After the interview with Bergolla, Larry came up to me and asked if I got everything I needed. I told him the DMos was going to come back by and finish up, but that is about it and that I really appreciate him giving me the opportunity to do this. He said he was glad to and that he appreciated my being so professional about it (
). Not all starry eyed and such. I told him, on the inside, trust me, I was. He said, that that is the difference and that's ok
Larry Ward was really really great. If you're reading this Larry thanks!
About this time, DMos came back over and we sat back on the BP bench and finished the interview :
Q: Brandon Claussen and yourself are generally thought of as the Top 2 pitching prospects (near ML-Ready)...does that put pressure on you to live up to that billing? Does that make you nervous?
Q: Nah, not at all. I love the fact that I'm thought of like that. I just hate it that I'm not up there with him.
Q: Ok, this is the question that a lot of people are curious about...are you concerned with the large number of injuries that have plagued the Reds farm system the last few years? Does that make you nervous?
A: No. Just for the fact that, I know I go out and get everything I need to accomplished: my running, I do my lifting, I do my bands, I do everything that I'm supposed to do, so if something were to happen, I can live with that. As far as if I didn't do that, no. I just think it's just been bad luck. Knock on wood, hopefully I do stay healthy. Everything is in the Lord's hands and whatever is supposed to happen for you will, so that's how I kinda look at it.
Princeton, this one's for you:
Q: There have been rumors that the the compact motion that the Reds teach lead to arm problems. Since you were drafted in 2000, have/did the Reds change anything about your mechanics?
A: They haven't really messed with me, man. They really haven't. I heard that when I did get drafted, Bowden said to leave me alone. In high school, I had pretty good mechanics. Bowden said that if I needed some fine tuning, that's fine, otherwise, don't mess with him (meaning me).
Q: Speaking or Mr. Leather Pants (ok, just kidding...) Speaking of Bowden...between you, me, and the wall, Bowden and O'Brien...what's your take on them?
A: Ah....they're business men, you know? They, uh.....I really don't know to be honest. I never sat down and had a conversation on a personal level with either one of them, so I can't pass judgement as far as any of that goes, he's my boss as your boss is, you look at him the same way and ah, they just kind of keep to themselves and if they say something to you, you say, "Yes, sir" "No, sir" whatever it is. Between the 2, I really haven't gotten a feel for Dan good enough to compare him to Jim, to be honest. Not sure if that answers the question, but....
Q: I read a quote you said a few years ago about how you try to outwork everyone, so that if you don't make it in the Bigs, you know that it wasn't from lack of effort on your part. Where does that come from?
A: That comes from me, man. I've been that way, always been that way. From when I was in the 5th and 6th grade, in the free-throw contest. I won the city, I won the state. State wasn't good enough, I won the regionals 3 years later. I was out there shooting free-throws at night with a freaking light-bulb sitting out there. That's just the way I am. It's the love I have for the game. I love lifting weights, I love doing things that are healthy and beneficial.
Q: Besides wins and losses, what stat(s) are most important to you?
A: Man....I really try to stay out of the stats. I know if I'm going good or if I'm going bad. ERA...4 or below. The lower the better. I like to win, dude. I like the personal wins, I hate the personal losses, but I like the fact that I go out and give my team a chance to win. If I go out and get a no-decision, and we still win, I feel like I went out and did my job. There are a lot of guys in the Big Leagues that have 4, 4.5, 5.00 ERA's winning 10-15 games, making a ton of money because they stay in ball games. ------Kind of like what Paul Wilson did last year...the record wasn't incredible, but kept the Reds in a lt of games--------yup...exactly.
Q: Seeing as you were drafted straight out of high school, do you feel like you missed out on anything not going to college?
A: Yea, yea I do. Being around the guys who did go to school, hearing them say they wouldn't give that up for the world, all the friends and opportunities and different things you miss out on. Sure, I think about that sometimes. But I got a little brother coming up and he's doing really good, so maybe I can live that college life thru him
Q: Did you consider going to college? Or was it pretty much cut-and-dried?
A: My junior year, I started getting letters from colleges and that was the most excited I've ever been. And then the scouting...the pro stuff started to roll in too. Coming up from a family w/o a lot of money, you know, the money is always tempting, but this is the way I thought about it: I started playing this game because I love it and I was going to use it to get a full-ride to school somewhere, because my family wasn't going to be able to put me thru school, so, to answer your question, I thought REALLY hard about going to school, but then, when I was drafted in the first round, I was like, whoa, this is a little different now. :MandJ: My biggest goal was to play in the Big Leagues, but it was really important to my family that I get an education. So, when they offer you that kind of money, it's tough to turn it down and then, if it doesn't work out, the way MLB works, you have 4 years of school automatically paid for. Whereas, if you go to school and have a rough freshman year, you might not have that next year paid for. So that made the decision easier for me.
Q: In that same article I quoted earlier, I read that you were pretty big into the stock market (he laguhs here)...
A: I try not to worry too much about that anymore. That was driving me crazy, bro
I told'em to liquidate most of it. I didn't want to have to worry about it.
Q: Ok, onto less serious things...who are you closest to on the team? Who in the organization?
A: I'm really close to Damon Childress, Smitherman, I'm good buddies with Ty Howington-------How is he doing?---------I don't know man, I don't know. I talked to him, he says he's feeling good...I'm real good friends with Ryan Mottl. The list goes on and on...I try to make friends with everyone. I've never met a stranger. You really are going to have to be a really bad person, not just to me, but to others too, for me not to like you.
Q: If you had to strike out 1 batter to save the world, what would you throw him on a 3-2 count?
A: Fastball
Q: 4-seam or 2-seam?
A: 4-seam
Q: Not enough confidence in the breaking ball?
A: No, I do, I just want to get him with a fastball (we both laugh)
Q: Fav. thing to do away from the ballpark?
A: In-season or off-season?
Q: Both
A: Hmmmm....Off-season...man, pretty much just like hanging out with my little brother. I grew up in Arkansas (Texarkana), live in Little Rock now, I go home for all his basketball games, I go home every other weekend. Just hanging out with friends and family. It doesn't take much to keep me occupied. I try to stay out of the bars and that kind of stuff. During the season, hang out with the boys, PS2, go out to dinner, play the guitar, talk on the cell phone :MandJ: (yup he's a college age kid). Gotta talk to the family and stuff
Q: Fav. ballpark you've played in?
A: Uhhhhhhhh......I'd have to say, that I've
played in, The Ballpark in Arlington. I played there once, in a scouting bureau tournament my senior year there. That is the one big league park I've played in. I liked that. The ballpark in Louisville is nice. That is really a nice park there. And I went to "Area Codes" down in Long Beach. Good memories there.
Q: Least favorite?
A: (no hesitation) Clinton, Iowa. Single-A. Man, that place smelled...uh....uh....like dog food (laughing). The mosquito's were huge and BAD! I had a bottle of "OFF!" with me all the time. :MandJ:
Q: Have you been to the GAB yet?
A: Yea, but it was still being built. Haven't been to a game there...yet :mhcky21:
Q: Best place to watch a game?
A: Right now, I'd have to say on TV :MandJ:
Q: Favorite team growing up?
A: Man, I gotta say, all along, it's been Griffey, Griffey, Griffey.
The rest of this interview and the rest of the others will come tomorrow night guys. Please check back then