Ramirez, a native of the Dominican Republic, has been working on his English ever since he arrived at the big league scene a year and a half ago. It remains a work in progress.
GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Francisco Lindor won't place Jose Ramirez's order. When the two go out to eat, it's every shortstop for himself.
Ramirez, a native of the Dominican Republic, has been working on his command of the English language ever since he arrived at the big league scene a year and a half ago. It remains a work in progress.
"Baby steps is probably the best way to put it," said manager Terry Francona. "Some guys have a little better ear for it or it comes a little easier. He is trying and we're spending time with him daily."
The Indians feel enhanced communication will help the 22-year-old on the infield. So, Ramirez has worked this spring with a tutor. He has also received guidance from teammates, including Lindor and infielder Mike Aviles. Lindor endured a similar transition upon his relocation to Florida from Puerto Rico about nine years ago. He was placed in an ESL program at his boarding school, but it took him a while until he began to grasp the language.
"It was pretty tough," Lindor said. "I remember going to math class and everything being in English and even though it was numbers, the way they explained it, it was a whole different thing."
Lindor's teaching style is to let Ramirez struggle. When they sit at a restaurant, Ramirez is left to navigate the menu on his own.
"I'm not ordering for him," Lindor said. "If he struggles really badly, then I'll help him. If not, you're on your own."
On the field, assistance is always at hand.
"The last thing you want to do is feel like you're on an island by yourself on the infield, or anywhere for that matter," Aviles said. "I feel like he's slowly learning and getting better and understanding everything. It'll give you confidence as a player. It'll give him confidence to go up to somebody and ask a question because he's learning the language."
The shortstop is the captain of any infield. Communication is critical.
"If you're the shortstop, that comes with the territory," Francona said. "When he first got called up, when you're new and young, maybe some of the other guys take some of the responsibility. Once he shows that he's going to play that position, there are some other things that come with it. The better he can communicate, the easier it'll be for him."
It requires time, practice and a commitment. Lindor initially understood simple baseball terms, such as "out, strike, ball, bunt." He also benefitted from a mandatory English class at his school each year, beginning in kindergarten. He still felt lost when he left Puerto Rico and swiped his cleats in the dirt on a Florida diamond.
"I had an idea, but if people told me, 'Hey, I'm going to the field,' I'd look at them and have no idea what they're saying," Lindor said. "That's why I relate to when an international player comes in. They don't know the language or the culture. I was there once."
Ramirez is figuring his way through that process now. Aviles has been impressed by his improvement.
"He's said some things in English to me that I'm like, 'Wow, I didn't even know you knew that,'" Aviles said.
For now, Ramirez is learning the intricacies of communication in baseball. Reading a menu will come later.
"It'll be a heck of a lot easier for him to get an apartment and things like that when he can command the whole language," Francona said, "but for right now, understanding the baseball terminology and scouting reports and things like that is good."
