| 29 March 2010
Last year during spring training Florida Marlins superstar Hanley Ramirez was upset about the team's new regulations banning jewelry and long hair, initially telling reporters he wanted to be traded, Hanley eventually settled down and got over it. On Saturday, team owner Jeffrey Loria appeared outside the clubhouse with a rather pricey peace offering.
"We don't wear jewelry on the field but I know Hanley likes it off the field," Loria said after privately giving Hanley a special-made diamond pendant with .342 on it -- Hanley's National League leading average last season.
The necklace features 394 diamonds on it and Loria hopes that serves as a new challenge for his stud. "I told him, if you hit .394 this year, we'll do something else," Loria said.
Loria and Ramirez enjoy a jocular relationship and when Hanley kidded his employer about getting a gift for his accomplishment Loria responded, "Yea, what's your shirt size?" When Hanley came outside to meet Loria on Saturday his boss was standing there with a box big enough to fit a shirt in. Of course, inside was the diamond pendant instead.
"I'm gonna save it in my safe," said Ramirez, who wore the necklace out of the ballpark after Saturday's game. "Once in a while I'm going to wear it. Every time I see that I'm going to remember Jeffrey."
Hanley isn't the only recipient of Loria's largess, the first 5,000 fans at the Marlins' home opener will get their own replicas, presumably without all the diamonds -- although that'd be a good way to get more fans through the gates...
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