Some 113 days after the COVID-19 break out shuttered spring training, the Mets returned to workouts for a 2020 season they hope will materialize. Over three staggered sessions that started at 9 a.m. and were set to conclude 12 hours later, the familiar noise of ball conference bat and thumping leather echoed throughout a near-empty ballpark.
Ramos and Edwin Diaz are among the Mets players who decided to leave their families behind while attending this three-week session. Ramos, who resides in South Florida, has a 6-month-old boy and pointed out the benefits of a pool in his yard and play ground nearby in the house. Diaz, who lives in Puerto Rico, called it a “collaborative decision” with his household that he would take a trip to New York alone.
” Its difficult to see my teammates and be [distanced] from them, so that is the tough part about all those protocols,” Wilson Ramos said after an early morning exercise. “But at the same time I am delighted to be here and do what I like to do, particularly here at Citi Field because its house.”
Gamers were enabled to utilize the weight spaces in the home and visitors clubhouse in little groups and a makeshift cardio workout location was developed behind the right-field fence. An extra pitching rubber, on a slope, was placed on the warning track in front of the bullpens.
” The men I have been talking with, they feel excellent,” he said. Today is the very first day and we didnt get an opportunity to talk a lot, but all I see today it feels great and I feel pleased to be here working out.
Ramos crushed the very first batting practice homer of spring training 2.0, a shot to center field that hit the black keeping wall in front of the apple. He joined fellow catchers Tomas Nido and Rene Rivera in the cage before transferring to work with the pitchers.
Ramos and Edwin Diaz are amongst the Mets players who chose to leave their households behind while attending this three-week session. “That is what we play for, but there is no pressure, with fans or without fans. Today is the very first day and we didnt get a possibility to talk a lot, however all I see today it feels excellent and I feel pleased to be here working out.” I know when you play in that short season you have to think about that and I will let my colleagues understand how to play a brief season,” Ramos said. You have to go out there and play tough every day.”
Citi Field opened for baseball Friday, complete with hand sanitizers near each nasty line, socially distanced markers and masks for players and staff.
The regular season will start July 23-24 with games likely to be played in empty ballparks.
Ramos stated the vibe was positive on Day 1.
Ramos compared the 60-game season to the type of schedule he faced playing winter ball in Venezuela as a more youthful player. The Mets will play their whole schedule versus the NL East and AL East, lessening travel.
” Once we hit the field it nearly resembled camp,” Rojas stated. “We were out there and maintaining our ranges, but as soon as they began playing catch and tossing the ball around in BP … it felt pretty normal to us.”
Supervisor Luis Rojas held pre-workout Zoom conferences with gamers expanded in different rooms, just to set the tone for camp and offer reminders about the security limitations.
” I understand when you play because brief season you need to think of that and I will let my colleagues know how to play a brief season,” Ramos stated. “You do not wait until the next day. You need to go out there and play difficult every day.”
” I have the exact same mindset that all professional athletes do: we choose to have fans here in the ballpark,” Diaz said. “That is what we play for, but there is no pressure, with fans or without fans. I require to do my task and I understand fans comprehend that. This is for both our safety and their safety.”
