Heliot Ramos discusses ending Giants' wild Opening Day streak in left field
Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos speaks to reporters ahead of San Francisco's Opening Day matchup against the New York Yankees on Wednesday.
Heliot Ramos discusses ending Giants' wild Opening Day streak in left field originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Video Transcript
I felt good offensively.
I felt good, like, do putting my work in, but this, I feel like it opened my eyes in a lot of different g- parts of my game, and I feel really good about it.
I feel, I feel like a complete player.
I feel like I have no, I have no holes in my game.
Yeah.
I know you put in a lot of work defensively- Yeah ...this off-season.
Yeah, yeah.
Can you just explain, like, what, what, what you did and, you know, the kind of work that you did?
it was just mainly trying to, like obviously mentally was the main part because I was making it seem like it was harder than what it was and, I just think mentally, physically physically I got the gift.
I know I got the mo- I can move.
I know I'm pretty athletic.
It's just about, like, trying to, like, not make, not make it harder.
not make the easy part harder, you know what I'm saying?
and at the end of the day that's all I was working on.
I was working on my angles, first step, pre-pitch, preparation and all that and no, I feel pretty good.
I feel pretty confident.
I know you reached out to Jay, sent to Shane.
Did you work with anybody else over the off-season?
they, they have one of the guys, his name is Will.
Mm-hmm.
He So Shane gave us the work and he was with me, putting the machine, giving me fungo, just going through it with me.
just, like, working, like, twice, three times a week on defense and, yeah, he's the one who was, like, there.
He's, he works, he helps with the, rehab guys in the minor leagues and all that.
You said you wanted to break the left field streak.
Is it an honor to- Mm-hmm ...be able to break that?
Yeah, it's, just a privilege.
It's just a privilege, and just, like, I'm proud of myself for just, like, working hard, you know, and always, like it's like I told him, it's not about, like I didn't know that.
I wasn't working to break the streak.
I was just working to be a consistent, Major League player and help my teams, win championships, you know?
So that's the main thing that I'm proud of, just, like, overcoming all the, all the o- all the downs and just trying to be, like, here present, just trying to work hard, just trying to do, give my best.
There were some changes in the outfield, Jung Ho Kang moving to right and Akers and Bader coming into the new field.
Is it any different?
Do you feel different in any way?
No, I mean, I'm staying in the same position.
I know that's, Younghi's natural position.
I feel like he's, he's gonna be, we're gonna be a gold glove outfielder this year.
Younghi's an, an amazing player.
I think he deserves every, every part that's happening to him.
Just, like, as a man, like, I can't, I couldn't be prouder of him.
I couldn't be more proud of him.
Does having a guy like Bader in center change the way you play left?
just more communication for sure.
he's a guy that has been there.
He's won obviously gold glove, so it's like he knows the positioning.
He knows, like, what it takes to, like, make the, the outfield job easier.
Yeah.
And honestly I leaned on, on him a little bit before spring training started.
Like, we talked a little bit about defense.
We talked a little bit about, like, keeping your feet under you, like, going backwards, all that and yeah, like, I mean, I feel like he's gonna help us.
He's gonna help Younghi.
He's gonna help me.
He's gonna make the outfielder, out-outfield better for sure.
With the World Baseball Classic and his injury a little bit, how much time have you spent in the same outfield over the last month?
same amount.
I only played center once in, WBC.
Yeah.
They didn't hit me no gr- no fly balls.
I wanted one.
I wanted one at least to see how, how I'm looking, to see how I'm feeling.
Yeah, but, no, I s- I spent ama- the most amount of time in left field.
It was a great experience.
The fans, the Puerto Rican fans, they're unmatchable.
they, they're pretty high up there with the Oracle Park fans, the San Francisco fans.
But, it was a great experience just, like, being around all those, like, Hall of Famers, Yadi, Beltrn, Carlos Delgado, Carlos, Edgar Martnez, being around them, Juan Igor Gonzlez, like, it's crazy to be around them.
It's crazy to see the way they think and the way they, like, approach the game back in their day.
I saw that in the off-season.
You've been an All-Star.
You've now broken the left field streak.
Which one was bigger for you?
I just think staying consistent, just staying consistent in the big leagues, just, like, having an everyday job is the most, like, proud thing that I am of.
obviously I keep going.
I'm not a veteran.
I don't think I'm set yet, but, I am, I am very positive of the work that I put in and all the, all the, all the good things that I worked on this off-season.
What was it like to see Oliver make the team?
What do you think he can bring on the field?
I mean, he, you guys see it, he flies.
Yeah.
He's crazy fast.
So, I just think his defensive footwork, he's a g- pretty guy.
I've seen his bat, he's a pretty good hitter too.
I just think that he brings that spark that we need, like, that guy that's fast, that can, knows how to steal bases, know how to play the game.
I think, he's gonna be a great addition for us.
Do you think this could be the year you guys really take advantage of being aggressive on the bases, even though it's something you guys have said you guys were doing the last couple years?
say, say again?
Do you You guys have said the last couple years- Yeah ...you guys would be more aggressive on the bases, but it hasn't really come to fruition.
Do you feel like this is the year with the team you have that that can happen?
Yeah.
I think it's, aggressive, yeah, is good, but I think it's more smarter on the bases, just trying to get, take advantage of that extra base.
That's what we've been working on.
That's what we have, that's what we have implemented here in spring training.
Even if we got thrown out at third, we was just working on it.
We wanted to see how it played out.
We want to test our limits, so I think that's, that's, what this game is about.
Just test your limits.
Just test, like, what you can do and, see how far you can go.
Micos was obviously someone who was here for a long time.
Just how tough is it to kind of see him go?
Man, it's, it's really hard.
obviously he's my guy.
I love Maples.
I love every single one of them, but I kinda came up and down with him a little bit.
I played a bunch of games in the big leagues with him.
I texted him.
I don't know if he text me back, but, I wish him nothing but the best.
He's, like, one of the greats.
I think he's a great player.
I think he's a great person, and I think any team will pick him, any team will want him any day.
