Interview: Brewer Fourth Round Pick Nick Ramirez

Former Cal State Fullerton first baseman was the Brewers' fourth round pick in the 2011 draft, and recently made his professional debut in Helena. He's hitting .333/.355/.400 in his first seven games there, and took a moment to answer these questions for us:

KL: What can you tell us about your game? I know you were both a pitcher and a position player in college - which did you prefer?

NR: I definitely prefer playing first base and hitting. It’s definitely a lot more fun for me.

KL: What, if anything, have the Brewers told you about their plans for you? Which team are you starting out with?

NR: I just got here to Helena so I will be playing here in Montana, I don’t know how long I will be here but I’m just ready to start my professional career.

KL: Did you know the Brewers were going to draft you and/or when you were going to be picked? Were you in touch with a lot of teams?

NR: I wasn’t aware that they were going to draft me and once I finally heard my name called it was like a dream come true. I finally got my opportunity to reach my dreams.

KL: Were you/did you expect to be drafted out of high school?

NR: Yes I was. But I wanted to much money so it just didn’t happen.

KL: After hitting 16 home runs in 2010, you led the Titans with nine home runs in 2011. How much did the new rules involving bats impact your game, and did they force you to change your approach at all?

NR: No my approach didn’t change at all. I knew that if I put the big part of the bat on the ball it will go regardless of what I was swinging.

KL: You had the opportunity in 2010 to play for Team USA in the World University Baseball Championships in Tokyo. What was that experience like?

NR: The was the best baseball experience I have ever been a part of. Just to see the talent around our nation come together and play against the best players from different countries was awesome. I would do that sort of thing again in heartbeat. The friendships I made on that team will last a lifetime.

KL: There's a little more than two months left in the minor league season. What are your goals for the rest of 2011?

NR: I just want to go out and perform to the best of my abilities. I want to put myself in the best position to help the organization and also to develop as a player.

Thanks to Nick for taking the time!