PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays held a moment of silence to honor bullpen catcher Jean Ramirez who died by suicide earlier this year.
On Wednesday, the team unveiled a "JR" banner outside the Charlotte Sports Park bullpen in remembrance of Ramirez. The Rays say his parents were in attendance during the ceremony.
Tampa Bay's starting players also wore Ramirez's number 98 jersey in his honor.
Those uniforms will be auctioned in May for Mental Health Awareness Month, according to the team.
The 28-year-old spent his entire career with the Rays organization.
Ramirez was originally drafted by the team in the 28th round of the 2016 draft and played in the organization's minor league system for three seasons. He was released in 2018 before receiving an invitation to join the team as a bullpen catcher in 2019.
An often-overlooked role by baseball fans, as bullpen catcher, Ramirez was responsible for warming up the arms of the Rays' best pitchers before they took the mound.
In 2020, when the team competed in the World Series at Globe Life Field, Ramirez was just 30 minutes from his hometown of Saginaw. His parents, grandmother, brother and area friends were all in attendance.
Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis is urged to reach out for help. You can contact the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay at 211 or call 911. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.