Bobby Crosby Pittsburgh Pirates (8-1-2001)
What is your background?
“I went straight to Long Beach State after high school. I went there for three years before signing with Oakland. I just got done in May from college, signed here July 4th, and started playing here three days later. As a Sophmore in high school I played second base, but ever since then I played shortstop.
Define Bobby Crosby as a player, your strengths and weaknesses?
All of my strengths are defensively. I’ve always been defensive, that has been my big aspect of the game. My weakness I would say would be being a consistent hitter day in and day out having that good day. I’ll have a hot streak and a cold streak but its just being consistent all throughout is my weakness.
Any question about sending you to Modesto instead of the Rookie League?
Yea at first I thought they were sending me to Vancouver, but once I got closer to signing they said if you sign within the next week or so you would probably be going to Modesto. So I jumped on that. I really wanted to come here.”
Normally the college players go to a rookie league?
Yea most of them go to Vancouver, I think.
What is your overall hitting strategy?
I try to hit the ball up the middle. I feel when I am going good I try to hit the ball up the middle, or take it and go with it, and hit the ball the other way. I feel when I am pulling, and getting pull conscious, that’s when I struggle.
You had a nine game hitting streak when you first started?
Yea, it is still going but I haven’t played because of my hip flexor.
Growing up were you always the All Star?
Yea I was always on the All Star Team but when I was a junior in high school I was about five nine. I was a small kid and I didn’t know if I could compete with the guys because everyone was bigger then me. Then in my senior year I grew about five inches and gained twenty five pounds, so I became stronger and my game progressed along as I got bigger.
In college were you All League?
Yea I was All League, and All American my last two years.
When you are hitting do you guess at the pitch or do you react to it?
At certain times I will. At certain times I will be sitting fastball. I don’t too often sit off speed. I’ll sit on the fastball and maybe adjust to a hanging breaking ball. If I am sitting fastball and someone throws a good breaking ball, I am not going to swing at it unless I have two strikes. Then you have to protect. You can’t just be looking for a certain pitch, but if I have a 0-1 count, I will sit on a fastball then adjust. Most of the time I will sit on the fastball and go for that.”
What about first pitch?
Not really. I won’t swing at a change up or slider unless it’s up in the zone. I mean I am going to sit fastball on that first pitch unless that pitcher has a history of throwing off speed the first pitch. Depending on the pitcher, on what he has thrown in the past, and what he is throwing in that game, I will sit on that pitch. If it is there I will give it a hack, depending on the situation. If you’re a leadoff hitter you might want to see more pitches and try to get a walk.
What position did you hit in college?
“I hit six or seven my first year, then leadoff my second year, and my third year I hit third.”
What do you like better?
Probably third. I mean I kind of like anywhere in the order and leadoff too. It doesn’t matter because each of them has their different roles. It is kind of interesting.
When you were scouted for the pros what did they look for? What did they say?
They liked my size. They liked the fact that I played shortstop. I am a bigger guy for that position and I could hit for power and for average. A lot of guys who can do that can’t play shortstop. Most of the time it is the smaller guy who is really quick. I’m not the fastest guy in the world but my hitting makes up for that.
How about weightlifting?
Yea I lifted a little bit in high school but I didn’t want to get hurt. I try to lift a little bit and in the off season I will try to get stronger. Weightlifting is definitely a big part, but you don’t have to worry about it in high school.
When they recruited you did they look into your work habits?
I think that is a big part of it. Whenever you talk to a high school or college coach they talk about make up. The kind of make up the guy has. Any college coach or scout will not want a guy coming to his school who doesn’t have a good work habit and doesn’t work hard. If you’re a good athlete and don’t work hard, that’s not going to help you. You have to have the good work ethic and the talent. Me, myself as a junior, I didn’t have all the talent but I tried to work hard.”
In college what was your off season like?
The off-season consisted of lifting weights. We also had individual workouts where we went out with the coaches and took ground balls or hit. It is mostly just one on one type things, because you can’t practice all year round in college, so it is more your work ethic on how hard your going to work”
Do you guys have a winter league?
Not in a university, but in junior collage I think your allowed to have a winter league.”
What is it like on game days?
We usually had a midweek game on Tuesday or Wednesday, which is kind of though because you have to get out of your classes. Your sitting in class thinking about the game and its kind of tough to concentrate. In pro ball you really don’t have to worry about that too much. It is kind of nice. You have to focus on one thing and then the next. You really can’t look beyond school because you have to be eligible and get good grades. I always strived to get good grades.”
How about the teachers?
Well they let us miss class and allowed us to make up things when other students wouldn’t be able to, but we had an excuse. I mean we are representing the university by playing baseball. At certain times they would let us off but we didn’t get any special privileges like other kids did.
So you didn’t get an “A” just for showing up?
No, no definitely not.
Do you worry about being injured?
No I don’t. I never really had any serious injuries, but right now it is more mental. It is kind of frustrating to come here, play, and do alright, and then sit out for two or three weeks. It is just kind of frustrating. I am sick of sitting on the bench I want to keep playing. It is more metal then anything.”
Who keeps you, out the trainer?
Yes, the trainer. When the trainer says I am ready, that’s when I’ll go in. It is day to day right now. Any time I could go out there and it wont hurt at all is when I’ll go in. But there is still some lingering pain every now and then, so they wont let me play yet. Pretty much right now, they are going to ease me into it.
Did you look at the organization when you signed?
Not really. Not at all. I can’t control that; all I can control is what I do. I can’t say, well Miguel Tejada is in the big leagues and he is an unbelievable player, and I hope he gets traded. You can’t. All I can worry about is what I do and whatever he does is great. If I do my job and do what I am supposed to, then I feel everything will workout.
Do you watch a lot of film?
I did in college, every once in a while. I mainly did when I struggled. I just want to keep my mind clear and just go out and hit, but when I struggled I wouldn’t want to watch tapes of me struggling because that just brings back those negative thoughts. I like to watch tapes of when I was doing good and what I was thinking then and how I looked at the plate, and would try to do that when I was struggling.”
Is weightlifting important?
Yes definitely. I mean playing everyday you have to keep yourself strong. I try to lift in the morning and rest a little bit before I come to the fields.
How about on days off?
No, on days off I just kind of hangout and chill.
What is the hardest adjustment from high school to college and from college to the pros?
High school to college pitching definitely, and the amount of baseball you play every single day and all the weekends. That is one of the biggest adjustments. The pitching is a lot better and from college to the pros the pitching is a little less drastic then the big change. I think in the Cal League there are great pitchers, but the big change is playing everyday. I mean you gotta lift in the mornings and keep yourself strong and eat right. You can’t be eating fast food everyday and go out and expect to play good.”
It seems at times that guys with lesser talent go farther than guys who have “all the talent”?
Yea, I mean I think the people with less talent, if they have that strive to get better, are gonna want to be better than everybody else. I mean if you are the top player as a Freshman or Sophomore in high school, I really don’t see where there is motivation. I was never the best player. I was second, third or fourth, but I always said I am going to be the best player next year. Every year I have tried to be. You are never going to be the best player no matter where your at. There is going to be someone better. That is my kind of motivation. I am going to achieve this and I am going to be better then them and that is what helped me. I don’t know how it is if you’re the best guy on the team.”
What happens to the guys when the talent starts catching up with them?
I’ve seen that a bunch of times with my buddies who have always been good and been bigger then everybody else. But when everybody else catches up, they re just an average guy. A lot of those guys just end up giving up and they’ve always been the best and sunk down. They say, “well I can’t do this anymore.” It’s the underdogs that come up and keep fighting away. They are the guys who make it.”
Do you check out the guys in AA or AAA?
Baseball America comes here and I mean I glance through it. I don’t really concern myself with it. I don’t really worry about it.
What are things about pro sports that you found out the hard way?
Not much to tell you the truth. I really haven’t had anything. I mean my dad played in the big leagues for seven years and he has been telling me all about what goes on. I have had numerous amounts of friends that have gone through pro ball. So really there is nothing that I really didn’t expect.
Who is your dad?
Abe Crosby. He played for the Indians, Reds and Cardinals in the mid seventies.”
What would you tell the players who were looking to turn pro?
I would say make sure your ready. I was out of high school when I was drafted in the 35th round by the Angels and I wasn’t ready. I couldn’t have gone from high school and came in and played. It is a great experience. If you’re a high school kid and you get drafted and your ready to play go for it. It is important when you think you are ready”
You thought you were ready after three years of college?
Yea, I felt the mentally in high school I wasn’t ready to go and physically I wasn’t ready. After this past year being drafted as high as I was I felt it was time to go.”
How do you handle fans?
Luckily I haven’t had that too much; where I have been around some pretty bad fans. You really just try to tune it out. You try not to listen to what they’re saying or get involved in that. I just try to enjoy the fans. There are some of them that are really nice people and I try to sign the things that they have for me. I just try to be as nice to them as you can because they are the ones that are supporting you. They are the ones that come to the park and see you.
How about the umpires?
I always try to keep good relationships with the umpires. I mean I try to get to know their name and try different things. So if I do see a pitch I don’t like I would ask, “hey so and so where was that one.” Just kind of talk rather then give them a dirty look, or not knowing their name, yell at them. That is kind of an uncivilized thing to do. Just ask them about it and maybe next time you’ll get that call because you’re on their good side. You never want to get on their bad side. I have had one in college say, “yea, my bad.” But it’s very rare that an ump will admit right away of guilt.”
What do you think about the one that says he missed that one?
I mean it is satisfaction for you knowing it wasn’t your mistake.
Do you have more respect for them?
In a way. But I have never had an umpire I really didn’t know tell me right away.
Have you ever been kicked out of a game?
No
How about the brush back pitch the knockdowns or the retaliation?
I think it is necessary at times. I think that I don’t know as much in the minor leagues, but in the big leagues when you have guys that are making millions of dollars you can’t afford them getting hurt or getting brushed back or hit in the head. So if something happens to one of your guys, I feel it is necessary to let them know, “hey, we aren’t going to be doing this anymore.” I never feel that anyone should throw at somebody’s head. I think that is risking their life, risking their family, but if you need to give them a first pitch in the back, or in the leg, and let them know “hey you aren’t going to be throwing at our guys,” then that’s alright.
How about if you got hit and your pitcher doesn’t stick up for you?
No, I wouldn’t say anything to him. I don’t think that it is my position.
How about being traded?
I hope I am never traded. I mean I was pumped when I was drafted by the Oakland A’s. They’ve been my favorite team since I was ten years old. So I was exited when I came here. But that is part of baseball and there is nothing you really can do about it. But I hope I never get traded.
Anything else that we didn’t cover?
I don’t think so. I think it is all about what you want. If you desire to take it, then no one will stop you.