Mark Teahen Chicago White Sox (11-1-2004)

What’s your baseball philosophy?

I don’t know, I guess I just came up in a baseball oriented family. My parents were really into it, my grandparents, and my brothers pretty much have fun with it.

Do you have a hitting philosophy?

I kind of adopted the A’s approach. I think I kind of came into pro ball with it. Just be selective, and aggressive, and I don’t allow pitches that you can’t really do much with and try to hit them hard when you can.

What are your strengths right now?

I think I’m strong defensively. I think I swing the bat well, as well. I’m working on my power a little bit but my all around game can use some fine tuning but I think overall I’m all right.

Pitchers throw inside and outside to set your hitters up, do hitters set up pitchers?

I think so, yeah you can. I mean you lay off a pitch away early in the count and they go back to it thinking you can’t hit it and you’re sitting on it. Just as much as pitchers set hitters up, I think hitters do the same thing or they adjust to what a pitcher’s doing.

It seems at times they say this guy has all the talent in the world but he doesn’t seem to go as far as guys with lesser talent, do you think that’s true and why?

Yeah, you definitely see guys that have plenty of talent but they just don’t go as far. I don’t know if it’s lack of working hard or sometimes they just peak at a lower level. You definitely see some guys that you know have the ability to play in the big leagues but for one reason or another it doesn’t work out.

Do you think first round draft picks or high draft picks get more chances?

I’d say they do, yeah. A team pays a guy a lot of money they’re going to be pushing them trying to get something out of them. I think you definitely get more opportunity or maybe opportunities early in your career rather than have to definitely prove yourself right away. I would say they do.

In Spring training, they draft guys, they bring in free agents to compete for your spot. How do you approach that?

I don’t really see it as they’re trading for guys to take your spot or anything like that. Like any organization I think they make deals and trades to try to make the best team they can put together, put on the field. I don’t know, I guess spring training’s more of a time just to meet everybody and get to become a team rather than feel like everybody’s on your back or whatever.

You don’t feel the competition?

I think there’s definitely competition all throughout the game, every day you’re competing. You’re definitely competing for a job every day but I guess you just get to live with that and get used to it.

Was there a time in your career when you wanted to give up baseball?

Not really. You’re going to have a slump here and there where you’re kind of like, “Why am I doing this?” but that goes away real quick and I’ve never seriously contemplated quitting or anything like that.

What’s something about pro sports you learned the hard way that nobody told you about?

I think just the day in, day out, being ready to go. You see it on TV and it looks like just a fairytale lifestyle, but you get into it and you learn about flying across the country and playing that day. You definitely aren’t 100 percent every day but you don’t really realize that until you’re in it.

How does the chemistry in the clubhouse affect the team?

I think it has a big effect on the team. This Desert Dog team (Arizona Fall League) we seem to get along pretty well and I think that’s definitely helping us play together. I think it definitely has a big effect ’cause if you’re out there playing with your buddies you feel comfortable, you feel confident and if there’s animosity between teammates you start struggling a little bit.

How important is weightlifting to you?

I definitely believe in weightlifting and getting stronger. You see it in the numbers in the big leagues, definitely guys that put the time in, definitely get results in the field. I think it’s a big deal. I think there are a lot of components to being a successful baseball player but I think definitely lifting weights helps you out.

Do you read the sports pages or scouting reports about you?

I do a little bit. I try not to get too involved in reading that and worrying about it, but definitely you can’t avoid it sometimes, you hear about it.

How do you handle the fans, loudmouths, people screaming, and does that affect you with signing little kids’ autographs?

You’re going to have fans that are tough on you everywhere you go, you just kind of get used to it. You try to separate that from, like you said, the kids and I definitely enjoy signing autographs for a group of kids more than I do a group of guys that have 30 cards for me to sign and they’re probably going to end up on eBay.  So, you definitely try to separate the good with the bad.

How do you handle the umpires?

My approach is more or less don’t say anything. You’re going to be unhappy with calls. Any close calls one team’s going to be upset with it so I really try to just not complain too much and just learn and go with it.

Brush backs, knockdowns and retaliation?

I haven’t experienced too much of it. I think it’s part of the game in a way. A pitcher’s has to throw inside to be effective, but a hitter’s got to stay on the plate to be effective too. It’s give and take but I think it’s just part of the game.

Do you have any thoughts on being traded?

It was definitely hard to leave the A’s ’cause you come up with a group of guys and you enjoy playing with them. It’s definitely a good opportunity, it’s a good organization to come to and I was really excited about the trade to be honest.
Did you take over in the big leagues?

No I finished the year in Triple A, but this year they didn’t pick up the option on Randa so there’s a good chance I’ll get there some time this year if not out of spring training.

What would you tell somebody on high school on down about professional baseball?

To a high school kid I would say to go to college, unless you can come in and compete right away. I think especially now it seems like a lot of teams are moving more towards college guys. As long as you’re mature enough or you know what you’re getting into just make sure you’re prepared and know exactly what it’s all about.