FORT MYERS, Fla. -- After lots of buildup and anticipation, Hanley Ramirez made his debut at first base Monday. But he didn't see a lot of action.
In four innnigs in a 6-0 win over Boston College, Ramirez had only two chances at his new adopted position. He recorded an out on the back-end of a double play in the second, and fielded a slow roller and recording the putout himself at first in the third.
"I thought he received the ball well,'' remarked manager John Farrell. "Now it's a matter of watching him in different game situations and conditions. But I'm not going to make too much of two at-bats and four innings on the field, for anybody.''
"What can I say?'' said Ramirez. "I was a little bit nervous (before the game), but after the first pitch everything calmed down and it was time to go. After the first pitch, everything was normal. I was trying to anticipate everything and that's the key. That's why they have spring training -- get your work in and get comfortable.''
Ramirez seems to understand that he's under the microscope as he tackles first, but he's trying to keep things in perspective.
"There was more pressure going from short to left than going from left to first,'' he said. "I'm an infielder and I worked at this in the offseason.''
Much has been made about the game speeding up on a player who's trying to get comfortable at a new position. But Ramirez said he can help control that.
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"When you're down (in position and crouching) and ready to go,'' he said, "the game seems like it's going slow. When you're standing up and you're not ready, the game goes by fast. You can slow the game down by being ready when the ball crosses the plate.''
Ramirez expressed confidence that he'll figure out first base over the course of the spring and that early-morning sessions on the back field with infield insturctor Brian Butterfield are helping.
"We have a plan,'' said Ramirez. "We're going to keep working every day.''
With all the attention paid to Ramirez at first, it nearly obscured his two plate appearances, during which he reached on an infield single behind second base and lashed a double off the left-field wall.
On the double, Ramirez was able to get full extension on a fastball that off the plate a bit, demonstrating that his shoulders are healed, enabling him to drive the ball -- something he couldn't do after the first week of May last year.
"The one thing I've seen,'' Farrell said of Ramirez's work at the plate, "and granted it's live BP, regular BP and a couple of at-bats in a game . . . but it's a more compact swing and if you notice, the finish is a two-handed finish rather than releasing the top hand. He's repeating his swing. I'll temper it because it's early, but he looks to be in a good place with his swing.''
"Last year,'' recalled Ramirez, "I couldn't hit that pitch and now I can stay through it.''