This is something I've wanted to do my whole life is play baseball, and I think just the opportunity to put on a big-league uniform every day is just... you know, people dream of it, but not everybody gets to do it. I'm thankful every day I get to do it.Collection: Thankful
I think all of us are thankful every day we get to put this uniform on, and we play this game. So try not to take any days for granted. Every time you take the field, give a hundred percent and leave it all out there.Collection: Thankful
I try to keep it the same, try to stay humble.
I had Tommy John my first year in pro ball. Going through that rehab process, I think that's what really helped me become a better pitcher, because I was kind of new to it, and I think it helped me learn how to repeat my delivery. It was a crazy journey.
I actually had a buzz cut all the way to my junior year in college. I would just buzz my head with a one-guard all over, and then I started growing it out. When I had Tommy John, that was the last time it was buzzed. I've grown it ever since then.
You've got to play every game until it's over. Baseball is a funny game, so you never know what's going to happen.
My approach every game is to try to keep the ball down and get ground ball outs.
Normally when I look at stuff, I try to look at the good things. When I watch video, I try to watch the good starts so I can see how my mechanics are in those.
I don't think I care about the hair as much as people think I do. It's just kind of there. It's not really a big deal to me. It actually drives me nuts. It's always in my face if I don't have a hat on. I might have to get rid of it.
I don't like giving up hits and stuff, but I try not to show it. I don't want the hitter to see that something bothers me.
When I'm away from the field, I show a little more emotion and stuff.
Whenever we had career day at elementary school, and we could dress up like what you wanted to be, when I got on stage, mine was playing major league baseball.
Look good, feel good, play good.
I would say I stay pretty calm. Don't let the game get too fast on me. I try to keep my emotions in check, I guess, so I don't show that anything fazes me out there. And I try to take it one pitch at a time.
I'm the kind of person that if I try to throw it hard, it doesn't come out as good. So my whole thought process is to stay smooth, stay on top of the ball, and just get my hand out in front.
We're pretty good at putting bunts down and really good at hitting. I know as a pitcher, when you face a pitcher you know can hit, that's not fun. I think taking pride in that, and being able to hit helps your own cause.
I like that the pitcher hits. I think that my feeling is that everybody should play a position. In order to hit, you have to play a position. That's just my view of it. I feel that's more baseball, and the games are managed different. I enjoy the National League, how it's played.
You never want to see a guy struggle. And we've all struggled. It's part of the game.
There's been a couple of guys who have gotten me. I used to say Adrian Gonzalez. He's a good lefty hitter; he's hit a few home runs off of me. They were a couple of mistakes, so if you make your pitches, you're more likely to have a better outcome.
The offseason is when you try to gain strength. You have 162 games during the year, so you've got to pick and choose the times work out.
You're going to work out and try to maintain the strength you gain in the offseason, and then you work to gain after the season is over.
Play a little light catch and only some short sprints for me. Then on the day-of, it's just getting loosened up and ready to go out there and pitch.
I think in high school and college, you don't really know what your routine is going to be; you're still trying to come up with it.
You'll hear 'Hippie,' or, 'Get a haircut.' I like it. I think it's funny because they think we've never heard that before. So, like, good one.
When I'm sleeping, if it gets in my face, sometimes it'll wake me up.
When you have your best stuff, it's a lot easier to pitch.
When I watch video, I try to watch the good starts so I can see how my mechanics are in those. Every once in a while, I'll look at video starts that I struggled, and sometimes in those, there is no mechanical problems; it's just, didn't have good stuff that day.
We do take pride in how we look, but it's really just like, take a couple minutes, and you're ready to go.
I really like using the softening cream. It helps me go out there with confidence to do what I need to do, and at the same time, it's very functional and helps keep the hair out of my mouth so I can focus on pitching.
I've actually enjoyed pitching on the road in the postseason. You go out there, and you're getting booed, and it's fun to try to silence the crowd.
I think my job is to keep the ball down. I always say I try to go out there and get early contact, and strikeouts just seem to happen.
My freshman year, I played third, and sophomore and junior, third.
When you get out there on the mound, you've got what you've got, and you got to figure out a way to get outs.