I was in Chavez Ravine last night to see the Dodgers play the Marlins. Florida won, 5-4 in 11 innings, when Hanley Ramirez capped an impressive performance by driving a bullet into the left side of the right-field pavilion.

Ramirez, the Marlins’ shortstop, went 5-for-6 with a double in addition to his homer. Bringing his season statistics to … a .312 batting average, 79 runs, 20 doubles, three triples, 23 home runs, 22 steals, a .390 on-base percentage, a .569 slugging percentage and a .959 on-base-plus slugging percentage.

And did we mention he plays the most difficult position in the infield, shortstop?

This is a great player. And, at 24, he could be great for a decade or more to come.

Which set me to thinking …

The Dodgers have this storied history. Six World Series championships, 10 retired jersey numbers … but when was the last time they had a position player who ranked as “great” in the sense that Hanley Ramirez does?

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a “great” player? Don’t Los Angeles fans, who buy 3 million tickets year after mediocre year, deserve to see such a player? And when was the last time they actually did?

Certainly, no one on the current team warrants “great” designation. Jeff Kent likely will make the Hall of Fame, but based on his body of work — the huge preponderance of it before he joined the team.

Nomar Garciaparra was something close to a great player, for a few years — in Boston. Andruw Jones, believe it or not, was very good for a fairly good stretch. In Atlanta.

Of the younger generation, Matt Kemp could be a great player. Maybe. Russell Martin, a bit less likely, though he likely will always be more popular.

And then, forget it. Not these Dodgers. “Great” is beyond them.

Most of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ brushes with greatness have applied to pitchers. Eric Gagne, for those three years of bullpen dominance. Orel Hershiser, who did most of the heavy lifting in the 1988 World Series year (even if Kirk Gibson was named MVP). Fernando Valenzeula for much of the 1980s.

Sandy Koufax makes everybody’s “great” lists, and Don Drysdale warrants occasional mention.

Pitchers all.

But what of position players?

Let’s go to the back end of this and nail down a couple of players most of us can agree were great players for the Dodgers. The Brooklyn Dodgers, that is. They would be Duke Snider and Roy Campanella, ranked Nos. 50 and 53 on statmeister Bill James’ all-time top 100.

Campy, of course, didn’t play a game in Los Angeles, after that awful auto accident. And Snider was far into his decline by the time he got to L.A.

Jackie Robinson usually makes most “great” lists (No. 31 on James’ list), but he was done in 1956, a year before Campy and two years before the club got here. Snider and Campanella postdate him.

So, since then?

Tommy Davis had two seasons verging on great, 1962 and 1963, but he broke his ankle badly in 1964 and was never the same player.

Ron Cey, Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, Dusty Baker, Reggie Smith … all very good players for most of the 1970s, but would you describe any of them as great? Garvey won an MVP, in 1974, but he played in an era before sophisticated statistical analysis unveiled him as one of the most overrated players of all time.

OK, the 1980s? Pedro Guerrero had moments. But that is all. Kirk Gibson had the year he won the MVP, but his actual stats in that one good year (1988) compare with the least impressive in the history of the award.

Perhaps the only reasonable facsimile of position-player greatness Los Angeles fans ever have seen … would be Mike Piazza, from 1993 through 1997. Piazza averaged, during those five years, 83 runs, 33 home runs, 105 RBI and a .337 batting average.

Even taking into account the eruption of offense that went on as the 1990s progressed, those are serious numbers. Particularly by a catcher. Piazza was the face of the franchise, and deservedly so. If he wasn’t “great” he could see it from where he was, and could get there with a stride or two.

Of course, the Dodgers reacted to this gem in their midst, one drafted by the club and brought up through their farm system … by trading him away early in the 1998 season. Because they didn’t want to pay him.

And since then? The Dodgers have been lucky to have one “almost seriously good” player in the 11 seasons since.

So, last great Dodgers? Duke Snider, without argument. Mike Piazza maybe.

Next great Dodger? Whom do they have who could be someone like Hanley Ramirez or Alex Rodriguez or even Manny Ramirez or David Ortiz or David Wright? Well, we’re waiting. And waiting.