It's the waiting that's the hardest part for Alex Ramirez. The wait for the next at-bat, for the next opportunity to contribute to the Yokohama BayStars, for another chance to show there is still life in his bat.
The BayStars' final interleague series of the year, a two-game set at Seibu Dome over the weekend, yielded just one pinch-hit at-bat for Ramirez, and trips to the plate will continue to be scarce as Yokohama returns to Central League competition, where the designated hitter is not used, later this week.
Ramirez isn't used to not playing. For over a decade, he was an indispensable part of lineups for three franchises — including on a pair of Japan Series-winning teams. Now he doesn't know when the next at-bat will come.