Best wishes to Jordan,who was in an auto accident,but seems to be fine after the accident.
TRS: Have you found it tough working your way through the system as an undrafted free agent?
JC: I definitely think I'm behind the 8 ball. They don't have any money invested in me like the do with some of the draft guys. So if I crash and burn then there's no loss. If its between me and a money guy then there most likely going to send me packing. I feel as if I have no room for error where those guys get chance after chance. I have to put up numbers and be successful every season where those guys might have a bad year and get another invite to spring training. I finally felt as if they had actually noticed me last year when I got sent to AA. I mean I was an All Star closer in the Rookie ball and the put me in extended spring training the next spring. It's like what do I have to do to prove to you that I can play at this level? So that's exactly what I've been doing and by the grace of God I'll keep doing it. I look at it as more doubters that I'm going to have to prove wrong once again until I'm in the big leagues.
TRS: Your numbers have been strong at every stop,do you think that you are on schedule in your development?
JC: To be honest with you i don't think anyone though I would make it this far. I have moved up a level every year so I would have to say yes. I have been one of the oldest guys on the team throughout since I was a four year college guy and didn't skip the stop in the Gulf Coast League as some players do. But the move to AA last year had me with guys more my age. It sounds crazy but I kind of feel old at 26 in the minor leagues especially when you see many guys in their early twenties already in the bigs.
TRS; I met you in Hagerstown,do you have any thoughts or memories about Greensboro's stop at the Muni?
JC: Oh yes, I was their for the media frenzy of Stephen Strasburg's debut after Tommy John surgery. I've never seen so many cameras in my life and when our young catcher JT Realmuto who was straight out of high school took him deep to the opposite field was pretty memorable. Then there was Bryce Harper who had his own following that was pretty crazy as well especially after he hit a bomb and then blew a kiss to our pitcher that made sportscenter.
TRS: What are the memories of the Bryce Harper kiss night? Were the Hoppers really ticked about it? I was in the stands and it looked like Harper said something to the pitcher first,then a response and then the kiss. What did the team think? Did the team consider retribution? and what did you think/what would you have done had you been on the mound?
JC: If you didn't notice he really pimped that home run.(Editor's Note:I definitely noticed and we will hear an opposing view in an upcoming interview) Any pitcher with any competitiveness is going to take exception to something like that. As he strolled around third I think our pitcher said something to him and he said something back and blew him a kiss. Our catcher wasn't too happy about it either. Personally I wanted to go into that game so bad just to hit him. But when it's a one run ballgame it's not the time. You don't show up a team like that to not expect some time of payback. The next game everyone wanted a crack at him but we were advised not to do anything. Management didn't want the publicity of it and we were instructed to do our talking on the field with a win.
TRS: Where does Hagerstown rank among the worst places that you have played?
JC: I would have to say it ranks up there with Jamestown and Batavia as the worst. I remember a huge sod patch in short left field that was raised about 2 inches higher that the rest of the grass because the light pole had crashed onto the field. Then there were the hills in the outfield and a dugout that was the size of a shoebox. But the one thing that I will never forget is the locker room. It was the size of a bedroom and there were 30 guys in there. As we all know there are a lot of guys naked in a locker room and with personal space at a minimum it wasn't very pleasant. Then having only 3 shower heads in working order made it a cluster to get out of there after a game.
TRS: Last season you spent some time at AA Jacksonville,most of the players that I talk to are AA Eastern League vets,the Southern League is more noted for long bus trips,how does the SL rank in travel against the Low A South Atlantic League?
JC: We had a long one up to Lakewood, NJ in the the SALLY League but being in Jacksonville we were the farthest east team in the league. So the bus trips are all long overnight trips usually besides Pensacola. Being called up to AA mid season didn't help either. On one trip being that I was the new guy and low man on the totem pole their weren't enough seats on the bus so I had to spend the entire trip on the floor. You talk about miserable. But I guess it makes for a good story to tell!
Photo Credit:Jordan Conley
No comments:
Post a Comment