Catching Up With ...Edgar Ramirez

In 2007, 6'4" Edgar Ramirez was part of the Cyclones' "Towers of Power" pitching staff, and a workhorse out of the Brooklyn bullpen, appearing in 19 games, and notching a 3.07 ERA in 29.1 innings.

Off the field, he put in even more work, as the front office's go-to guy for school visits, book readings, camps, and more. On his first day in uniform, Edgar appeared in a commercial scarfing down a Nathan's hot dog, and talked about how much he loved interacting with fans. He was true to his word, and became a fan favorite for the Cyclones.

Having moved up to the Savannah Sand Gnats (A), Edgar recently took some time to look back on his time in Brooklyn, and tell us what the "Big Donkey" is up to these days:

Q: You were incredibly popular during your time with the Cyclones. What memories do you have about your time in Brooklyn, and about the Brooklyn fans?

ER: There are no words to express how amazing the fans are. It was always exciting to go to the field and have the energy of the crowd behind you at KeySpan. Best memory must be when we had the horses on the field and how the fans stuck around for about two hours to see the rest of a baseball game. Just goes to prove that they are really fans.

Q: Do you have any other favorite memories from your time as a Cyclone?

ER: My favorite time as a Cyclone was when I got an opportunity to meet the Hall of Famer Don Newcombe. He took the time to talk to me for a while about pitching (or as he would say, "winning pitching"), and that was something I'll never forget. That, and the time I also got to meet Miss Cyclone!

Q: You led the team in off-the-field activities…book readings, school visits, camps, clinics, autographs…do you see that as part of your responsibility as a professional athlete? And do you enjoy it?

ER: It is a part of my responsibility as a professional, however, I really enjoy interacting with the fans and seeing the kids smile on and off the field. There is no bigger satisfaction, than to see the kids put up signs with your number and name during a game.

Q: What was your offseason like after you left Brooklyn ?

ER: Well, it started off really warm in Miami working as a substitute teacher. However, I moved out to Louisiana and got a job in construction. I know, it is not Brooklyn cold but, it was pretty bad working outside in 19 degree weather. I did get a lot of baseball work done and got to spend a whole lot of time with family.

Q: Tell us about a typical day at Spring Training…what time do you get up, what are your activities throughout the day…what do you eat…do you have any free time to yourself…that kind of stuff.

ER: Well, we usually get up at around 5:30am to head out to the complex out in Port St. Lucie. Start breakfast at 7 with eggs, bacon, sausage, oatmeal and bagels always being served. Practice starts at 9 on the dot and we usually don't get a break until about 12:30. Get a snack break which consists of an apple and juice. Get back to work at 1 until about 4 and lunch is served right after that. Lunch consists of either spaghetti or some chicken and rice. That pretty much sums up our day at spring training. Nothing too exciting, but lots and lots of hard work.

Q: When did you find out you’d be assigned to Savannah ? As much as you may have liked playing in Brooklyn , you had to be excited to be moving up, right? What were your thoughts?

ER: I was actually told I was staying in Extended Spring Training to start off, the day before camp broke, then the actual day that camp broke I was brought in for another meeting and was told I was going to be given a chance in Savannah. Yeah, I was super excited to get a chance to move up in the organization. There is still nothing like Brooklyn. I would love to go back but don't know if that would be a good sign or not, career-wise. Either way, I know I would have a great time there with the fans.

Q: What are some of the differences between Savannah and Brooklyn , both on and off the field?

ER: Well on the field, the fields are pretty much similar. The playing field I mean -- there are obviously a whole lot more fans in Brooklyn. Off the field, there is not as big of a fan base here in Savannah like there is in Brooklyn, but the fans we do get are pretty rowdy and really make the games exciting.

Q: Do you set goals for yourself each year? If so, what are they, for 2008 and beyond?

ER: You always have to set goals for yourself, no matter what you do for a living. This year I just want to be able to continue improving on my pitches and to be a constant in the bullpen. A big deal for me is to have a low ERA, but two things bigger than that are to have a low WHIP (walks and hits allowed per innings pitched) and keep opposing teams batting average under .250.

Many thanks, as always, to Edgar for his time, and best of luck as he moves up the ladder. Brooklyn fans will be watching and rooting -- knowing that when you wear the uniform, you're a Cyclone forever!