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SF Giants: Wilmer Flores says Thairo Estrada "reminds me of me"

SF Giants infielder Wilmer Flores compared Thairo Estrada to himself, talked about his love for shopping, and more in an interview on the team's YouTube page.

It has been an eventful season for SF Giants infielder Wilmer Flores. Flores joined Amy Gutierrez on the Giants YouTube page for the latest episode of Walk in the Park to discuss his time in San Francisco and share some more personal sides of himself with the fanbase. Flores' bubbly personality comes through in the wide-ranging interview.

The veteran has arguably been the best position player on the team this year. Flores is hitting .233/.315/.409 with a career-high 27 doubles and 19 home runs. His performance was putting him in strong position heading into free agency, but he decided to pass on hitting the open market by signing a two-year extension with the Giants earlier this month.

He justified his decision to sign an extension by saying, "I just felt good here... I didn't want to go anywhere else. I had the chance to stay, and we got it done." He also talked about his love for clothing shopping, saying, "I'm in the mall in every city just checking if I like something."

Gutierrez also asked Flores, a native of Venezuela, about his adjustment to living in the United States as a minor leaguer. It's well known that Flores' walk-up song is the theme song to the television show Friends because he credits the show for helping him learn English. However, Flores was candid that he struggled to adjust to life in a foreign country. "It was tough," he said. "I was 16 when I came. I didn't know any English. I remember I told the team I wanted to go home like halfway through the season in August. I was definitely homesick." He ultimately opted to stay and continue pursuing his dream of becoming a big-league player, but it was far from an easy decision.The highlight of the interview came when Flores was asked to name his favorite teammate. Flores responded without hesitation, naming one of his fellow countrymen on the team.

"Thairo Estrada. No question," Flores said. "He reminds me of me when I was a rookie. We talk everyday baseball or non-baseball. I just love the way he approaches [the game]. I know he's going to play for a long time. He has the talent and the attitude to stay up here."


Like Flores, Estrada has been one of the few bright spots on the Giants this season. Manager Gabe Kapler heaped praise on Estrada earlier this week for his strong season. It seems that the infield duo has a strong relationship that should continue for years to come in the SF Giants dugout.

Check out the full interview below: