Ramirez looking forward to climate control

Aramis Ramirez will not miss those freezing April and May days at Wrigley Field. Not even a little bit.

The longtime Cubs third baseman signed a free agent deal in December with the Brewers, who play their early-season home games under the dome at Miller Park. Ramirez figures the climate control will help boost his production, which the Brewers are counting on given the departure of Prince Fielder and the potential absence of Ryan Braun.

“Chicago is tough to play early in the season,” Ramirez said. “It’s real cold, the wind blowing. Here, we don’t have to worry about that. I’m from the Dominican, from an island, so I don’t really like cold weather.”

In parts of 14 seasons with the Pirates and Cubs, Ramirez is a .261 hitter with 40 home runs in March/April and a .271 hitter with 38 home runs in May, significantly lower than any of the season’s other months.

His attendance at Brewers On Deck is marking Ramirez’s first significant interaction with Milwaukee fans and his new teammates. Ramirez attended the Bucks-Lakers game at the Bradley Center with some fellow Brewers on Saturday night.

“I’m new here, so I have to build a rapport with the guys,” Ramirez said. “It was nice, just to hang out with a couple guys. … I’m going to do my best just to fit in.”

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