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November 11, 2011

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Venezuela catcher Ramos abducted

PROFESSIONAL baseball player Wilson Ramos, a catcher seen as one of the young building blocks for the Washington Nationals, was abducted by gunmen on Wednesday from his home in his native Venezuela.

Ramos, a 24-year-old who just finished his rookie season, was taken away in an SUV by four armed men in Santa Ines in central Carabobo state, the spokeswoman for his Venezuelan League team, the Aragua Tigers, said on her official Twitter account.

"This is sad, worrisome and true that Wilson Ramos has been kidnapped," Katherine Vilera wrote.

She said Ramos was taken at 6:45pm at his home in the region 150 kilometers west of Caracas. She said police were notified.

A person close to Ramos' family, who asked not to be quoted by name out of safety concerns, said the catcher was at home with his father and brothers when several men "entered the house and took him away."

"As of this hour, there has been no contact" between the kidnappers and Ramos' family, the person said.

Drew Storen, a relief pitcher for the Nationals, tweeted his concerns: "Extremely upsetting news about Ramo. Thoughts and prayers with him. Scary situation."

Contender

Ramos is considered one of the Nationals' key young players as they try to become a contender in the National League East.

As a rookie in 2011, he hit .267 with 15 home runs and 52 RBIs in 113 games. He also threw out 19 of 67 runners attempting to steal a base, a 28 percent success rate that ranked third among qualifying catchers in the National League.

Washington acquired Ramos from the Minnesota Twins in a trade for All-Star relief pitcher Matt Capps in July 2010.

The abduction appeared to be the first case involving a Major League Baseball player.



 

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