Hanley Ramirez Signing Autograph In LA

To say that Hanley Ramirez has turned his baseball life around (since making the move from the Miami Marlins to Los Angeles Dodgers) may very well be the greatest understatement of this 2013 season. A little more than 13 months into his West Coast existence, the 2006 National League Rookie of the Year and 2008 NL batting champion once again finds himself among the upper echelon of his sport, while at the same time delivering big numbers for a team destined to do a whole lot of damage come October.

After several outstanding seasons with the Marlins, Ramirez's relationship with the team quickly went south. Questions of attitude and effort dogged the now 29-year-old, to the point in which Miami management decided to sign Jose Reyes to play shortstop, the position that Ramirez had anchored since 2006. A July 2012 trade to LA provided Ramirez with not just a needed change of scenery, but also the opportunity to be an integral member of the suddenly free spending Dodgers organization.     

Despite missing most of the first two months of this season (torn ligament in thumb and separate hamstring issue), Ramirez is hitting. 336, with 15 HR and 47 RBI (72 games played). His 1.001 OPS would place him fourth in all of baseball, except for the fact that he does not possess the requisite number of at bats to qualify. One month shy of his first-ever postseason appearance and one year shy of free agency, Ramirez could not possibility find himself in a better position.

Last week, the reinvigorated Ramirez stopped to sign some autographs at Dodger Stadium, per the above iFolloSports.com original video. In what turned out to be a 4-0 Dodgers win, over the Chicago Cubs, Ramirez belted a towering homerun into the left field seats.

A Hanley Ramirez autograph has become a hot item for Dodger fans. 

Life in Hollywood clearly agrees with the immensely talented native of the Dominican Republic.