Keith Ramsey - Minor League Career

Minor League Career

Keith was selected in the 10th round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft (304th overall) by the Cleveland Indians, and he signed with them.

Ramsey began his minor league career in 2002 with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers of the New York-Penn League. In his collegiate career, he was used mostly as a reliever until his senior year. From the very start of his professional days, Ramsey was a starter. He would start 10 of the 13 games he appeared in 2002. Ramsey finished the campaign with a 6-3 record with a 2.03 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 62 innings pitched. Keith led the Scrappers in ERA, WHIP (0.85), and strikeouts. He was 5th in the NYPL in ERA.

Keith spent most of 2003 with the Lake County Captains in the South Atlantic League. For the season, he posted a 13-6 record and a 2.99 ERA. He threw 3 complete games including a shutout. Keith led the Captains in stikeouts with 108. Ramsey also started two games for the Akron Aeros in the Eastern League going 1-0 with a 6.55 ERA. He was 0.01 shy of 10th place in the SAL in ERA.

Ramsey moved on to the Kinston Indians in the Carolina League for 2004. While in Kinston, Ramsey had a big hand in helping the K-Tribe capture the league championship with a 10-4 record, 2 complete games, and a 3.85 ERA despite also leading the league with 19 home runs allowed. On September 6, Ramsey threw a 6-0 perfect game against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans in the last game of the season with his sister Allie in the stands at Coastal Federal Field. It was just the fourth nine-inning perfect game in Carolina League history and the first since a 1978 gem by Marty Bystrom for the Peninsula Pilots. Keith threw just 97 pitches in the contest, two changeups, two splitters, 35 curveballs, and 58 fastballs in the 82-84 mph range. He recorded five strikeouts, seven groundouts, and fifteen flyouts. The closest that the Pelicans came to a hit was a line drive to right center that Jonathan Van Every made a "highlight-reel catch" of for the second out in the ninth inning. Keith reached a full count just twice. The game itself almost did not happen due to a steady mist that delayed the start nearly a half hour. The weather along with the fact that it was technically a meaningless game since the playoff spots had already been decided, led to some pregame discussion of a cancellation. Ramsey has called the game "a gift from God ... my shining moment." It also uplifted his team. The K-Tribe had lost seven of ten games going into the game. The excitement of the perfect game was credited with picking up the team's spirits and giving them the momentum they needed going into the playoffs. Teammate Dennis Malave was quoted as saying that the game "set us free from negative thinking."

During the season, Ramsey also got two starts for the Buffalo Bisons in the International League where his record was 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA. As yet, these two triple-A starts are the closest Ramsey has been to the major leagues.

Following the 2004 season, Keith pitched for the Peoria Javelinas in the Arizona Fall League. Ramsey was in Peoria to work on his changeup and tweak his mechanics in an effort to make him throw harder. Reflecting on this stint years later, Keith has stated that he had "tried to become something he wasn't ... and that's kind of where things went downhill." He was used entirely in relief and in 11 appearances pitched just 10 innings. Keith was not involved in any decisions and he posted a 10.80 ERA. On December 13, Keith was selected by Colorado Rockies in the Rule V Draft.

In 2005, Ramsey would see action for three different teams in three different farm systems. He began the year with the Tulsa Drillers in the Texas League for the Rockies. While in Tulsa, Keith went 1-3 in 10 games with a 7.68 ERA. He also batted in a game going 1 for 3 with a sacrifice for a .333 batting average. His subpar performance on the mound led to his release by the Rockies. He was then picked up by the Arizona Diamondbacks who assigned him to the Lancaster Jethawks in the California League. In Lancaster, Keith pitched just 4 relief innings and posted a 0-1 record and an ERA of 4.50. The D-Backs then traded him to the Philadelphia Phillies for "future considerations". The Phillies assigned Ramsey to their Florida State League affiliate, the Clearwater Phillies. For the Phils, Keith went 2-4 with a 5.07 ERA.

Late in the 2006 spring training, Ramsey was released by the Phillies. By April 1, he had signed to play with the Somerset Patriots in the independent Atlantic League. The Patriots were being managed by Sparky Lyle. For Somerset, Ramsey put up a 6-7 record with a 3.76 ERA. His 155 and two-thirds innings were the most he pitched since the 2003 season. He was rewarded with a trip to the league All-Star game.

The Texas Rangers decided to take a chance on him for the 2007 season and signed him to a minor league contract. Ramsey was assigned to the Bakersfield Blaze of the California League. Keith was soon released after an 0-2 start. He only made it through six and a third innings for the Blaze and posted a dismal 15.63 ERA. Following his release, Ramsey returned to Somerset where he had a 6-9 record with a 4.64 ERA, 2 complete games, and a shutout. Ramsey also saw a little time in the outfield for the first time since his college days. At the plate, he had one official at bat and a .000 batting average, but he did score a run.

April 2008 saw Ramsey pitching in the Chinese Professional Baseball League of Taiwan for the Brother Elephants. His career in Taiwan lasted just three innings on April 25 as he was rocked for six runs on seven hits, including two home runs in a 12-4 loss against the President Lions. Returning to the United States, Ramsey found work back in the Atlantic League with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs who are owned by Hall of Fame member Brooks Robinson. He was signed on June 4 with the season already in progress. By the end of the season, Keith compiled a record of 7-6 with 1 complete game and a 4.01 ERA. He started 20 of the 21 games he appeared in.