作者VaROne ()
看板NY-Yankees
標題[農場] 20 questions with Phil Hughes
時間Sun Jul 30 19:03:26 2006
Top Yanks prospect on his Red Sox ties, his favorite coast
and In-N-Out Burgers
By Sapna Pathak
Watch: Hughes
http://tinyurl.com/quv7f
Phil Hughes is universally regarded as the Yankees' top prospect. The
6-foot-5, 220-pound California native was drafted by New York in the first
round of the 2004 draft (23rd overall) and signed for $1.4 million. He has
shown signs of brilliance over his first two pro seasons, though he has
finished both campaigns on the disabled list. He began the 2006 season with
Class A Tampa (Florida State League), where he posted a 2-3 record with a
1.80 ERA. He is now pitching for Double-A Trenton (Eastern League), where
he's 6-3 with a 2.83 ERA and 98 strikeouts in 86 innings. Hughes recently sat
down with writer Sapna Pathak in the visiting team's locker room at Fisher
Cats Stadium to answer 20 questions.
MiLB.com: You grew up a Red Sox fan and you're now in the New York Yankees
system. Isn't that a conflict of interest?
Phil Hughes: Well I was more into it as a kid. Now it's a bit easier to be
objective since I kind of have to be.
MiLB.com: What was it like being selected in the first round by the Yankees?
PH: I was contacted by some other teams, and they'd pretty much said they
wanted me so it was kind of nice to have that safety net there. But to be
taken by New York was unbelievable.
MiLB.com: You grew up in California, what was that like?
PH: Great, I was in Southern California in Santa Ana. It was a traditional
California life I guess, lots of sunshine and blue skies (laughs).
MiLB.com: So you grew up in California and ended up a Red Sox fan. How'd that
happen?
PH: My dad and grandmother are from Rhode Island so they were Sox fans and it
rubbed off on me.
MiLB.com: What are some of the differences you've noticed as you move up the
rungs of the Minors?
PH: Well the guys are bigger and stronger. But at the same time we're all
improving at the same time so I'll notice things about other guys and then
realize I'm getting better, too.
MiLB.com: You mentioned improvements; what are some improvements you've
noticed in your game?
PH: Last year was a big learning experience for me. This year, my fastball
location has gotten better and I'm at the point with my curveball where I can
throw it in any count at any time.
MiLB.com: You are being hailed as the future of the Yankees on quite a few
Web forums. Is that a lot of pressure to handle?
PH: It's tough at times because there's a lot of high expectations there.
People think I'll dominate my first time in the Majors, but it'll take time;
only a few people can come out and really dominate. It'll obviously be
another learning process when I get up there.
MiLB.com: You signed right out of high school. Were there any nerves, doubts
or fears you had at the time?
PH: I was pretty sure at the time. I was 17 so I had my parents' support. I
had no doubts then, and I'm still happy with the choice I made now.
MiLB.com: What's your biggest pet peeve?
PH: People who don't look at both sides of an issue; people who are
close-minded.
MiLB.com: What's your favorite Minor League ballpark to pitch in?
PH: Charleston was nice, but I'm a little biased because I was there all last
year. A lot of people thought the Minors were like a big disaster, but they
don't realize how much success it's had and the new ballparks are amazing.
MiLB.com: What about your favorite big-league venue?
PH: Yankee Stadium would be the easy answer. But I think I'd say Anaheim
because I could play in front of my friends and family.
MiLB.com: Okay, East or West coast, which one's your favorite?
PH: (Laughs) Am I going to get in trouble for this? I'll say West ... but
strictly because of weather.
MiLB.com: What do you miss the most about home?
PH: In-N-Out Burger (laughs) and my family, too -- they come in at a close
second. Those burgers are so good.
MiLB.com: What's your favorite Minor League promotion?
PH: Easy. The sumo wrestlers are classic.
MiLB.com: What players did you look up to as a child?
PH: Growing up I was never like that. I played different positions and didn't
start pitching until high school. Guys like Greg Maddux or Roger Clemens I
admire because of the longevity of their careers.
MiLB.com: What's the worst travel story you can share?
PH: We went from Charleston to Hickory where we were done around 4 p.m., then
we had a 12-hour bus ride to Lakewood and on the way we got a flat tire while
it was pouring rain and one of the wipers broke so one of the players got out
and fixed it (laughs). Oh, it was horrible; we stayed in this crummy old
place with like 20 old rooms.
MiLB.com: What's the weirdest thing you've seen from a fan?
PH: It seems like wherever you go, because it's baseball, people think they
have the right to do or say whatever. Obviously when we're on the road people
have attachments to their team, but sometimes it's a bit ridiculous.
MiLB.com: Talk about your experience at Yankees Spring Training this year.
PH: It was cool just seeing how those guys go about their routines. I was
only in two games but being around guys like Mike Mussina, Randy Johnson,
that's a big learning experience.
MiLB.com: What do you do to pass time before games?
PH: I like to play cards.
MiLB.com: What games and who's your biggest competition?
PH: Spades or Big Deuces which is an older game that Kevin Howard introduced
us to. Me and Jamie Cox have been known to talk some trash (laughs).
--
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