Good Omen?

As one on-field Marlins official said, Ramirez has "acted like a baby" at times in the past and can be moody or stand-offish. Another Marlins person said Uggla's issues with Ramirez reflected sentiment among many players at the time. Even Marlins executive Andre Dawson said in September, "Hanley is going to have to really do what it takes to be a leader. He hasn't embraced that yet."

But Ramirez has changed for the better since that Uggla incident, teammates say. Ramirez took the negative perception of him to heart -- he said recently it's important to him to have teammates' respect and is trying to become a leader. "I am [the face of the franchise]," he said. "Everything I do, everybody is looking at me. It makes me do everything the right way."

Third baseman Wes Helms said recently, "I have told Hanley 100 times, 'You have to lead this team.'" Now, "he looks like a guy that wants to. I'm proud of him."