The Cleveland Indians surprised a lot of people at the beginning of the season with the way they started out of the gate. However, as the season progressed it became apparent that while the team has a good young base, there are still areas where they need to get better. One of the primary ways they hope to accomplish this is by cultivating more young talent in their minor league organization. Shrewd drafting has put them in a position where their farm system is dotted with highly regarded prospects and more help is on the way.

One of the players that the Indians are most excited about is shortstop Tony Wolters. The left-handed hitter just completed his second professional season, playing in 69 games with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers. He was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2010 MLB draft, and many believe that the Indians got a steal with that pick. Wolters has been described as a “gamer” and a “baseball rat,” all terms of endearment, and is the type of player that fans love to watch.

At 5’10 and 165 pounds, Wolters is slight of build, but already possesses excellent fielding skills, above average speed, and a projectable bat that many feel will be best suited for the number two position in a batting order. Scouts consider him to have an advanced bat already, and he also has more pop than one might think. He was originally planning on attending the University of San Diego, but changed his mind after the Indians made him an contract offer he couldn’t refuse.

Wolters signed late in 2010, so he only appeared in a handful of games in the rookie instructional league that year. This year, he played a short-season schedule and validated the expectations the Indians have in him. He hit .292 with 10 doubles, 3 triples, a home run, and 20 RBI. He also contributed 19 stolen bases in 23 attempts, and his 30 walks were impressive for a player his age.

The Indians may have one of their best current players in Asdrubal Cabrera manning shortstop, but that won’t stop them from developing Wolters. By the time Wolters is ready for the major leagues, Cabrera will likely have been moved back to his more natural position of second base, or perhaps been deemed too expensive for the rebuilding Cleveland. Whatever it takes, it will be worth having someone like Wolters on the roster if he continues to develop into the player so many people believe he will become.

Tony Wolters Interview

How did you first become interested in baseball?
Well, my first sport was hockey, then a lot of my friends signed up for Little League. So I started playing Little League, and that’s how I got interested in it.

How much were you into hockey?
It was my first sport, and I loved it. I loved the contact, but I like baseball better. I feel like it comes more natural. I was playing with all my friends and I didn’t know a lot of people in ice hockey.

Who was your favorite baseball team and player when you were growing up?
I always watched the Padres. My Dad always took me to Qualcomm to watch the Padres, and always watched Tony Gwynn. I went to the last game he played. He was one of the guys I watched a lot.

How did you first find out that Cleveland was interested in you?
The second day of the draft when I found out they drafted me. I had never talked with them.

What were you doing when you were drafted?
I was at breakfast with my parents. I was at a party the day before, thinking I was going to get drafted. It didn’t happen, and I was at breakfast with my parents,
and my Dad told me I got drafted and that it was Cleveland.

What did you do to celebrate after you signed?
I got a truck, and that was mostly it. I got my Mom something; my Dad something; my sister something.

So far, what has been the toughest thing to adapt to off the field, as a professional player?
The Indians make it so nice. They’re really first class about everything; where we stay, what we eat, how we train. It’s hard being away from home, missing my family and everything. I think one of the keys is keeping in touch, and I’ve been talking with them every day. The Indians make it perfect. They’re first class.

The Colorado Rockies have traditionally had a difficult time developing successful pitchers. This has partly been luck in drafting, and partly because of the inability of many pitchers to adapt to the atmosphere of Denver. Regardless, the Rockies continue to try and find as much pitching talent as possible, and have some intriguing young arms coming up through their minor league system.

One of the most highly anticipated pitching prospects for Colorado is right-handed starter Chad Bettis. He was originally drafted by the Astros out of high school in the 8th round of the 2007 MLB draft, but chose to attend Texas Tech, which ended up being an excellent decision.

Bettis started some games with the Red Raiders, but was most effective as the team’s closer. In his senior year in 2010, he went 7-4 with 10 saves, striking out 102 of the 344 batters he faced. Despite his success in the bullpen, the Rockies pegged him as a starter when they selected him in the 2nd round of the 2010 MLB draft.
The reason the Rockies envision Bettis as a starter is because of his above average fastball, which can reach the mid to upper 90’s. He also has a good breaking ball and good control. So far he has not let the Rockies down, posting an 18-6 record with a 2.70 ERA over his first two professional seasons. He has also averaged a little better than a strikeout per inning during that time, increasing his numbers with each level he has climbed.

Now that the Rockies have traded Ubaldo Jimenez, their starting rotation is in dire need of an ace. Bettis is making an excellent case to be that pitcher, and could be in the majors by the end of next year if he continues to develop at the same pace he has his first two years. His emergence could be the key to Colorado making it back to playoff contention, so he will continue to be closely monitored as he dominated minor league competition.

Chad Bettis Interview

Who was your favorite team and player when you were growing up, and why?
My favorite team was watching the Yankees play. They went about their business the right way. They expected greatness from their teammates and themselves. I loved the mentality that Nolan Ryan had, and that’s definitely how I try to pitch today. Also, Cal Ripken Jr., one of the best players of all time. He went about his business the right way and never complained if he was hurt or sick; something we don’t see a lot these days.

What type of pitches do you throw?
I throw a four-seam and two-seam fastball, also a four-seam and two-seam changeup, a curveball, and cutter.

What made you decide to not sign in 2007, and go to school instead?
It’s a much longer story than this, but it’s because the Astros and myself could not come to terms.

How did you first become aware that the Rockies were interested in you?
I honestly didn’t think they were one of the teams that was going to pick me. I didn’t even know they were that interested until they picked me. But this is a great organization to be in and happy to be a part of the Rockies.

What was a fun thing you did for yourself or your family after you signed?
We had a little family party at my parents house. Then I was off to sign and get though the physicals, and head off for my first professional year.

What is the strangest thing you have seen a teammate do to keep from being bored on the bus rides between games?
I haven’t really seen anything to strange yet, but I’m sure I will one day.

Baseball is not that popular in the Netherlands. Other than when the national team plays in the WBC, it is just another sport in a country dominated by soccer. Therefore any Dutch player who is any good is bound to stand out more in their home country, particularly if they stand 6’9 like Swen Huijer.

Huijer is one of the more recent Dutch baseball exports to play professional baseball. The lanky right-handed pitcher was signed as a free agent in 2008 by the Boston Red Sox. He had pitched for the Netherlands’ junior national team, but never seriously considered a professional career. Instead, Huijer was focused on becoming a chef, and was completing culinary school at the time he was contacted by Boston.

Given his general lack of baseball experience, the Red Sox took it slowly with Huijer during his first few years in the minor leagues. This season he is pitching for the Lowell Spinner in the New York Penn League, and has gone 1-2 with a 2.45 ERA over 25.2 innings, in 9 games out of the bullpen. Despite limited innings he has pitched well at every stop so far in his minor league career. More information about his statistics can be found here.

His fastball currently tops out around the high 80’s, but at 20 years-old, Huijer is young enough, and has enough length to grow into his repertoire. It remains to be seen if he will project as a starter or reliever, but the Red Sox have gambled that he has a chance to turn into a useful piece for their franchise down the road. While he is liable serve up something delicious to eat, if all goes well, don’t expect Swen Huijer to serve up many base hits.

Swen Huijer Interview

How did you first become interested in baseball?
It started off with my Dad. My Dad played baseball for a beer team when I was a kid in the Netherlands. When I was I think about four years old, I started going to the night games with him. Walking around with his bat, and trying to swing his bat when I was like four feet tall. From there on, I just loved the game so much that I started playing, and my Dad started coaching. From there, it kept growing.

How big is baseball in the Netherlands?
It’s not very big. Our number one sport is soccer, obviously. And it will never get as big. It’s growing, especially with all the attention we get from international tournaments; the WBC, the World Cups, but it will never be as big as it is in the United States.

What was it like getting signed by the Red Sox? How did you first know they were interested in you?
Well, I played for the Dutch National Junior Team. From there on, we got a tournament in Italy. I pitched down there against Italy and somehow one of my pitching coaches was a scout for the Red Sox. I never knew about that, the whole program that we played, for four months… never noticed anything. After that, he called me and was like, ‘Listen up, we want you on our team and we got a contract down here for you.’ First, I thought he was kidding, and it ended up that the contract was there in two weeks, and I signed after that.

Did you do anything special for yourself or your family after you signed?
No, not really. I had to finish school. I was doing chef school, culinary school, so I had to finish that first. After that, I actually got on a plane five days after that. That’s where I got my degree; that school. After that I didn’t have much time to celebrate.

How has your experience been in the United States and playing in the minor leagues?
It’s been absolutely fantastic. I’ve had so much fun. I spent the last three years in Fort Myers in rookie ball. Finally got the call after extended spring this year to go up to Lowell, and it’s been a whole different experience. You get fans. You get night games. You travel on the road for a couple of days. It’s just awesome.

Frank Viola was always the definition of a “silky left-handed pitcher.” With his seemingly effortless delivery, which produced excellent results during his career, he more than earned his nickname of “Sweet Music.” If injuries hadn’t effectively ended his career at age 34, it would have been interesting to see where his final numbers would have ended up.

New York was where Viola developed as a baseball player. He grew up a Mets fan in East Meadow, and later attended St. John’s University on a baseball scholarship. It is a place that is very important to him, and even today you can immediately identify his roots just by hearing him speak.

Viola was first drafted in 1979 by the Kansas City Royals, but he declined to sign in order to return to college. It was a fortuitous decision, because in 1981 he was chosen by the Minnesota Twins in the 2nd round. The Twins became the team that Viola will always be most linked with, and where he achieved his greatest success.

After just 25 minor league games, Viola was deemed Major League ready and summoned to the parent club. He struggled in his first two years, with an 11-25 record and an ERA over 5.00. Fortunately the Twins stuck with him, and their loyalty subsequently paid off handsomely.

Viola developed into one of the best pitchers in all of baseball, compiling a number of impressive career highlights. He helped the Twins win the 1987 World Series, and won the Series MVP award, after winning Games 1 and 7 against St. Louis. Viola was also named the 1988 American League Cy Young Award winner after going 24-7 with a 2.64 ERA.

As the 1989 trade deadline was about to expire, Viola was sent to the New York Mets for a package of young players that included Rick Aguilera and Kevin Tapani. The move was designed to reload the Twins with cheaper talent, and did ultimately pay off, as the team won the World Series again in 1991. It also allowed Viola to return to his New York home.

Viola won 20 games with the Mets in 1990 and 13 in 1991, but the team was not able to overcome the Pittsburgh Pirates’ mini-dynasty, led by Bobby Bonilla and Barry Bonds. The Mets finished no better than second place during Viola’s tenure in New York.

In January, 1992, Viola signed a three year free agent contract with the Boston Red Sox. He posted solid numbers during his first two seasons with them, but in early 1994, he hurt his arm and had to have Tommy John surgery. Unfortunately he never made it all the way back from the injury, and only won one more Major League game in his career, finishing up in 1995 with the Cincinnati Reds and 1996 with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Over the course of 15 Major League seasons, Viola posted a record of 176-150, with a 3.73 ERA, and 1,844 strikeouts. He made three All Star games, and was generally considered one of the most consistent pitchers in the game while he played. For more information on his career statistics, click here.

I will always remember Viola as the best pitcher on the great, but underrated Minnesota teams of the mid-to-late 1980’s. They were a blend of talent and interesting characters, with a roster that also included Kirby Puckett, Bert Blyleven, and Kent Hrbek.

It was a thrill to be able to chat with Viola recently, when he came to town in his new capacity of pitching coach with the Brooklyn Cyclones. Not only does he still look surprisingly similar to how he appeared 20 to 25 years ago, all of his time in the game and the spotlight has not affected his kindly nature. Although our conversation was brief, it was a great opportunity to find out more about the man they call “Sweet Music.”

Frank Viola Interview

How did you first become interested in baseball?
Just watching it. My father was a big fan of the game. When I was a young kid I always wanted to hang out with Dad. The Mets were a couple of years old, and my Dad was a New York Giant fan, so when New York went to San Francisco, he became a Mets fan. I became a Met fan, started watching baseball, and fell in love with it. Here I am, 46 years later, still enjoying the heck out of the game.

Your favorite team was the Mets, but did you have a favorite player?
I guess of all the Mets, the ’69 team I remember more, and the one player I followed more than anybody was Cleon Jones. That was the year that he hit .340, and I know that he got the putout for the final out of the seventh game of the World Series. That was very cool.

Do you have a favorite moment from your playing career?
Oh yeah. Going into the pile after Game 7. Pitching the first 8 innings of Game 7 of the ’87 World Series against the Cardinals, and watching Jeff Reardon get the last out of the game; a ground ball to Gaetti, over to Hrbek. Just telling my legs, ‘Get into the pile. Don’t collapse before you get in the pile, and just enjoy the moment.’ That’s what you play baseball for, winning the whole thing and being a part of that. That’s what I remember most.

Did you have a favorite coach or manager?
I had a number of them, but the guy who I drew most from was probably Tom Kelly. Tom was very special. He was what they call a player’s manager. A player’s manager is somebody who I say can be a friend. When he needs to discipline you or has something to say, you listen to him and respect him, and go from that point on. He was one of those guys where there was a fine line, and he was able to go along with that. You couldn’t help but love the man, and he got the results.

Is there anything about your career that you would do differently?
No, I’m very pleased with how everything went. If there’s one thing, it would probably be, and I would even argue with myself on this one… But when I had my Tommy John surgery, I gave myself a couple of years to come back to where I was, and didn’t get to that point. But I don’t think that I really gave it the best chance. So I guess if anything, maybe have gone a little longer to see if my arm rebounded, but then again, I would have missed a lot of my three kids growing up, and I tell you what, I wouldn’t trade in those years for anything.

What is the strangest play you remember seeing or being a part of?
Oh, that’s an easy one. Dave Kingman was at the plate with the Oakland A’s; I was pitching in the Metrodome. I threw a fastball and he hit it straight up above home plate, and it never came down. It got stuck in the ceiling of the Metrodome. So the following day… and he got a ground rule double on a ball that could have been fair, could have been foul, because that was the ruling at the time… The following day, Mickey Hatcher climbed up there with the rest of the Grounds Crew, and found the ball and threw it down to pretend like we found it, and we completed the play 24 hours later. That was pretty cool and different.

A lot of baseball teams like to play it safe in the draft. They will only pick players they think will sign, or those who may not have the highest upside, but are more of a lock to eventually contribute at the Major League level. Then there are other teams who like to roll the dice. They gamble on high risk, high reward picks, and throw larger amounts of money at those prospects that may have seen their stock fluctuate, but remain intriguing talents. The Boston Red Sox are among the biggest risk takers in baseball when it comes to their drafting strategy, and some of their most recent hopes lie with Garin Cecchini, chosen in the 4th round of the 2010 draft.

Following a fantastic high school junior year, Cecchini was viewed as a strong candidate to be drafted in the first round, assuming he finished his senior season in a similar fashion. Unfortunately he blew out his ACL and fell down the boards of many teams. Feeling that he could bounce back, the Red Sox not only took Cecchini early, but also gave him an approximate 1.3 million dollar signing bonus. Although he mainly played shortstop in high school, Boston believes that Cecchini projects more as a third baseman in the Big Leagues. Scouting services laud his strong defensive potential and throwing arm, along with his offensive potential, which for now centers on solid contact, but if all goes right, will eventually include power.

The Red Sox held out Cecchini for all of 2010, and finally started his professional career in 2011 with the Lowell Spinners. Last month I was able to see him play in one of his first games with the team. I had heard quite a bit about him and was excited to see what the hype was about. To my horror, in his first at bat, he was hit on his surgically repaired knee with a fastball. It wasn’t one of those typical grazers, but one that hit squarely on bone, and sounded like a gunshot. I cringed when I saw him sink to the ground in pain, and wondered if his season was all over before it had even really started.

Cecchini got to his feet after a few minutes, but was limping so badly that I was certain he had suffered a significant injury. Surprisingly, not only was he not seriously injured, but he stayed in the game. Seeing his toughness added a new element to his potential. There is no World Series in the New York Penn League, so nobody would have faulted Cecchini for coming out of the game. His insistence on staying, despite the pain and noticeable limp, is a part of character and toughness that can’t be taught.

Garin Cecchini Interview

How did you first become interested in baseball?
Well it was my Dad when I was about three, four years old. He just started throwing to me in the back yard and I just started enjoying it from there. My Mom and my Dad were both athletes, so I started enjoying it from there and never stopped.

Did you have a favorite team or player growing up?
It was the Yankees and it was Derek Jeter. I blame my Grandpa for that.

Do you model your game after Jeter?
Yeah, I like to try to play hard, respect the game, don’t be hurt off the field. I think that’s what he’s known for.

If everything goes as planned, when do you hope to hit the Majors?
I don’t know, it’s not my decision. Hopefully as soon as possible, but you know it takes a little bit of development, it takes a few years to get to the Big Leagues, so I’m just going to take it day by day.

What was the draft process like?
Well I was projected as a first rounder, but obviously I tore my ACL my senior season and that fell on to whatever. I was projected from one to four. I’m definitely happy with the Red Sox. A great organization!

Andrew Martin appreciates and writes about all aspects of baseball and its history at his blog, The Baseball Historian. You can also follow him on Twitter at @RedSoxFanNum1.

Derek Jeter’s 3000th hit and declining production have made it painfully clear that the end of his career is quickly approaching. Though it may be hard for New York Yankee fans to accept, it is time to start thinking about who will replace the iconic shortstop. Replace is not a word that does justice to what Jeter has done for the Yankees. Instead, the Yankees should start looking at who their next starting shortstop should be. Right now, an 18 year old in the low minors is a good bet to be that player. His name is Cito Culver and he has prepared for the position for a while, even before he was drafted by New York.

Growing up, Culver idolized Jeter, and as he progressed through high school, he displayed the talent to play shortstop and pitcher. Culver had top skills in the field and at bat, and he also flashed a 95 MPH fastball and a feel for pitching. He hit .561 as a high school senior in Rochester, New York and the Yankees made him the 32nd overall selection in the first round of the 2010 MLB Draft. Despite his pitching prowess, the Yankees made his selection in the draft with the thought that he was a promising shortstop, who if everything went well, would be ready for the Major League around the time when Jeter is ready to retire.

It is a pointless and unfair exercise to compare up and coming players to current or former players who have already established a legacy. Baseball players are unique in both their talent and their personality so making comparisons often leads to disappointment because nobody can ever really be the next “so and so.” Culver came to Vermont this past week with his team, the Staten Island Yankees, and I was able to see for myself exactly what New York has to look forward to. While it is obvious that Culver did well in choosing to closely follow Jeter, his game is not an exact replica, and several things came up over the three game series that made it obvious that Culver is an excellent prospect in his own ways.

Culver was impressive defensively. On top of his elite arm, which he showcased on a number of throws, he also made several plays snaring balls deep in the hole, including one that was done barehanded. While I am sure that particular play made some cringe due to possible injury, it was pretty cool to see. His rifle arm makes his fielding range all the more impressive, because it will allow him to make up time on some plays that are more difficult to reach.

Unless the player is Bryce Harper, it is pointless to talk about the hitting skills of a player as young as Culver. All that matters is that he is definitely more than holding his own at the plate this season and does not show any reason that he won’t continue to develop.He is a switch hitter and seems to possess enough speed that he will make a difference on the base paths each year. Within a couple of years it will become apparent what he will be able to contribute in the power department.

The most impressive aspect of Culver that came across was the way he carried himself on and off the field. It was apparent that despite being the youngest player on the team, he is a vocal leader and is someone teammates look towards. Off the field, I saw him sign numerous autographs, chat with fans, and he even gave my friend’s son Tyler a pair of his batting gloves after one game, taking the time to sign each one. If you want to talk comparisons, this is probably where Culver is closest to Jeter at this time. Jeter’s success has not just happened because of production. He has also been one of the most outgoing and personable players in baseball during his career. Seeing that Culver already seems to have mastered that skill, he is just one step closer to possibly taking over for the player he grew up watching and rooting for. But if that happens, he won’t be the next Derek Jeter; he will be the first Cito Culver.

Cito Culver Interview

How did you first become interested in baseball?
It has always been in my family. It’s what we did as a family, so that’s how I got interested.

I have read Derek Jeter is your favorite player. How did you come to look up to him?
It’s someone I always looked up to as I have come up through baseball. I mean, still to this day, he is my favorite player and I look up to him. He’s a really nice guy and I got to meet him, so that was a great experience for me.

What was the draft experience like for you?
It was wild. I mean it’s a once in a lifetime thing. Not a lot of people get to experience that. I had fun with it, and at some points it was overwhelming, but I had fun.

After you signed, did you do anything special for you or your family?
I just wanted to go and start playing as soon as I could. So I just left after graduation.

How does it feel to possibly be Derek Jeter’s replacement?
I don’t think about it like that. I just try to control what I can control, and just play well, and if that happens, it happens. Great if it doesn’t. I am still having fun out here.

Andrew Martin appreciates and writes about all aspects of baseball and its history at his blog, The Baseball Historian. You can also follow him on Twitter at @RedSoxFanNum1.

For some people the third time is the charm. Let’s hope that is the case for Miguel Pena, a farmhand of the Boston Red Sox, currently playing with the Lowell Spinners. Pena, a left-handed pitcher, finally signed with the Red Sox after being drafted for the third time in his young life.

Pena was first drafted in 2009, right out of high school, when he was chosen in the 5th round by the Washington Nationals. He bypassed signing in order to attend San Jacinto Junior College. He made that look like a great decision after he went 14-2 with a 2.51 ERA in his freshman year. Such a great collegiate debut led to the San Diego Padres picking him in the 13th round in 2010. Reportedly turning down a six figure signing bonus, Pena opted to return to San Jacinto for his sophomore season, where he had an another excellent showing, going 13-3 with a 1.98 ERA, and earning a First Team All-American nod.

The Red Sox, a team in my biased opinion, with a sharp eye for talent, chose Pena in the 6th round of this year’s draft. This time around, Pena decided he was ready to start his professional career. Signing shortly after the draft for a reported $85,000 bonus, he was assigned to the Lowell Spinners, the Rookie League, low-A level team for Boston.

Although Lowell’s season just started, Pena looks to have a great learning experience in front of him. The Lowell coaching staff is composed of all former Major League veterans in Carlos Febles, Rich Gedman, and pitching coach Paul Abbott. As a high draft choice, the tools are obviously there, and with the type of experience his coaches bring, Pena has a great opportunity the rest of this summer.

Most scouts rave about a player’s speed or how their other physical tools rate on the baseball scouts’ “20-70 scale.” I have never seen Pena pitch, but I was able to witness one very import tool that not all players can claim. When it comes to personality, manners, and friendliness, Pena is a 70 at the least. In my time attending games and chatting with players, it is rare to come across a player of Pena’s make-up. While I am sure his physical abilities will take him far in baseball, his personable nature will be of great benefit to him both on and off the baseball diamond. I can say that I am now a fan and wish him the best. Now I just need to see him pitch a game.

Miguel Pena Interview

How did you first become interested in baseball?
It started off with my Mom. We had an open field in the back yard. I have two older brothers, and their friends and them would get back there and start playing ball. I was only two years old. My brothers would hate it when my Mom would play because every time she’d play I would always run along beside her. Ever since then I fell in love with the game and I started off from there. So pretty much from the age of two.

Did you have a favorite player or team growing up?
Favorite player growing up I would say Randy Johnson. I would always look up to him because he was a big tall lefty like I was. I’m actually ambidextrous. I was a righty up until the age of nine. I finally got a glove to throw with my left hand. As far as a team, I never really had a favorite team up until 2004 when the Red Sox finally got over that drought; so I would say the Red Sox.

What pitches do you throw?
I have four pitches. I have a fastball, changeup, slider, and a curveball.

If everything goes as planned, when do you hope to hit the Majors?
Hopefully in three or four years, but no one can tell. It depends how you progress in the system. Outside of professional baseball, my goal was always to get there from three to five years.

Who do you model your game after?
I have a friend that plays for the Cardinals. His name is Jaime Garcia. I don’t follow after him, but I mean I did work with him for a day, a whole day, about just pitching mechanics and all the good stuff you know? But there’s a bunch of good lefty pitchers out there that I try to follow. For example, Lester from the Boston Red Sox, Jaime Garcia, Zito, Barry Zito. Just all those high profile pitchers. That’s pretty much about it.

Andrew Martin appreciates and writes about all aspects of baseball and its history at his blog, The Baseball Historian. You can also follow him on Twitter at @RedSoxFanNum1.

When it comes to judging baseball prospects, evaluators can be tough. Patience goes only so far, and players who have been identified in the upper echelon are expected to produce immediately. You can’t blame teams for being impatient. In today’s game, top prospects earn into the millions of dollars for signing bonuses, and their teams want to see those investments pay off.

Right handed pitcher Matt Hobgood was taken as the 5th overall selection in the 2009 draft by the Baltimore Orioles. He was a high school phenom, setting 14 baseball records at Norco High School in southern California. Although he was the best power hitter his school district has ever seen, he showed even more promise on the mound, with a fastball in the 90’s and a sharp curveball. During his junior and senior seasons, Matt hit 40 home runs and went 21-1 as a pitcher. He was the 2009 Gatorade National Player of the Year as a senior, going 11-1 with a 0.92 ERA. The pitching-poor Orioles jumped on the chance to grab him in the draft, passing on the likes of Mike Leake, Drew Storen, and Aaron Crow.

As somebody who follows minor league baseball with a great deal of interest, I have seen that there have been a lot of critics who have jumped on Matt because he has not raced out of the gate to start his professional career. Coming into 2011 he has gone 4-9 with a 4.48 ERA in 29 starts. He was plagued with injuries to start this season and is just getting back to pitching in games. Because of this, he has fallen off the prospect radar a bit compared to others from his draft class.

I got into a good natured back and forth with Matt on Twitter this past week about the recent brawl between the Red Sox and the Orioles. I was pleased to find out shortly thereafter that he would be coming to Vermont as part of an injury rehab with the Aberdeen Ironbirds. He went 4 innings in the game I was able to see him pitch, giving up three runs and striking out three. He wasn’t dominating, but it did appear that the opposing team had a very difficult time with his curveball, as evidenced by the number of buckled knees. Later in the series, he graciously agreed to speak with me and I was finally able to meet him.

It will be interesting to see how Matt does as he continues to traverse through the Baltimore system. Even though he has not exploded on to the scene, he is still just 20. If he is able to get healthy, he has every chance to make an impact at the Major League level. One thing that stood out to me was Matt’s size. Listed at 6-4 and 245 pounds, he seemed even larger than that. I am a big guy myself, yet felt small when I was standing next to him. He definitely has the build of a power pitcher. All that remains to be seen is if he can put everything together and push on to the next level.

Matt Hobgood Interview

How did you first become interested in baseball?
I grew up in Arizona, and we had a three car garage, and the third car was actually just a brick wall. One day I somehow found a ball, and I was out there throwing. I was homeschooled until eighth grade. As my Mom tells it, my Dad came in and says ‘looks like he can throw the ball a little bit. Maybe we should get him into baseball.’ I was about nine, so that’s when I first started playing. And now here I am playing pro baseball.

Did you have a favorite player or team growing up?
Growing up in Arizona, there’s the Diamondbacks obviously. I really liked Randy Johnson. I still like him, just because of the way he goes after hitters. He strikes fear into a lot of hitters, and that all started with his appearance against Krukkie, where he threw behind him. Just the way he goes after them. I don’t really have teams per se. I mean I went to Game 2 of the World Series in ’01 and that was pretty cool to see. Just the atmosphere of regular season baseball compared to playoff baseball, and at that time, World Series baseball.

You went number 5 overall in the 2009 draft. What was that process like? Is the Jerry Maguire portrayal of agents pretty accurate?
Yeah. I’ve had an agent, or an advisor, quote unquote, since junior year, and he really helped me out with that a lot. Leading up to the draft it was pretty exciting. They told me if Ackley was there they were going to take him, and if he wasn’t, and they were going to take me. And that was just about an hour before the draft, so when he went second, I was kind of hoping for what could be coming next. It was a dream come true and something I had been working for, for a long time. Now I am starting a new goal of trying to make the Majors.

What has been your biggest challenge thus far in professional baseball?
Probably just the schedule. Just everything; throwing, playing every day. In high school you throw once a week and get Saturday and Sunday off. Up here you play 142 games; well at least last year in Delmarva I did. The bus schedule… your sleeping schedule gets messed up. It’s not coming out an hour before the game like high school and just playing. There’s a lot more to it, but I’m having fun with it.

What’s the craziest thing you have seen since becoming a pro?
Um, I don’t know. I would have to think last year in Delmarva we had a couple of fights break out, but nothing real bizarre.

Andrew Martin appreciates and writes about all aspects of baseball and its history at his blog, The Baseball Historian. You can also follow him on Twitter at @RedSoxFanNum1.

There is a lot of pressure on baseball players who are chosen in the first few rounds of the draft. The expectations for them to succeed are much higher than other players, not only because they have typically signed for more money, but also because they have more name recognition. The stress of making it is not only to fulfill their personal expectations, but to also meet those of front office staff and fans who have identified them as part of the Major League team’s future.

Danny Borrell was drafted in the second round of the 2000 draft by the New York Yankees. Before that he was a talented enigma in college with Wake Forest, serving as a utility player. He pitched as a starter and reliever, played some first base, and also served as the team designated hitter. In 1999 he hit 20 home runs for the Demon Deacons, but also had some success on the mound. When New York drafted him, they believed that his future was on the pitching mound and had him retire his bat for good.

Because he had only limited experience, Borrell was a project when he started in the minors. However, he was so talented, that his potential was obvious. In 2002, just a few years after he was drafted, he posted a combined 13-5 record and 2.32 ERA between High A and Double A. His most impressive statistic was that he only allowed 5 home runs in 167 innings that year. The reluctance to allow home runs was something that actually lasted his entire career, as he only gave up a total 52 long balls in 675 innings.

Unfortunately, once Borrell reached the upper levels of the minor leagues and was within sniffing distance of the Big Leagues, injuries started to kick in. He continued pitching until 2008, but was never able to stay healthy enough to realize the great promise he had flashed. He came oh so close to pitching in the Major Leagues, but like many players, he never got the chance because he couldn’t stay healthy. He ended up going 39-35 with a 3.49 ERA over 9 minor league seasons. Here is a link to his career statistics at Baseball-Reference.com.

Although he did not pan out as a player, the Yankees never gave up on Borrell. He pitched his last two professional seasons with the Oakland A’s organization, but upon retiring, decided to get into coaching. The Yankees brought him back and are currently utilizing him as the pitching coach for the Staten Island Yankees. Recently I was able to speak to several pitchers on that staff, and they were all unanimous in agreeing about what a great influence Borrell has been on them in helping them develop as players, new to professional baseball. I love meeting guys like Borrell, who may not have had things work out the way he wanted, but ended up making something out of it anyways.

Danny Borrell Interview

How did you first become interested in baseball?
I think it was just a product of my Mom and Dad both being athletes growing up. They never pushed me into doing anything; it’s just one those where I was young and probably saw it on tv and just started doing it.

Did you have a favorite team and player growing up?
Chicago Cubs and Ryne Sandberg. I used to watch them all the time. That’s all we had. We had WGN in North Carolina, so I grew up watching the Cubs.

Was there any particular pitcher you modeled yourself after or did you mainly play as a hitter growing up?
Yeah, you know what, I did both growing up. But I think I was a little more successful as a hitter than a pitcher until I got to pro ball. I really didn’t model myself after anybody, I just liked watching it. I probably took little bits from everybody.

What pitches did you throw?
I was fast, curve, and change. But I was a big project I would venture to say. Coming out of college I wasn’t really a pitcher; more of a thrower. My pitching coaches at the time did a good job refining what I had.

When you signed after the draft, did you do anything special for you and your family?
Not really. I knew that money wouldn’t last too long. Obviously I was very fortunate to be a second rounder. I bought a little truck, but that was it.

If you could do anything differently from your playing career, what would that be?
Yeah, not get hurt. You know what, I wouldn’t change a thing. I think I went about it the right way. I think I worked hard, but I just got hurt a lot throughout my career. I spent most of my time rehabbing, the last five years and after a while it just got old. You know, physically, it wasn’t the issue. I just got tired of rehabbing.

Tommy John and A Glove of Their Own

I recently interviewed former MLB pitcher Tommy John, for those of you who have been under a rock for the past 30 years, Tommy had played 26 seasons, accumulating 288 wins with a 3.34 ERA and over 2200 strikeouts. He played for 6 Major League Teams, including the Yankees twice. By the way, they named a surgical procedure after him, too.

For the record, in my humble opinion, he should be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame by the veterans committee ASAP! His omission is tragic…26 years!

So I asked Tommy which came first, the chicken or the egg, or in this case, “A Glove of Their Own”, the popular children’s book, or his meeting Bob Salomon? He replied, “Well, the chicken came first. There would be no AGOTO if there was no Bob Salomon. But the book came first and then Bob got involved with it and we just hooked up one time and started talking and he asked me if I would help him with this and get some things started and going. It sounded like a good idea to me.”

But, before he met Bob he stated that in actuality, “the guy that got involved with me was one of my pitchers that I had at Bridgeport named Garrett Berger. Garrett was a first round pick for the Marlins in about 2000, I believe, and ended up having to have Tommy John surgery and was out of baseball, and I ended up picking him up for my independent league team in 2007. He has a company called ifungo.com where he sells sporting equipment over the internet and that’s where he emailed me and asked me. He said it’s really a good project, it’s baseball oriented, the monies go to charity, and I know Garrett very well, so if he says it’s a good organization (then it is).”

He speaks of how Garrett then introduced him to Bob Saloman and “found out that he’s just (the) salt of the earth. He (Bob)really is passionate about what he’s involved in. And, you know, when you read the book, it’s kind of like the baseball book of Dr. Seuss, where it’s all in rhyme, it’s about paying it forward, you know? Doing things for people and having people do things for other people and before you know it, you’ve got a lot of people doing a lot of things for a lot of people.”

Tommy then speaks about how Bob has been promoting the book.

“ Bob’s gone out and he’s gotten a lot of ex ball players and managers and coaches, and I think he just got Bernie Williams to come on board.”

When asked what he and Bob are specifically doing to promote AGOTO and this is what he had to say, “You know, all we can do is let people know what’s out there. We’re kind of like the catalyst, going around with the signs, like the guy behind home plate all the time, holding up the sign John 3:16, you know? Well, we’re that. We’re holding up AGOTO and if you go online, the thing that I like about it is 1. It’s involved with baseball, and baseball is my passion and my love and it’s all the things that I enjoy doing. If you buy the book online, you can go and pick out whatever charity you want $3.30 to go to.”

Tommy then explained that “$3.30 of every book sale goes to charity.” And that the charity he is a strong supporter for “happens to be ALS because of Catfish Hunter.” He and Catfish use to pitch for the Yankees back in 1979.

He later states that they do a lot of “word of mouth” to help promote AGOTO, “that’s what Bob Solomon does. He goes out and contacts people who contact people who contact people. It’s the same thing: paying it forward with word of mouth.”

I asked Tommy if he was given an advanced copy of the story or if it was just told to him in a conversation he had with either Garrett or Bob he told me that he “did a book signing in Somerset, NJ” and “it was the first time I saw the book. I met a couple of the authors, and it was fun. I enjoyed doing it, and I told Bob I would do whatever I can to promote the book and make sure that the people out there got a chance to see what it is and what’s there and how good it is.” He said that aside from the book signing he has also done “about 30 phone interviews for Bob Solomon and the book.”

Then I asked what Tommy sees as the goal of the book and what he hopes to accomplish by having his popular name attached to promoting it.

“Well, one, to get kids involved in baseball and in helping other people out, maybe not in baseball. That’s that the idea of paying it forward is about. And the other thing is the charitable aspect.

Getting money to charity and helping people that are less fortunate than ourselves.”

I then asked him if he could explain the concept of “paying it forward” a little further?

“Well, if you’ve ever seen the movie Pay it Forward, where the little boy does one good deed and that deed to that person then becomes another deed to another person and then to another person. Then it’s two and then four and then it’s 16 and it’s 32 and it just keeps going and it just goes all over. I think the show was shot in Las Vegas and it was really a good show and the little boy ended up getting killed and the final scene was the mother and her boyfriend went out and here were all these people with candles, thousands of them, coming forward to pay their respects to the boy who started paying it forward. You know, if someone does something for someone else, and then that person does it for two people and those two do it for two more people and all of a sudden, you’ve got a whole bunch of people out there doing good deeds for other people.”

When asked if he had AGOTO story from his past that he could share with our readers, but he said, “You know, I don’t. It’s about little kids playing ball and not having the equipment, and a guy comes by and makes sure that they have equipment. You know, growing up, I didn’t grow up in an affluent family by any stretch of the imagination, the most money my dad ever made was $4.65 an hour, and that was right when he was retiring when I was out of the house. So you can see. . . but I had every piece of sporting equipment I could ever want: baseball gloves, basketball, and you know, that’s what I did, and that was the great love of our lives back then: sports.”

Tommy John and His Coaching and Playing Career

When inquiring with Tommy if he was currently managing, he had this to say, “No, I resigned July 8 from the Bridgeport Bluefish, and I took a job with a company out of Murray (sp), Kentucky, and I sell sports scoreboards: football, basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, lacrosse, all sports scoreboards. I’m the sales rep in the state of Texas, and what we’re trying to is get the coaches and athletic directors to look at our product. We have a good product. The company’s called Sportable Scoreboards out of Murray, Kentucky, and I think I’ve sold 4 so far since I’ve been going at it.”

Getting back to Tommy’s career, we discussed how you don’t hear guys playing 20+ years anymore, let alone 26, especially as a pitcher. Tommy didn’t attribute his longetivity to a workout regimen.

“No, I think it was genes passed down from my dad. I developed a pretty good work ethic from my dad. Other than my elbow, I really didn’t have any significant arm problems. And, I just kept myself in very good shape. Very good shape. Workout regimen? Nolan Ryan had a very good regimen. But his was just as good as everybody else’s. It’s just the fact that in his family, someone gave him the gene to throw the ball harder than anybody else that I’ve ever seen.”

As I mentioned earlier in part one of this interview, Tommy played for a few teams. So I asked him if there an organization that was better to play for, and likewise, was there one that was the worst, or that he least liked to play for?

“Well, as long as you’re playing major league baseball, they’re all very good. I particularly enjoyed playing for the Dodgers when Theo O’Malley had the ball club. I thought Walter and his wife Kay and then when he passed on to Peter and his wife and then Peter’s brother in law ran the team. They treated it pretty much like a family. But the best place in the world to play baseball, or in fact, to play sports was New York City. Playing for the Yankees was probably one of the best things that ever happened to me as far as my pro career went because it’s a tough market to play in. The fact that you can go out there and play and go through all the stuff that happens within the organization. . . it’s tough and if you enjoy people and you enjoy doing the things that New York has to offer, you will absolutely love it. If you don’t, it’ll be a very, very tough time for you.” He continued to say, “I absolutely loved every place I played. I know that sounds like a very political answer, but. . . I did! I enjoyed every place I played. I started out in Cleveland and then I went to the White Sox and I spent 7 years in Chicago. That was close to home. I could get home on the weekends or my mom and dad could come up on the weekends. Chicago was great. Los Angeles was outstanding! The weather, the ballpark, the fans out there were great. New York, like I said, it’s the best place to play. I never played in St. Louis for the Cardinals, but that would be a very good baseball town too. I even played in Oakland, too, for a very short time, and I enjoyed Oakland as much as any place I ever played.”

Looking at ballparks: Tommy spoke about which ballparks he pitched well in, and which one that he just didn’t want to pitch in at all.

“Well, I had a tough time starting out pitching at Tiger Stadium. White Sox park was a great park to pitch in back in the early to mid 60’s. The old Dodger stadium, before they moved the fences in, was a great ballpark. Old Yankee stadium was outstanding. You know, when I first went there and played there with Cleveland and DiMaggio and Mantle and Maris, that was a great ballpark. Then they reconfigured it and made it smaller and now they’ve made it even smaller and you know, but back when it was 465, 467, and left field was 407, you could just throw balls and guys could hit ‘em a mile and they were outs! The old ballparks were great! In fact, I even enjoyed pitching at Fenway with the short left field wall because everybody was trying to hit it over the wall, and that made my sinker down and away even better.”

Given Tommy had a good sinker, the line drives he gave up at Fenway that might have been a HR in most ballparks were just line drives there. “(chuckle)Oh yes, I dented the wall many, many times!”

When asked if there were any guys that he just didn’t want any part of pitching to Tommy replied, “Well, I didn’t mind pitching to anybody. There were some guys who hit me better than others. They guy who comes to mind who hit me well was Ken Griffey, Sr. I could get Junior out, because he was only about 10 years old at the time! The other guy, statistically, Ned Yost, the ex-manager of the Brewers, was like 12 for 14 off of me, and I don’t ever recall him hitting the ball like that, but obviously he did.”

Be sure to check back tomorrow for part 3 of my interview with Tommy John. At the end of the third section there will be the complete audio of the interview.

Tommy John and His Thoughts on the Game Today

Swinging back from Tommy’s career to the way baseball is currently played I wanted to get his opinion on a few of the differences since his playing days. But I also wanted to get a feel for his take on who he likes to watch, especially modern pitchers.

“I like to watch Chris Carpenter, Brandon Webb, Peavy, Santana. I like Carpenter because he throws the ball. He gets the ball, gets on the rubber and throws. He throws strikes and he puts the ball in play. He gets it, and he pitches old-time baseball. Brandon Webb has one of the best sinkers I’ve seen in a long time. I like Halladay at Toronto. Santana has some of the best, I call it variance of speed. He goes from 94 mph to 72 or 73 mph and if you as a hitter have to slow your bat down or speed your bat up that much, it makes it very tough to hit. Most pitchers in baseball today are 2 speed pitchers. They may have 3 pitches, but their split and slider are the same speed so, you get something fast, something not as fast. If these guys have something else they can throw that’s slower, they can get guys out on it. You don’t see guys that pitch that have curve balls anymore. Big curve balls. And if you have a big curve ball, you can be very effective. Kershaw with the Dodgers has that big curve ball. And guys are swinging at it in the dirt because they just don’t see it anymore. It’s just not there.”

Seeing that Tommy played in the AL before the DH and also in the NL after the DH so I wanted to get his opinion about pitchers batting and he was very adamant about his views.

“I think pitchers should be able to hit, run bases, slide, take the second baseman or shortstop out to break up double plays, I think they should be able to do all that stuff.”

I wondered if Tommy thought there were any current day batters that he thought would give him a hard time if he were pitching to them todayand he said, “Jeter would. Rodriguez would. Anyone who likes the ball out over the plate. There are some guys that are very good hitters now. Good hitters are going to get their hit. Pitchers are going to give them their hits. You just want to do it without anybody on base.”

Knowing the bond that can be built up between a pitcher and a catcher, I asked Tommy if there was a certain catcher that he just loved to throw to. His response was “Munson, Johnny Oates, and for the Red Sox fans out there, I loved to pitch to Pudge Fisk. I only pitched to him 2 innings in the All Star Game in ’80, but he was very good. Better than what I thought. I knew he was a good hitter, but he was a very good catcher.”

Personally, I don’t think fans in general or even some managers respect the art of a catcher who has the ability of calling a good game. Seeing how strongly Tommy felt about pitchers hitting, which I totally agree with his stance there, I wanted to know how important it is from a pitcher’s perspective.

“Well, it’s the pitcher’s responsibility to throw the ball, but you’ve got to have good rapport between the pitcher and the catchers. I would tend to let my catchers call the game. But, I had good catchers, and I didn’t pitch well when I had bad catchers. I was constantly second guessing myself. “should I throw this? He’s not the greatest thinker in the world. What should I do?” I liked to have a great thinking catcher behind the plate. The catchers in the last few years have been offensive, and they catch between at bats.” Likewise, I was eager to ask Tommy for his take concerning the use of pitch counts.

“Pitch counts are like putting a governor on a car because they don’t want the car to go too fast. They put pitch counts on the pitchers to keep the pitchers from throwing a lot of pitches because 1. They have a ton of money invested in them and they probably are on huge salaries and they can get more out of their money if they have a pitch count on him. Back when I played, the starting salary was $7000, and if the guy hurt his arm, he was back selling used cars on his buddy’s lot, but now they have millions invested in salaries, scouting, training. And so the pitch counts, I call them necessary evils. Honestly, though there is no reason why a guy can’t throw 120, 125 pitches, in a ballgame and not hurt their arms.”

I briefly returned to ask Tommy about his managerial days to see if he adhered to pitch counts when he managed.

“Oh yes. When I managed an affiliated team, we had pitch counts and we had to adhere to them. But when I managed in the independent league, there were no pitch counts. Guys pitched 7, 8, 9 innings. If they were still throwing the ball good, they would stay in the game. I just kept asking “how do you feel?” and if they felt good, they could stay out there. If they were getting tired, I’d get someone warmed up…”

My final question to Tommy was to ask him what he saw change from his rookie year to his last year, 26 seasons later.

“Mainly the players were rushed through the minor leagues towards the end. You might have to spend 5, 6, 7 years in the minor leagues before, but you can’t afford to do that now because like I said, they have so much money invested in these guys you just can’t afford to have them in the minor leagues very long. They have to get through the minors and into the big leagues and that’s the way it is.”

I would like to thank Tommy once again for his time and for the interview. Hopefully this will generate interest in the book A Glove of Their Own, too.

My name is Peter Schiller. I am the creator/owner of Baseball Reflections.com. I’m also a contributing writer. To read more of my work at Baseball Reflections just click HERE!

I am also affiliated with a great cause, a children’s book with a great message called, “A Glove of Their Own”. Everyone who purchases a copy of this great book using the promotional code PIF 129, a $3.00 donation will be made when purchased through the Franklin Mason Press website for Pitch In For Baseball at checkout. You can purchase a copy by following the link at their website http://www.agloveoftheirown.com