The Keith Ramsey Experience
by Mike Ashmore
July 27, 2006 - Hunterdon County Democrat

Saying that Somerset Patriots pitcher Keith Ramsey marches to the beat of his own drum just wouldn't do him justice. After all, he's not the one playing the drums.

When he's not taking the ball every fifth day as one of the top starters in the Atlantic League, Ramsey spends his off-seasons as the lead singer and guitarist in a Los Angeles band called Flava Do.

"I've been playing guitar since I signed in 2002," Ramsey said. "I didn't want to play X-Box, I didn't want to be that guy who sits inside all day frying my brain on TV. So I decided to pick up some kind of hobby that was constructive. Guitar piqued my interest, and I've been playing ever since."

While the California dude with the rockstar looks has played in such places as the legendary Whisky a Go Go on Hollywood's Sunset Strip, it's what he's done while playing baseball over the past few years that's really turned some heads.

During his breakout 2004 season in which he made two starts for the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, Ramsey threw the first nine inning perfect game the Carolina League had seen in 26 years as a member of the Kinston Indians.

"It was one of those games where I felt terrible," he said. "It was the last game of the year, and they were thinking about canceling it because there was a bunch of rain coming. It was just one of those things where everything went right. I feel fortunate to have thrown it, because you never know how long you're going to play."

With numbers like a 3-3 record with a 3.07 ERA in his first 13 starts with Somerset, how much longer he'll be playing in the Atlantic League is always a question. First year pitching coach Brett Jodie has worked with Ramsey to try to help the 26-year-old get back into affiliated baseball.

"I think he needs to develop that changeup a little bit better to show that he's got a third pitch, to go along with a great fastball and a great curveball," Jodie said.

Sit behind home plate when Ramsey is pitching, and you'll swear that curveball fell off an invisible table right before it reached home plate, something his battery mates can certainly attest to.

"It's a Barry Zito type of curveball, and he's not afraid to throw it," said Patriots catcher Travis Anderson. "It's such a tough pitch, it just drops down. If you're not ready for it, you just give up on it."

It was Cleveland who gave up on the southpaw after the 2004 season, the last pitch of his perfect game being the last one he'd ever throw as a member of their organization. Left unprotected for the Rule 5 draft, the Colorado Rockies quickly picked him up.

"I thought it was going to be a great step for my career," Ramsey said. "When I got picked, I thought I was getting close."

He couldn't have been further away from his big league dreams after being released just 10 starts into his stay with the Double-A Tulsa Drillers, a move justified by a 7.68 ERA.

"I'd thrown a lot of innings the year before, and I wasn't really myself coming into Spring Training," Ramsey said. "I think that really took a toll on my whole year."

After bouncing around between the Diamondbacks and Phillies organizations, Ramsey signed with the Patriots after being released by Philadelphia in March of this year.

He was named to the Atlantic League All-Star Game after staying amongst the leaders in earned run average during the first half. Consistently one of the best players on the field, his teammates are just as complimentary of his actions off of it.

"I really like the kid, and I think he's a great teammate," Anderson said.

The transition from teammate to bandmate is only a few months away, when Ramsey is set to re-join the "bunch of clowns" that make up Flava Do after the season ends. It's a transition that could become a permanent one.

"I'm thinking about it," Ramsey said. "I feel like I have a talent for songwriting, but my voice definitely needs improvement in order to succeed."

Patriots fans may just get to make their own assessment, as he hopes to play a Jimi Hendrix style national anthem before a game at Commerce Bank Ballpark, something he did two years ago at Kinston's Grainger Stadium.

Whether it's on the mound or on stage, one thing is clear. The Keith Ramsey Experience is one that can't be missed.

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