Ramirez gives lift to Sox

CHICAGO – Alexei Ramirez wasn’t even guaranteed a spot on the White Sox’s opening day roster.

Now, he and Tampa Bay third baseman Evan Longoria are leading candidates for A.L. Rookie of the Year and are at the top of a strong group of newcomers.

“There’s a new era of baseball players coming out,” said White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, and “those two guys are going to be the key.”

A natural shortstop, Ramirez played a bit in center field and ultimately settled in as Chicago’s regular second baseman. Solid in the field, the 27-year-old from Cuba is a major contributor at the plate with a .290 average, 21 homers and 77 RBIs. He came up with the biggest hit of the year – a tiebreaking grand slam against Detroit on Monday that forced a play-in game against Minnesota.

Ramirez reminds Longoria of another wiry Chicago All-Star, the Cubs’ Alfonso Soriano.

“He’s got that stringy pop, he runs, he’s got that good arm and he can play a lot of positions,” Longoria said. “I think that’s what’s made him most valuable for this team.”

Longoria led major league rookies with 27 homers and a .531 slugging percentage while batting .272 with 85 RBIs.

“I remember a couple of years, whoever was a little bit good was Rookie of the Year,” Guillen said. “Now, the competition is harder. It’s come back to be better, and I think that’s awesome for baseball.”