SAN FRANCISCO -- Heliot Ramos looked calm and ready for the moment. He did not at any point Sunday look like a nervous 22-year-old making his long-awaited MLB debut in front of 37,000 fans, and for that, he can in part thank a cold tub.
Ramos has joined Logan Webb and other Giants in embracing the teachings of Harvey Martin, a performance consultant who specializes in helping players control their breathing. This spring, Ramos lowered himself into a tub filled with ice and held his breath. He practiced exhaling, working on ways to control big moments.
When Ramos stepped into the batter's box in the second inning of Sunday's 3-2 win over the Marlins, he did what has become normal for him. He took a deep breath and held it, and then released the air.
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"I was calm. My heart rate was good," Ramos said. "Everything was perfect."
That pretty much summed up Ramos' first day in the big leagues.
The 2017 first-rounder lined a 107 mph single up the middle with his first swing, picking up his first hit. He showed off his speed a few moments later, scoring the game-tying run from first when Mauricio Dubon yanked a double down the line. The next time up, Ramos roped a single to right.
"I don't think you can draw it up better," manager Gabe Kapler said. "You get a hit in your first at-bat and that creates a little bit of confidence and swagger, and he maintained that swagger throughout. He was on deck late in the game and he was like, 'I kind of expected to be more nervous than that.' That's great."
In the morning, Ramos called the promotion the happiest moment of his life. After contributing two hits and a run to a series-clinching win, he summed up the day as "the best moment of my life." He left it with plenty of souvenirs, too.
Ramos plans to present his mother with the ball from his first hit and the bat he used Sunday. The real star, though, was his spikes, a gift from Joc Pederson, who got them last month from Brandon Crawford, the resident Show Shoe expert.
"Thank you!" Ramos told Pederson. "I got flow now, I got swag."
It was on display throughout, and the crowd at Oracle Park certainly seemed to appreciate it. Ramos got loud cheers when he was introduced before the game and a standing ovation when he picked up his first hit. He noticed as the fans in the bleachers stood and showered him with applause and shouts every time he jogged out to left field.
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"It felt like I was at home, you know? I wasn't expecting it," Ramos said. "I'm not Crawford, I'm not Pederson. It's super nice to see that the fans like me and want me here."
The feeling is certainly mutual. The Giants have stayed quiet about their plans beyond this homestand, but Ramos is in line for another start Wednesday against lefty Sean Manaea and the San Diego Padres. Until then, he'll likely be one of Kapler's weapons off the bench, hoping for more opportunities to prove that he belongs.
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Ramos did face a righty in his third at-bat -- striking out -- but Kapler acknowledged that he likely would have pinch-hit with Pederson or Mike Yastrzemski if runners had been on. That's the system here and it works. Ramos is part of it now, and he hopes it's for longer than one homestand.
"Whatever they need me to do, that's what I'm going to do. I'm just going to keep playing," he said. "Honestly, I don't want to go down. I want to stay here and I want to keep doing my thing."