The Sox also asked Ramirez to be a better teammate, which wasn’t quite so simple.

That was the easy part. Ramirez improved his diet, worked out faithfully, and dropped 20 pounds. He also found first base to his liking after an ill-conceived stint in left field in 2015.

The Red Sox sent Hanley Ramirez into the offseason a year ago with specific instructions. They wanted him to report to spring training lighter and more agile as preparation for moving to first base.

“They said, ‘You need to be better in the clubhouse.’ But I never thought I was a bad teammate,” Ramirez said. “I don’t talk a lot and maybe people don’t get to know me. But does that mean I’m a bad guy?”


For some, it did. The Florida Marlins traded Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012, deciding his attitude was beyond repair after a series of run-ins with teammates, coaches, and even manager Fredi Gonzalez at one point.

Ramirez was productive at the plate with the Dodgers for 2½ seasons but had unpredictable mood swings. When he became a free agent in October 2014, the Dodgers offered Ramirez a one-year deal they knew he would reject.

That led him to the Red Sox, the team that originally signed him out of the Dominican Republic, and a four-year, $88 million deal that worked out so poorly it was a factor in general manager Ben Cherington being replaced in August 2015.

Ramirez spent the final five weeks of last season on the disabled list, and the Sox eventually sent him home with a week left to play. Both sides were worn out at that point.

Be a better teammate, they said. In Ramirez’s mind, a good teammate drove in a bunch of runs. But the Sox expected more, especially with a clubhouse full of young talent.


At 32, Ramirez was at another career crossroads.

“Hanley wanted to love it here because he always wanted to play here,” David Ortiz said. “Like I always say, he’s a little brother to me. I tried to let him know how to deal with the tough times when they show up. He had to learn.”

Ramirez had a trainer to reshape his body. To change his approach, he talked hours with Ortiz and listened to what manager John Farrell said during several offseason meetings. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski had an effect, too.

“I know from conversations in January and leading into spring training, he had an opportunity to reflect back on his first year here,” Farrell said. “He made a conscious effort to change both physically and from an outlook standpoint.”

On Thursday night, Ramirez will bat fifth behind Ortiz in Game 1 of the American League Division Series against the Cleveland Indians.

Ramirez is now a cornerstone, not a question mark. He produced an .866 OPS this season with 30 home runs and a career-high 111 RBIs. Ramirez had 22 homers and 63 RBIs in his final 62 games, playing his best when the Sox needed him most.

His play at first base, while not of the Gold Glove caliber Ramirez playfully predicted in spring training, has been better than anyone expected.

And he connected the dots about how to be a good teammate, too.

“I tried to be more friendly,” said Ramirez. “I don’t really know how to describe it other than I want to be closer to my teammates. Just be me, play hard, and have fun.


“It’s hard for me to trust people. But these guys have my back. They’re here to help me be a better person and a better player.”

A good example came on July 28 when Ramirez’s throwing error with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning gave the Los Angeles Angels a 2-1 victory over the Sox.

It was the fourth straight loss for the Sox, and Farrell’s job security was becoming an increasingly hot topic.

When reporters were allowed into the clubhouse, Ramirez was standing at his locker and took all the blame for the loss, repeating several times that it was his fault.

“He showed a lot of us what he was about that night,” said righthander Brad Ziegler, who was on the mound when the error was made. “That was being professional.”

In baseball’s insular culture, being accountable matters to your peers. Ramirez also has made an effort to not take too much of the credit when he has played well. He’s part of the group now.

“Setting aside the performance — and he’s come up huge — what he’s done on a personal level speaks volumes about where he’s at in his career and what’s important to him,” Farrell said. “He cares about his teammates, and his primary vision and goal is to win.”


Ramirez hit .356 with a 1.031 OPS in 13 playoff games for the Dodgers from 2013-14. He has never been to the World Series and is eager for that to change.

“I like the emotion of the playoffs,” he said. “This is a great time of the season because you can accomplish something. This is when you can reach your goals. The team needs you to step up, and I want to be that player. It would mean everything to win the Series. That’s all that is left for me.”

Ramirez is signed for two more seasons at $44 million. If he makes 1,050 plate appearances in those two seasons and passes a physical, a $22 million option for 2019 kicks in.

Ramirez had 620 plate appearances this season. If he remains healthy, his tenure in Boston could easily extend three more years.

“I hope so, I really do,” he said. “I started my career here and I want to finish here.”

With Ortiz retiring, Ramirez hopes to take over as the designated hitter. He has been a DH 36 times in his career and hit .331 with a 1.014 OPS and 10 home runs in 142 at-bats.

He filled in for Ortiz 11 times this season and was 16 of 44 (.364) with 8 extra-base hits, 11 runs, and 16 RBIs. While a small sample size, those statistics suggest Ramirez would be a worthy successor to Ortiz.

What about staying at first base?

“Hell no,” Ramirez said. “I would be good as the DH. I learned a lot from Papi.”


Then he caught himself.

“I’ll do whatever they want,” he said.

Since 2005, Major League Baseball has awarded a Comeback Player of the Year in both leagues. Farrell believes Ramirez would be a deserving recipient.

He came back from injury, yes. But it was much more than that.

“Players change and people change,” Farrell said. “I don’t think this is anything other than him being genuine. It has been great to see.”

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Peter Abraham can be reached at peter.abraham@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @PeteAbe.