By Andrei GreskaFOXSportsWisconsin.com
The opening month of the season has not been too kind to Aramis Ramirez, who is a career .263 hitter in March and April, a full 22 points below his career .285 average. Last year was no different with the third baseman hitting a meager .214 during that stretch, his first in Milwaukee.
Ramirez is out to change that this year.
"I'm a little more comfortable than last year," he said. "I played nine years in Chicago. It's always a little different coming into a new team, but now I got a year under my belt, and I feel a little more comfortable now."
Besides being more familiar with the team and its settings, he and coach Ron Roenicke have decided to change his spring training routine a bit.
"I have an idea of what I would like to do maybe a little bit different, but I need to talk to him about it," Roenicke said. "This year allows us, because of the WBC and starting the 23rd, allows him to start playing games earlier if he wants to."
Ramirez has also shown up to Arizona in better shape than he has in previous years, looking to get out to a quicker start this season.
"He came into this spring training in really great shape," Roenicke added. "I'm not saying he wasn't last year, because he was in good shape when he came in last year, but he's tired of not starting off well and he wants to do something about it."
Should the second year Brewer be able to carry over his momentum from the end of last season, he believes big things are in store for Milwaukee's offense.
"We were (the best offense in the league) last year, so I don't see why we can't do it again," Ramirez said. "Hopefully we get Corey (Hart) back sooner rather than later. Like I said, if we did it last year, we got the pieces to do it."
Ramirez got over his first test of the season, the team's photo day, with only a slight scare.
Asked what his favorite pose was, Ramirez said it was "The one where I almost pulled my hammy out reaching out to the ball with my glove."
Interviews for this story provided by the Milwaukee Brewers
