02/27/10 4:40 PM EST
MESA, Ariz. — Aramis Ramirez decided to skip the live batting-practice session on Saturday against Cubs teammate and countryman Carlos Marmol.
"I don't blame him," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "Would you want to hit against Marmol?"
Apparently, Ramirez doesn't do live BP, preferring to hit in the batting cages or off the coaches.
"I'll find a way to get ready," Ramirez said, smiling.
"A lot of veterans don't," Cubs catcher Koyie Hill said about skipping live BP. "I don't think 'Ramy' is missing anything. This guy wakes up, steps out and starts hitting. Maybe we should all do what he does."
Ramirez does have a career .286 average and doesn't seem to need much work on his swing. He leaned against the cage while young shortstop Starlin Castro took Ramirez's turn against the Dominican right-hander. It was a good move. Castro got plunked in the backside by one of Marmol's sliders.
"He didn't leave — he stood there, to his credit," Piniella said of the 19-year-old infielder.
Marmol, who came to camp already named the Cubs closer, has looked much more comfortable.
"Marmol's throwing the ball so easy and is so far ahead of where he was last spring," Piniella said. "He's confident and has a job and is working himself into shape.
"Ramirez is a crafty veteran. You get plenty of hitting here. They have a hitting program in the morning. They hit off 'dead arm' coaches and the machine and live pitching. You can actually get bad mechanics trying to hit off these [pitchers] before you're ready. Somebody has to go up there, so we sent the younger kid."
Hill, who caught Marmol, didn't blame Ramirez one bit. Alfonso Soriano stood in the cage for five pitches from Marmol, didn't swing at any, and then watched while Castro and Kosuke Fukudome alternated in the cage.
"[Marmol] looked very sharp today with his control, breaking ball," Hill said. "We're going to need him, too. He's another one who takes a lot of pride and works very hard in what he does. It's not by accident. It's not just because he's gifted and has a lot of ability, it's because he works his tail off. You can tell."
Which is probably another reason for Ramirez to sit that round out.