Jeremy Bonderman Detroit Tigers (5-16-2002)

What’s your baseball history?

I went to Pasco High School in Washington.

Where’d you play after that?

I got drafted straight out of high school. I played in Vancouver for three weeks.

What do you say your pitching philosophy is?

A power pitcher.  I like to get ahead with a fastball, I’  developing a change up. I use the slider as an out pitch, and throw the fastball by people.

What are your pitching strengths and weaknesses?

I lack experience in higher levels. I just came out of high school and I’m still learning a lot.  I have an above average fastball, and decent command of the breaking ball.

What’s your fastball average?

91 to 94.

What would you call your out pitch?

My slider.

When they drafted you, did they give you a timetable for each level?

No, they really didn’t.  They just let decide that as time goes. I’m starting here and hopefully double A next year and the big leagues the year after that, or next year.

What’s it like to play at this level knowing that potentially you could play in the major leagues?

It’s not that big of thing. It’s fun. Every day you’re out there playing and you’re just playing a game with people who love to do it. At times you get tired. But I’m just out here having a good time and hope that things work out and injuries stay away. Then you have a shot at the big leagues.

Are you anxious to move on faster?

Everybody is, but I’m young and I need to develop stuff.  That’s why I’m here.

How do you approach a game as a starter?

You have five days to mentally prepare yourself after you start. You basically run and lift the first three days and then next two days you kind of just take it easy. You throw your side and after that the next day you have a kind of an easy day.  The next day you just mentally focus, go to the field around five, and just take care of your business.

When you’re pitching and you get in trouble, when the manager or the pitching coach comes out to the mound, what are you thinking about?

Really when Abby (Pitching Coach Glen Abbott) comes out, He just gives me good advice. He’s been around the game a long time. He tries to settle me down; he knows I’m still young. He knows when the emotions get going you start throwing too quick. When Sparky (Manager Greg Sparks) comes out, you know you’re done. You don’t even think about anything when he’s coming out. You’re kind of mad and upset at yourself, but that’s the way it is.

Do you ever talk a coach out of taking you out?

No. I really haven’t had the opportunity to go out other than pitch counts. When they decide you’re done, you’re done.  No exceptions.

The pitch counts are automatic, aren’t they?

Yeah. They are set by the Oakland organization and they stick right to ‘em.

Do you approach a hitter as an individual or do you have a basic style of pitching?

No, you basically approach them as individuals.  Everybody’s different.  Everybody has their weaknesses and everybody has their power spots. I try and stay away from their power, throw to their weakness, and keep ‘em off balance.

How much do you look at a batter’s stance?  Do you pitch according to that?

No, you really can’t do that. Some guys will crowd the plate and like the ball in. That is why you just got to read ‘em. That is why we have charts. You read ‘em off that.

Do you read the sports page and the scouting reports about yourself?

No, you know I, I really don’t.  I, the only thing I really take a peek at it every once in a while is my ERA. just because I like to keep it down. Every once in a while they try to give you an extra run that you didn’t deserve. I’m not a stat freak, I’m just trying to make it to the next level and do whatever it takes.

You’ll keep your ERA every game or stats?

When you have a good game, you kind of know what’s going on. How many punch-outs you have. Other than that I really don’t pay attention to it too much.

Do you think the organization looks at your ERA? or do they look at how you are pitching?

I don’t think they take a look at ERA’s so much, because you give up cheap runs. People are better defensively the higher up you go. I think they look at your command, the selection of pitches and what your percentage of fastballs for strikes and stuff like that are.

That’s all charted, isn’t it?

Yes.

You break down the pitches as far as how many fastballs, etc?

Yeah. We break down every pitch into how many pitches you throw, how many strikes, and how many balls.

Who does that?

The starting pitchers. Two days before you start you are up in the stands.

One does the radar gun, right?

One does the hitters charts, and one does the pitchers charts.

Do you keep track of those pitchers above you?

Honestly, I really don’t. I can’t make my decision when I’m going to move up. That’s the organization and they’ll do their job and I’ll do mine.

Do you think the players that sign for the bigger bonuses get more of a chance?

They have a slighter edge than some guys because they invest a lot more money into you. But if you’re good, you’re gonna move no matter what round, or how much money.  So yeah, you can get a little more of an advantage but not a significant amount.

When it comes down to it to make the major leagues, it’s just best guy do you think?

It’s the best guy.  I mean if you sign someone for more money and he’s just as good as another guy. It’s who’s hot at the time and who’s not.

Have you ever been injured?

I had tendonitis about two years ago, but I’ve been healthy ever since.

How long were you off?

It was in the off season and it kind of worked out pretty well. I didn’t miss anything. I just took a couple months off from rehab and I’ve been good.

How much film do you watch?

Every few starts I’ll take a peek or if I feel myself doing something, I’ll look back on video. It’s not very often.

How about weightlifting?  How important is that?

It’s a really big part of me. The more you keep your legs fit and keep ‘em working, the bigger they’re gonna get and the longer they are gonna be there for you in the later innings. Weightlifting is a big part of the game, as well as exercising every day and hopefully stay injury free.

Do you lift weights every day?

No, You lift the day after you start and the next two days and then you shut it down. Then you do it again.

What’s the hardest adjustment you made from high school to pros?

The living and the lifestyle. I mean I haven’t been away from home like some of these guys that go to college. That’s probably the biggest part of it. The wear and tear on your arm and the late nights, the road trips, stuff like that.

Sometimes it seems that guys with all the talent don’t seem to go as far in baseball as the guys with lesser talents.

That’s all the same because people that have more talent seem not to work as hard.  People who don’t have much, give it a lot more. The way I look at it is I must have some talent because I’m here. The honest truth is your dreams are always playing at the next, then the highest level. I’m not going to quit working until I get that opportunity.

What’s the competition for your roster spot? Somebody is trying to take yours right now and you’re trying to take somebody’s at AA?

That’s the way it goes. You just got to keep pressing and hopefully you take the guy above yours. It’s a business now. It’s not for fun. This is a business and you got to look at it as a business side and a fun side. I’ll probably be here for the rest of the year. Hopefully next year I won’t have to come back, maybe I’ll go up.

What are some of the things you learned about pro sports that no one could tell you about?

There’s stuff that you just have to experience. Inside the locker room, the coaches philosophy and stuff like that. Doing the charts. No one can really explain those to you.  You just gotta learn by yourself. Learn the ropes.

What would you tell young kids, like in high school on down about pro baseball?

It’s a great opportunity and if that’s what you really want to do, then do it, but it’s not an easy life. People make it out to be a lot better than it really is. It’s been my dream and it’s a dream. You gotta go after it, but it’s a big commitment to yourself. Nine months out of the year and then off-season you gotta work out and throw. It’s a good business. You just gotta put your mind to it.

How do you handle the fans? The loudmouths yelling and things like that?

Honestly when you’re in the game you don’t hear anyone, you hear nothing. Everything goes away. You can get some loudmouths but it’s part of the game. All those people don’t understand baseball, never played, they just see it on TV and expect you to be as good as those guys and that’s not going to be true, you are developing those skills.

Do you think as a pitcher though, you don’t hear it as much?

Yeah, you control the game. If you don’t throw the ball, they don’t move. Everybody moves on your command really. It is probably a little easy for me than it would be for the shortstop or catcher, but I just try and block everybody out.

How about the umpires?  How do you handle the balls and strikes when you disagree?

You can’t show your soft side. You gotta keep focusing on the game and not let anybody disturb you. You just gotta look at it like that. Try not to let anybody get to you.

You ever been kicked out of a game?

No.

How about uh, your opinion on knockdowns, brush backs, and retaliation?

I think that’s part of the game. It’s always been a part of the game. If you’re gonna come up and hit you’ve got sixty feet six inches to get out of the way. You’re in my zone, and you’re in my world. That’s the decisions you gotta make. You gonna get hit or you gonna get outta the way? I don’t think aiming at someone’s head is the right thing. That is someone’s career. You want to get ‘em off the plate, brushing ‘em back after someone gets a homerun, that’s just part of the game. You don’t intentionally hit someone in the head if you do then that’s just wrong.

How about the guys crowding the plate?

You get them off the plate. That’s your plate and you’ve got control of it. Get them off of it. You’re gonna hit ‘em, hit ‘em, but it’s your plate. If you don’t get in and just try to throw away, then that’s what they’re looking for.

Do you have any thoughts about being traded?

No, I really haven’t. I mean, I’ll be here for a while and if eventually I get traded that’s better for the organization and I hope that’s best for me, too.

How about your thoughts on anything I haven’t covered?

No, pretty much that’s all there is to it.