Pedro Ramos, The First Minnesota Twin To Ever Toe The Rubber

[Al from SoDak]

In the early years of the Minnesota Twins, they employed a considerable number of Cuban players. Tony Oliva, Zoilo Versalles, Camilo Pascual, and Julio Becquer are just a few. Starting Pitcher Pedro Ramos was the first to contribute and did so in a big way on opening day, 1961.

Pedro Ramos was born on April 28, 1935, in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, the same hometown as Tony Oliva. As a teenager, he worked on his father’s tobacco farm. Pedro also made himself known on the local ballfields as a talented pitcher. 

Ramos was nicknamed “Pete” or “Pistol Pete.” That latter being a telling moniker related not only to his pitching and propensity to challenge hitters but also his interest in American movie westerns and his love of western wear. He watched western movies to help him learn English. Pistol Pete was also a literal nickname, and Ramos was frequently known to carry a pistol during his playing days. After his baseball career, his affection for firearms would get him into trouble with the law.

At 17, he was signed with the Washington Senators by Joe Cambria, the famous scout who secured most of the Senators’ Cuban talent in that era. The reported signing bonus was a paltry $150. He was soon sent to Tennessee with little to no English but promising baseball talent.

Ramos debuted as a pinch runner on April 11, 1955, just before his 20^th birthday. (Ramos’ sprint speed was exceptional to the point that he was frequently used as a late-inning pinch-runner throughout much of his career). His first mound action came on April 30, 1955, against the Detroit Tigers. He pitched one scoreless inning of relief in a loss.

Ramos was a durable starting pitcher surrounded by a less-than-stellar team through his years with the Senators. He would lose double-digit games in each of his six seasons in Washington. Ramos started the final game of the Washington Senators' existence, a 2-1 loss to Baltimore. He pitched a complete game, allowing only four hits and two walks. A late home run he allowed to Orioles centerfielder Jackie Brandt proved to be the difference in the loss.

Pedro Ramos came to Minnesota when the team was relocated from Washington. Ramos played for the Twins in only one season – their initial season in 1961. He was the first-ever starting pitcher for the newly-christened Minnesota Twins on April 11, 1961. That day, he threw a complete game shutout against the defending American League Champion New York Yankees, allowing only three hits and one walk. The Twins won 6-0. Ramos also had one hit and 2 RBI in the batter’s box. 

During that lone season in Minnesota, Ramos was 11-20 with a 3.95 ERA (107 ERA+) and 174 strikeouts in 264.1 innings.

Pedro Ramos was traded to Cleveland before the 1962 season for Vic Power and Nimrod, Minnesota native Dick Stigman. He pitched parts of three nondescript seasons with Cleveland. In September 1964, he was traded to the New York Yankees, where he pitched 13 games in relief with a 1.25 ERA, helping clinch the American League pennant. Unfortunately for Ramos, he was ineligible to pitch in the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals because he was acquired after September 1st. The Yankees lost the series four games to three. But the late-season stint in New York’s bullpen opened a door for Ramos as he served as a closer for the Yankees for a couple more seasons.

Pistol Pete was a gunslinger on the mound, often challenging hitters with fastballs. Maybe he should have tried something else, but he lived the gunslinger mentality. Ramos gave up home runs at a considerable rate. He allowed the most home runs in the American League in three different seasons. Ramos gave up home runs at the rate of one home run allowed for every 7.86 innings pitched. It has been reported that this is the highest rate in MLB history. In addition to the frequency, there are numerous tales of prodigious home runs allowed by Ramos, including a reported 500-footer to Mickey Mantle that nearly exited Yankee Stadium.

Ramos’ baseball abilities were not limited to pitching or pinch running. He had a little power with the bat. The switch hitter hit 15 home runs in 770 plate appearances, including twice hitting two home runs in one game. (For context, recent Twin Nick Gordon had 15 home runs in 752 plate appearances with the club, and current Twin José Miranda had 21 home runs in 635 plate appearances coming into the 2024 season.) In a 1963 game for Cleveland, he was one of the four batters to hit four consecutive home runs. Despite having a little pop in his bat, he was not considered a good-hitting pitcher. He batted .155/.182/.240 for his career.

Ramos pitched 15 years in Major League Baseball for the Senators, Twins, Indians, Yankees, Phillies, Pirates, and Reds before finishing his career in 1970 with the second incarnation of the Washington Senators. He was durable, having led the American League in games started twice and innings pitched once. Ramos finished with a career record of 117-160, an ERA of 4.08, and an ERA+ of 95. He had 1,305 strikeouts in 2,355.2 innings. He was an all-star in 1959 with Washington.

After his Major League Baseball career, Ramos continued pitching in the American minor leagues and the Mexican League. He served briefly as a scout and then opened a cigar business in his adopted hometown of Miami, Florida. About that time, Pistol Pete’s gunslinger persona went too far. He was arrested four times on various drugs and weapons charges. The first three times, he avoided serious punishment, but after the fourth arrest, he served three years in federal prison. 

Pedro Ramos came to America and experienced the success of being a Major League Baseball player but was an ignominious criminal after his playing career. Hopefully, he has turned his life around. He has largely disappeared from the public eye. It is presumed he is still alive, but little is known of his whereabouts.

[The Society for American Baseball Research provided details for parts of this article. I would encourage those interested in more of Ramos’ story to read that recounting.]

Who remembers Pistol Pete? Who knows what happened to Ramos after his incarceration? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

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[Karbo]

I was pretty young in '61 but I do remember some of the "older" folks talking about him after that 1st game. When he was traded a few people thought Calvin was just being cheap.