Cardinals' Diaz improved his English by watching 'The Ellen Show'

When Aledmys Diaz inked a four-year pact with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2014, two years after having defected from his native Cuba, he knew he'd need to quickly brush up on his English.

So, to speed up the process, Diaz revealed to ESPN's Marly Rivera recently that he turned to daytime television, an act we can all relate to.

"I watch TV, with no subtitles, just listening. Last year I had the opportunity to watch 'The Ellen Show' a lot, and I really liked it. She's very funny," Diaz told Rivera about how he crafted his English skills. "She keeps you entertained and focused at the same time.

"It captivates you. I would like to meet her someday."

Though Diaz creatively used American television to quickly integrate his English skills, the 26-year-old shortstop admitted he still relies on his native Spanish for his day-to-day chores.

"Unquestionably, Spanish is still my first language. Whenever I can do things in Spanish, go to the bank, to the doctor, one always prefers to do it in their first language," he told Rivera. "But it is important to combine the two languages, so I watch the news in English or a movie, or listen to music in English."