with Terrence Long for Mark Kotsay on Thanksgiving eve. He found out about the trade while watching ESPN’s SportsCenter: “All of a sudden I see the ticker with my name and then my picture is on the screen. A few minutes later, my agent called and told me I was traded. ‘Yes, I know that. … I saw that on television! Twenty minutes later, Billy Beane called me to let me know. I was not mad, though I figured perhaps our time had passed.’” A streak of four straight postseason berths ended as Mulder, Zito, and Tim Hudson all left Oakland in subsequent seasons, leaving Chavez as the sole link to the early 2000s clubs.

The 2004 Padres improved by 23 games over the prior year’s edition, which was still coming to grips with Tony Gwynn’s retirement. Hernández established career highs in on-base average (.341) and slugging average (.477) despite playing in only 111 games due to a 29-game stint on the disabled list with a strained left knee. For the first time since 1999, he did not reach the postseason, though he would return a year later thanks to his .290 average. Hernández did not reach the century mark in appearances in 2005 as his left wrist was first sprained and eventually required surgery. Returning on September 7, he caught fire over the last 23 games with a .349 average as the Padres won the Western Division title. Though they lost the Division Series to St. Louis in three straight, Hernández tore the cover off the ball: five hits, including a home run, along with two walks for a 1.266 OPS, a masterful performance as he entered the free-agent market on October 27, the day after the World Series ended.

The Orioles’ Javy López had succumbed to age and injuries, dropping from 150 games with a 127 OPS+ in 2004 to 103 contests (28 as the designated hitter) and a 106 OPS+ effort in 2005. With one more year in his deal, the club needed a long-term replacement and Hernández was a good fit. Entering his age-30 season, with a solid career progression and the endorsement of Tejada, Hernández signed a four-year deal on December 13, 2005. The move was savvy for Baltimore, as López struggled to start the campaign and was traded to Boston, where he finished the year and his career.

In 2006 Hernández played in 144 games and reached career bests in home runs (23), RBIs (91), doubles (29), and slugging (.479) while leading the league in catching assists with 69. Perhaps more tellingly, he won over the Oriole alumni and his teammates as he was the franchise’s nominee for the Heart & Hustle award, given to “an active player who demonstrates a passion for the game of baseball and best embodies the values, spirit, and traditions of the game.”18 His next campaign was not as productive as he visited the disabled list twice (once for a left oblique strain and once for a groin injury), limiting him to 106 games and slicing his slugging prowess by almost 100 points (.382). The Orioles, mired in the 10th of what eventually became 14 consecutive losing seasons, selected Matt Wieters in the June amateur draft. Wieters, a future four-time All-Star, took over the position in 2009.

Hernández’s last year with Baltimore (2008) was solid if not remarkable. He stayed healthy, appearing in 133 games and contributing a .257/.308/.406 line, but the club was still stuck in neutral. On December 9 the Orioles exchanged his contract (one year remaining) for a trio of Reds: Ryan Freel, Brandon Waring, and Justin Turner.

The Reds were themselves mired in a long streak of losing seasons, but Hernández focused on steering the pitchers. Now 33, he suffered a power outage (only 5 home runs and 13 doubles) during the 2009 season. After appearing in 77 of the team’s first 88 contests, he underwent surgery on his left knee to clear out damaged tissue, returning in late September for a few games. Ryan Hanigan handled the dish during his absence, setting up a mentoring relationship that would last throughout Hernández’s Reds career.

In 2010 there was a return to form. Hernández established career highs in average (.297) and on-base percentage (.364) but missed games due to knee and back pain. The Reds returned to the postseason, battling the Phillies in the Division Series, but were swept in three games. Hernández played in all three contests, starting two, and contributing one hit in seven at-bats. Unbeknownst to him, it was his last major-league playoff appearance. Impressed with his contributions, the franchise re-signed him to a one-year deal on November 15.

Though buoyed by the success of the prior year, the 2011 Cincinnati club regressed to a 79-83 mark. Hernández hit well (.282/.341/.446) and sent Opening Day fans home in a frenzy with a walk-off three-run home run against the Brewers on March 31. Discussing his career, he was philosophical: “I don’t care if people talk about my teams being of low quality. Even better; when those teams start winning, I feel more satisfied because I arrived into a team in need of help. When one sees those improvements, one cannot help but feel satisfied.”19  When discussing the young Oakland aces Hudson, Mulder, and Zito, he stated. “Those pitchers prepared very well … We both prepared well, and two heads think better than one. … There was no guessing when it was time to pitch, that helped us win many games and reach the playoffs many times.”20 Thinking about his future, Hernández thought he could play “without any injuries, three or four more years. Right now, I go year-by-year. If I feel good and there are interested teams, one comes back until one no longer wishes to play baseball.”21 Hanigan took copious notes as Hernández led the senior circuit with a .998 fielding average, committing only one error in 658 innings behind the dish.

On November 30, a month after the 2011 season ended, Hernández signed a two-year contract with the Rockies.22 Colorado’s slugging prospect Wilín Rosario was targeted as the starter, but the team understood the value of a veteran to help the youngster acclimate to the big leagues. Hernández took pride in his mentor role, sharing, “[A]s a catcher, you have to be proud of the way you work with pitchers. I know everyone watches how you hit, but the main thing you can do as a catcher to help your team win is call the best game you can. I think I can help our starters go deep in games. It’s a great responsibility. … I want to teach him everything I can teach him. I know he is going to be the future of our organization.”23 Hernández’s body resembled the classic children’s game “Operation” with injuries to his left hamstring, left shoulder, left hand, and right elbow through the punishing season. Rosario played in 117 games and clubbed 28 home runs (.843 OPS, 109 OPS+) while Hernández appeared in 52 contests with a .217/.247/.353 line.

The Rockies designated Hernández for assignment on March 28, 2013, eventually trading him to the Dodgers for Aaron Harang and $4.25 million a few days into the season. 24 With Los Angeles, he backed up starter A.J. Ellis, appearing in 17 games (at first base, as the designated hitter, as a pinch-runner, and as the backstop) and hitting a meager .208/.291/.438.

June 12, 2013, was a great day to play baseball. Almost 42,000 souls packed Chavez Ravine to watch the surprisingly first-place Diamondbacks battle the Dodgers. This early-season contest was, on paper, no more memorable than the other 14 with which it shared the calendar, though the two teams would finish one-two in the standings. Sadly, no Pulitzer Prize winner was in attendance, commissioned by the New Yorker to cover Ted Williams’s last game. John Updike’s “Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu” has long been considered a classic piece of baseball writing, combining rich, vibrant prose with the historical significance of Williams’s final game. The Red Sox suffered through a miserable season, ending 65-89 (seventh out of eight teams in the American League) prompting Williams to decide not to travel with the team to New York for the season finale and instead treat the Fenway faithful to his goodbye. Shockingly, only 10,454 patrons saw him hammer a Jack Fisher pitch into center field for this 521st round-tripper. 

Almost 53 years later, Hernández would also smash a dinger in his last at-bat, a solo shot on Heath Bell’s first pitch.25 Unlike Williams, Hernández had not determined that the game would be his last. However, it provided symmetry; like his debut, almost 14 years earlier, this contest went 12 innings, with his team losing though Hernández played every frame. Two days later, the Dodgers designated him for assignment; on June 22, he was released. The Blue Jays offered him a contract with Triple A-Syracuse but released him on July 9 after only five games.

Hernández attempted to return in 2014, scoring a spring-training invite with Kansas City. He did not catch much due to a knee injury, though he hit .391 in 23 spring at-bats.26 He opted out of his contract on March 30 but remained with the club to work out, hoping another team would show interest.27

Much like dozens of his fellow big leaguers, Hernández did not take offseason vacations but instead returned home to Venezuela for winter ball. He began with a new franchise, the Pastora de Occidente, cutting his teeth with professionals many years his senior. In two seasons, he totaled 54 games and 29 hits, two of which were for extra bases. The team moved to los Llanos with Hernández starring in 293 contests from 1997-1998 through 2006-2007, averaging .300 with .445 slugging. He garnered several awards, including all-star selections in 1999, 2000, and 2002.28 His individual best was 2001-2002, when he led the league in batting average (.376) and kept the hot bat into the playoffs (.392), receiving the Baseball America Winter League Player of the Year award. 29 He tasted local glory twice once Pastora was eliminated and the eventual league champion Tigres de Aragua selected him as a “refuerzo” (reinforcement) playing in the 2004-2005 and 2006-2007 finals.

The club, renamed the Bravos (Braves) after its move to Margarita Island, enjoyed Hernández’s services for one more year (2007-2008) though he played in only four regular-season contests and an additional 15 postseason games. As his body took the toll of more than a decade of professional baseball, Hernández sat out the next three years before returning in 2012-2013 with Magallanes. The franchise was enticed by “(his) bat which will help our offense increase its numbers with runners in scoring position.”30 In three years, he delivered a .265 average in 71 games, but provided the Navegantes faithful one of their all-time classic moments. Hernández single-handedly routed the Caribs (Caribes) of Anzoategui in 2013-2014 while playing only three contests, batting 8-for-11 with 3 home runs and 10 runs batted in, including a three-run dagger in the decisive fifth game of the finals, cementing his MVP award. 31

Hernández announced his retirement on December 27, 2014, effective at the conclusion of the season.32 His 16-year career produced 416 hits in 422 regular-season games and a .289/.312/.415 slash line with 234 safeties in 208 postseason contests. His numbers increased as the games mattered most, as evident by a .931 OPS in five final series.

Baseball lovers lucky enough to live in the Antilles have been privy to a thrilling yearly competition: the Caribbean Series. Though the participating countries have varied, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Cuba, and Panama have sent their league champions seeking regional supremacy. Hernández played in various editions, always as a refuerzo for the league champions: “Once upon a time, every Latin player wanted to play in the Caribbean Series. In Venezuela, I would often play first base or designated hitter. An American player may have played that role in the regular season, but he was eager to return home, so the winning club would pick from the best of the natives, so I was glad to be selected.”

Venezuela hosted the 2002 event, with both Hernández and his A’s teammate Tejada donning their national colors. Tejada hit .435 but Hernández won the batting crown with .526, proving both had put the 2001 postseason heartbreaker behind them. But Mexican the representative Tomateros (Tomato Growers) of Culiacán captured the title.33

The 2006 Caribbean Series was truly crowning for Hernández, who won the MVP and the triple crown of the tournament, hitting .542 (13-for-24) with three home runs and eight runs batted in. His 27 bases also led the campaign, which was held in Venezuela (Maracay and Valencia, marking the first time two cities had shared hosting duties). He became the first player to hit for the cycle in the tournament history during Caracas’s 17-1 triumph over the Mexican representative, the Venados (Deer) of Mazatlán.34 “In my first at-bat, I hit a rocket to right-center field. … The center fielder tripped and the ball just caromed back to second base. Since it was the first game of the series, my adrenaline was just pumping so I kept running until I reached third. Later in the game, I told Marco Scutaro, ‘I need the home run…’ and connected on a good pitch.” The Leones swept the competition with an unblemished 6-0 record, providing Venezuela with its first title since 1989.35 Hernández’s total bases and hit totals were each one shy of the competition’s all-time best.36

In 2014, playing for Magallanes, Hernández drove in three runs for the club’s 8-5 victory over the Azucareros (Sugar Cane Cutters) of Villa Clara.37 With Cuba’s return after more than half a century, the tournament was played under a different format, with teams playing each other twice and the top four advancing to a single-elimination playoff. Hernández contributed a home run in Venezuela’s victory over Puerto Rico’s Indios (Indians) of Mayaguez. Hernández was again named to the all-tournament team for his performance, an honor he humbly acknowledged by stating, “I am just trying to help the team, it’s no longer Magallanes but rather Venezuela.”

At the conclusion of the 2019 Caribbean Series, Hernández had connected for seven home runs, tied with Robert Pérez, Tony Batista, Carlos Baerga, and Rico Carty for fifth most all time in the competition.38 He also boasts of 163 at-bats, a .282 batting average, .466 slugging average, 46 hits, 76 total bases, and two batting titles, equaling Manny Mota’s mark.39

After years of discussion, Organized Baseball agreed on its first ever “world cup” tournament. Eager to display its mettle beyond the Caribbean series, Venezuela boasted two major leaguers behind the plate for the inaugural World Baseball Classic, held in 2006. Hernández shared duties with young slugger Víctor Martínez, with the former going 6-for-22 and the latter 3-for-15.40 The country lost its first game against the Dominican Republic but recovered by blanking Italy and Australia. Hernández, playing first base against the Europeans, provided a single and a double.41  As the designated hitter against Australia, he clubbed a home run in the second inning and later added a single.42 In the second round, Venezuela fell again to the Dominicans and to the Cubans but defeated Puerto Rico, bowing out with a combined 3-3 record.

For the 2009 WBC, the Venezuelans used a triumvirate of catchers; Hernández (7-for-19) was joined by Henry Blanco (5-for-10), and Max Ramírez (2-for-10).43 Hernández reached base in every game he played, providing an insurance run against Puerto Rico with a round-tripper in a thrilling second-round game. Venezuela reached the semifinals, losing to eventual runner-up South Korea, 10-2.

By 2013, a new generation of his countrymen had reached the majors; Miguel Montero and Salvador Pérez wore the mask. The nation was placed in a tough draw; it lost to powerhouses Cuba and Puerto Rico before picking up a victory against Spain. Hernández pinch-hit in the bottom of ninth against Puerto Rico, but the at-bat was finalized by Montero, who struck out.44

While Hernández did not participate in the 2017 edition, he still ranks second (behind Miguel Cabrera, and tied with Bobby Abreu, Carlos Guillén, Magglio Ordoñez, and Endy Chávez) among Venezuelans in WBC games played, a mark he holds dear: “Playing for Venezuela was amazing … the highest level of competition. … To play for the country was a great honor, something I could not accomplish in Little League. It’s a different feeling to play with your country’s name on your chest.” 45

At the conclusion of the 2024 season, Hernández ranked 18th among Venezuelan-born major-league players in games played (1,526), 24th  in hits (1,345), and 31st in WAR (21.9). Among his catcher brethren, he is the all-time leader in games caught, with 1,447, or 95 percent of his total. (He also appeared at first base, designated hitter, third base, and as a pinch-hitter and runner.) With the bat, he enjoyed facing Mark Petkovsek (.636), Francisco Cordero (.556), Donnelly (.545), Tim Wakefield (.310, three home runs in 45 plate appearances), Clemens (.333), and 2019 Cooperstown inductees Roy Halladay (.318), Mussina (.280), and Mariano Rivera (.300). He confessed, “I liked to face Clemens; he was a competitor, fierce and cocky, he wanted to attack.” He loathed the matchup against soft-tossing lefty Jamie Moyer: “I could not figure him out … soft flies or groundouts most of the time,” he recalled, confirmed by a 6-for-41 line (.146 average) but Hideo Nomo (0-for-10) and Esteban Loaiza (0-for-21) also proved to be his nemeses. As a testament to his durability, as of 2021 he was 22nd in all-time putouts by a catcher, ahead of Hall of Famers Yogi Berra, Bill Dickey, Mickey Cochrane, and Roy Campanella.

Hernández reached six divisional series though his clubs were unable to advance to the League Championship Series. He slashed .211/.268/.289 in 86 plate appearances but he caught fire in 2000 with Oakland (.912 OPS) and 2005 with San Diego (1.265 OPS). He enjoyed catching Hudson, noting, “I may have missed two of his games throughout our time in Oakland. We grew up together in the organization. He always had great movement. One time, Greg Myers was assigned to Hudson and he could not do it well. I think he lost a fingernail or two.”

Although he was not known as a home-run hitter, Hernández slugged seven grand slams in his career, good for a third-place tie with Ordóñez and José Altuve, trailing only Andrés Galarraga and Abreu among Venezuelan major leaguers.46 His 162-game average (.263/.327/.417) was solid for a catcher, and his 12-year peak (2000 through 2011, ages 24 to 35) yielded eight campaigns with double-digit home runs, six seasons with OPS+ between 107 and 119, an offensive WAR of 22.4, and a four-year span leading the American League in total games caught (2000-2003). Behind the plate, his Oakland staff reduced its ERA in every one of his years, a feat he repeated during this time in Baltimore.

Once retired, Hernández was keen to remain in the dugout. He joined the Tiburones (Sharks) of La Guaira for two seasons (2015-2016, 2016-2017) as a bench coach. Magallanes offered him the same position, which he eagerly accepted for the 2017-2018 campaign: “It’s an excellent organization, from the executives to the players, the batboy and the office workers.”47 However, the prize was to manage a club, and once an opportunity arose with Aragua, Hernández pounced, becoming the Tigres manager on March 26, 2018. Though he had not played for the franchise during the regular season, he had been selected by the club as a reinforcement in the 2004-2005, 2005-2006, and 2006-2007 playoffs. The honeymoon was short-lasted as a poor start saw the team mired in seventh place (10-14 record), and Hernández was fired on  November 12, 2018.48 His former Baltimore teammate Oscar Salazar commanded the team to a 23-16 record the rest of the way, losing to Caracas in the first round of the postseason.

Hernández’s next role grooming players did not take long. The Diablos Rojos (Red Devils) of Mexico City, one of the 16 teams in the Triple-A Mexican Baseball League, approached him about the bench-coach position. Though Hernández had not played professionally in Mexico, he was ecstatic about the opportunity: “Baseball in Mexico is as loved a sport as soccer. … I’ve heard it’s a very good league, I see a lot of talented young players, it’s very high-quality baseball.”49 His Caribbean Series experience in 2001 (held in Culiacán) and 2005 (hosted in Mazatlán) gave him an appreciation of the fans’ enthusiasm for the game. The Diablos Rojos led the Southern Division with a 67-49 record but lost in the semifinals to the Leones of Yucatán.

Hernández remains cherished in Oakland given his role in the team’s early twenty-first-century renaissance. The A’s honored both Hernández and Zito in 2017, welcoming them back to the Coliseum in a game against the Braves: “It’s great, it brings back old, great memories in this ballpark. This is the team I signed with, the team I came up to the big leagues with and the team I loved to watch when I was a little kid.” 50 Zito added, “we had such a chemistry as a battery back then. I didn’t have to shake, ever. He just put down what I wanted to throw, and it’s pretty rare to get into sync to that level. And it was like that for years.”51 Hernández took the opportunity to communicate his goal: “I’ve learned a lot. That’s what I want to do in the future, hopefully to be a coach in the major leagues and a manager. I’d love to do that. I love to help players and I love to be on the field.”52 He eagerly awaits the opportunity, regardless of whether it comes in the minors or the majors: “You have to focused and take care of each individual player to help him improve. … You have to earn their trust, and I like to teach.” Given his track record, most teams ought to listen.

Last revised: January 31, 2026

Acknowledgments 

Ramón Hernández for graciously agreeing to an interview with the author.

Carlos Hernández for connecting the author to Ramón Hernández.

Photo credit: Ramón Hernández, courtesy of Jerry Coli / Dreamstime.

Sources

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author relied extensively on Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org.

Notes

1 Author interview with Ramón Hernández on November 14, 2019. Unless otherwise specified, all direct quotations from Hernández stem from this interview.

2 Dominican Republic Summer League Official Statistics, http://dominicansummerleague.com/www/jugadores-en-grande-ligas/.

3 https://www.baseballamerica.com/players/18374/ramon-hernandez/.

4 http://www.thebaseballcube.com/extra/awards/history.asp?Award=Ariz-MVP.

5 http://www.thebaseballcube.com/extra/awards/history.asp?Award=Ariz-MVP.

6 http://www.thebaseballcube.com/prospects/byTeam.asp?T=21.

7 “Serie del Caribe Unió a los Compadres Ramón y Tejada,” Diario Libre, February 9, 2006, https://www.diariolibre.com/deportes/serie-del-caribe-uni-a-los-compadres-ramn-y-tejada-CRDL87532.

8 http://www.thebaseballcube.com/extra/awards/history.asp?Award=Ariz-MVP.

9 http://www.thebaseballcube.com/prospects/byYear.asp?Y=1998&Src=BA.

10 http://www.thebaseballcube.com/prospects/byYear.asp?Y=1998&Src=BA.

11 https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/OAK/OAK199906290.shtml.

12 John Hickey, “Jeter Returns to the Scene of the Flip,” San Jose Mercury News, June 26, 2012, https://www.mercurynews.com/2014/06/12/derek-jeter-returns-to-scene-of-the-flip/

13 “Jeter Returns to the Scene of the Flip.”

14 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApoJk9X7Vto.

15 Bryan Hoch, “Flip Play in Oakland Iconic Moment in Derek Jeter’s Career,” MLB.com, June 13, 2014, https://www.mlb.com/news/flip-play-in-oakland-iconic-moment-in-derek-jeters-career/c-79619840.

16 Wins Above Replacement, or WAR, is calculated using a formula accounting for a position player’s performance across offensive and defensive metrics. While FanGraphs and Baseball Reference use the same framework, their estimates for the inputs may vary, and the total WAR may also be slightly different. This biography relies on the Baseball Reference version of WAR. For more information, consult https://www.baseball-reference.com/about/war_explained_position.shtml.

17 2003 Major League Baseball All-Star Game box score, https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2003/B07150ALS2003.htm.

18 https://www.mlb.com/mlbpaa/events/heart-and-hustle-award.

19 Gustavo Hidalgo, “Ramón Hernández Tiene Espacio Bien Ganado en las Grandes Ligas,” Béisbol007 Blog, April 13, 2011, https://beisbolnew.wordpress.com/2011/04/13/ramon-hernandez-tiene-un-espacio-bien-ganado-en-las-grandes-ligas/.

20 Hidalgo.

21 Hidalgo.

22 “Rockies Agree to Two-Year Contract with Catcher Ramon Hernandez,” MLB.com, December 12, 2011, https://www.mlb.com/news/rockies-agree-to-two-year-contract-with-catcher-ramon-hernandez/c-26147438.

23 Arnie Stapleton (Associated Press), “Rockies Catcher Embraces Role as Mentor,” Colorado Springs Gazette, February 28, 2012, https://gazette.com/news/rockies-catcher-embraces-role-as-mentor/article_d947b630-59eb-5011-9a2e-44426f7a19b8.html.

24 Mike Axisa, “Rockies, Dodgers Swap Ramon Hernandez for Aaron Harang,” CBS Sports, April 6, 2013, https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/rockies-dodgers-swap-ramon-hernandez-for-aaron-harang/.

25 https://www.baseball-almanac.com/feats/feats18.shtml.

26 https://www.baseballamerica.com/players/18374/ramon-hernandez/.

27 https://www.rotoworld.com/baseball/mlb/player/16777/ramon-hernandez.

28 http://www.thebaseballcube.com/extra/awards/history.asp?Award=Ariz-MVP.

29 http://www.thebaseballcube.com/extra/awards/history.asp?Award=Winter-POY.

30 “Ramón Hernández con los Navegantes del Magallanes,” Béisbol007 Blog, May 4, 2010, https://beisbol007.blogia.com/2010/050405-ram-n-hern-ndez-con-los-navegantes-del-magallanes.php.

31 José Alfredo Otero, “Magallanes Campeón 2013-2014,” ADN Magallanero, January 28, 2018, https://adnmagallanero.wordpress.com/tag/ramon-hernandez/.

32 Alex Ulacio, “Gracias Ramón Hernández,” Desde el Bullpen, December 28, 2012, http://desdeelbullpen.blogspot.com/2014/12/gracias-ramon-hernandez.html.

33 http://www.seriedelcaribe.net/articulos/bateo-lideres-en-cada-serie/.

34 Rafael Carvajal, “Hernández Más Valioso y Triple Coronado,” La Serie del Caribe, February 8, 2006, https://web.archive.org/web/20061106061701/http://www.laseriedelcaribe2006.com.ve/.

35 Alex Sternberg, “Leones de Venezuela, Justo Campeón del Clásico Caribeño,” La Nación, February 8, 2006, https://www.nacion.com/puro-deporte/leones-de-venezuela-justo-campeon-del-clasico-caribeno/SED7PFIRXBAFBB37N22RLT2STI/story/.

36 https://web.archive.org/web/20200121032952/http://www.seriedelcaribe.net/articulos/bateo-los-mejores-de-una-serie/

37“Magallanes Inició con Triunfo en la Serie del Caribe,” Dossier Político, February 3, 2014, https://dossierpolitico.com/vernoticiasanteriores.php?artid=138838&relacion=&tipo=Noticias&categoria=1.

38 Norvi Guerra, “Serie del Caribe: Los 10 Jugadores con Más Jonrones en la Historia del Torneo,” 12up.com, January 29, 2019, https://www.12up.com/es/posts/6283528-serie-del-caribe-los-10-jugadores-con-mas-jonrones-en-la-historia-del-torneo.

39 http://www.seriedelcaribe.net/articulos/lideres-de-por-vida-bateadores/.

40 World Baseball Classic Statistics, https://www.worldbaseballclassic.com/stats/

41 http://mlb.mlb.com/wbc/2009/stats/boxscore.jsp?gid=2006_03_08_itaint_venint_1.

42 http://mlb.mlb.com/wbc/2009/stats/boxscore.jsp?gid=2006_03_09_venint_ausint_1.

43 World Baseball Classic Statistics.

44 http://mlb.mlb.com/wbc/2013/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2013_03_09_purint_venint_1&mode=box.

45 World Baseball Classic Statistics.

46 https://www.baseball-almanac.com/hitting/higs1.shtml.

47 “Me Gustaría Estar con Magallanes: Ramón Hernández,” El Fildeo, March 19, 2019, https://web.archive.org/web/20190331110359/https://elfildeo.com/lvbp/ramon-hernandez-navegantes-magallanes-lvbp-entrevista/6714/2019/

48 David Méndez, “Ramón Hernández Fue Despedido por Tigres,” Tigres de Aragua Baseball Club, November 12, 2018. https://tigresdearaguabbc.com/nota/3159/ramon-hernandez-fue-despedido-por-tigres.

49 Javier Sedano, “Ramón Hernández Aportará Experiencia en Diablos,” Puro Béisbol, March 4, 2019, https://www.purobeisbol.mx/lmb/ramon-hernandez-aportara-experiencia-en-diablos/.

50 Susan Slusser, “Ex A’s All-Stars Ramon Hernandez, Barry Zito Return to Coliseum,” SF Gate, July 1, 2017, https://www.sfgate.com/athletics/article/Ex-A-s-All-Stars-Ramon-Hernandez-Barry-Zito-11261239.php.

51 Slusser.

52 Slusser.