The Godo Knights have signed the 29-year-old left-handed pitcher Keith Ramsey. He is the second foreign pitcher on the 2010 roster for the Italian Baseball League team besides the Venezuelan Robert Palencia, who was added a few days ago. Ramsey was born in Inglewood, California, attended Loyola High School in Los Angeles before going to LA Harbor Junior College and the University of Florida.
In 2002 the Cleveland Indians selected Ramsey in the tenth round of the amateur draft. He already got drafted one year earlier by the Cincinnati Reds, but didn’t sign. He began his minor league career in the NY-Penn League and moved up the ladder the following years, making two starts in Triple-A in 2004. At the end of that season he accomplished his personal highlight of his career, pitching a perfect game for the Kinston Indians in the Carolina League.
Afterwards Ramsey played in the Arizona Fall League and got selected by the Colorado Rockies in the Rule-5-Draft. In 2005 he not only pitched in the Rockies organization, but also for the Arizona Diamondbacks (picked up through waivers) and Philadelphia Phillies (traded). At the end of spring training 2006 he got released and moved on to the independent league circuit.
Besides two short stints with the Texas Rangers High-A affiliate in 2007 and a Chinese Professional Baseball League club in Taiwan in 2008 Ramsey pitched in the Atlantic League until last season. Overall he has a combined record of 58-50 with an ERA of 4.19 in 173 affiliated and independent league games (159 starts). He collected 637 strikeouts (256 walks) in 966 2/3 innings.
Ramsey’s fastball tops out in the mid-80ies. He also throws a decent curveball, splitter and a change. He is also an accomplished musician, writer and surfer. His uncle was John Ramsey, who worked as public announcer for the Los Angeles Dodgers between 1958 and 1982 and also announced games for the LA Lakers, LA Rams, LA Raiders, LA Kings and the University of South California.