Hanley awarded diamond-studded ".342" bling

Hanley Ramirez won his first National League batting titled in 2009, compiling a career-high .342 batting average over 652 plate appearances. He finished second in NL MVP voting behind Albert Pujols and just ahead of Phillies slugger Ryan Howard, but on Saturday got his own little piece of hardware.

According to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post, Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria handed the young shortstop a diamond-studded ".342" necklace yesterday outside of the Marlins’ spring clubhouse. It was a total shock for Ramirez, who expressed his gratitude after receiving the flashy gift:

“I’m gonna save it in my safe,” said Ramirez, who wore the necklace out of the ballpark after Saturday’s game. “Once in a while I’m going to wear it. Every time I see that I’m going to remember Jeffrey.”

It’s a wonderful story, but here’s the best part: On April 9, the Marlins’ home opener against the Dodgers, 5,000 replica necklaces will be handed out to fans. Sure beats a magnetic calendar.