BACKGROUND –

I went to school at Laquinta High School, West Minster California. I was drafted before by the A’s right out of high school.  I played one year of Junior College to try to improve my draft status or to get more money from the A’s. I signed with the A’s before the draft. I was in Visalia last year. My first year was in Medford, Oregon when I signed out of Junior College. I worked hard. I was gifted with playing with good players.  Our first rounder this year was a high school buddy, Bobby Crosby. We went out the first year and now he is with me again with the A’s.  That was kind of good news for me because better players than you, make you a better player.  Having other people around you make you succeed, makes them succeed, and just makes you better.  I’ve been gifted to play with good people and it’s helped me out along the way.

Define Gerald Laird.

I’m just a kid, playing a kid’s game. I’m an older man now, I’m twenty-one, but I’m playing a kid’s game and just having fun with it. I’ve been given the talent to play baseball and I’m just going to take it as far as I can. There is really nothing unique about it I just love to play. I play hard and try to get better every day. My goal in life is to get to the big leagues, and hopefully that day is coming soon.

Define your strengths and weaknesses.

Some of my strengths are pretty much the tools I have which is my arm strength, and playing defense. Hitting has always been a strength, but I’m still learning. I’m a young hitter right now in professional baseball. Everyone succeeds in high school and college but when you get into pro ball there is a lot more you have to learn about. You see better pitching and a lot better arms. I’m still young. I’ve seen a lot of pitching this past couple of years and everyday I see myself improving. My weakness is learning more about the mental and physically game. I have got the tools to play the game, but I have to put everything together and stay consistent. A lot of the guys I know are in the big leagues. They say it is the same game but the icing is different. The game just gets a little bit faster. It is the same thing; it’s just how you take it in. My approach for example if something bad happens and I strike out or don’t get a hit, then I’ll do better the next time.

The A’s drafted you as a catcher, but did anyone talk to you about playing anyplace else?

No, pretty much I was drafted as a catcher that’s my main position. I do play other positions to get more at bats and to stay in the games. It is pretty much what they see down the road.  They see me as a catcher who can throw, run and hit and pretty much do anything.

What did scouts see in you?

Scouts liked what they saw in me and they took a chance. I am just happy that someone liked me. I talked to every team while in high school, and every professional scout who came to my house. I talked to all the top colleges. It all worked out in the long run and I’m just happy to be here.

Did they tell you what you did that singled you out from the other players?

Pretty much no. They just came in and told me that they liked me, that I was one of the top players in the country, and that I did exactly what they wanted out on the field. They said, you play hard, you are a great player, and we see you potentially being a greater player as you get older. That is all the draft is, what potential you have down the road.

Did they say anything about your work habits or anything like that? They didn’t single anything out?

They said I was one of the best players in the country and one of the top five out of high school. They told me to pretty much to work on my game. Catching is defense and you want to be as good a defensive player as you can. You want to hit but there are very few in the big league who hit and play well defensively. So pretty much, I work more overtime on my defense than my offense.

Growing up in LA, were you a Dodger’s fan?

I was an Angel and Braves fan. I like the Braves and the Angels teams. I’m not a big Dodger fan. All my family knows I don’t like the Dodgers.

Playing Pro Baseball

Tell me about catching?

I call the pitches. You go out there and try to out smart the hitter by learning their weaknesses and using my pitcher’s strengths. I’ve got to know the pitcher’s strengths and I go by that. What I think the hitter’s weaknesses are is where we will attack that. The pitchers tell me what they like to do and I go by that and they pretty much trust me most of the time and we go after them. They pretty much do what I say, like the guys coming in from the bullpen. I’ve been catching the whole game and they know that I’m out there working and trying to figure out something. They pretty much go with me. I’ll call their pitch. I’ll give it to them if I think a pitch is going to work. We will talk about it and see, and if not, then I’ll say alright let’s make this pitch.

How do you deal with the Umpires?

I know then all. I talk to them. We joke around and talk about stuff that happens back there. We are just having fun. If I think he misses a pitch, I’ll ask him. I will ask him where he had it and if he tells me I’ll say, well I thought it was here and he will say, all right. I mean, I’m pretty much good friends with all of them. I don’t like to show them up because I have to go back there and I’ve got to get the pitches for my pitchers. I try to do the best I can, and stay on the same page as them.

Do they ever say they are wrong?

Yeah, they’ll tell you. If I say, maybe you missed that one. It depends on the umpire. If I think they missed one and they think I missed one, they will tell me.  If he tells me that that was a ball and I missed that one too, I’ll say yeah.  If they miss a pitch when I’m hitting they will come back when I’m catching and I say, I messed up. I pretty much get along with all of them and they’re up front with me and I’m up front with them and that’s all they ask for is to be, up front. That’s when you know that you’re starting to get a good relationship with a guy, he’ll tell you, you know I missed that one, put it back there and I’ll give it to you.

Did you ever get kicked out of a game?

Yes. Just from the frustration of a bad night or a bad week and a couple of bad calls by an umpire. I’ve never really shown one up, I’ve said something and walked away and that’s when I’ve been thrown out but it’s just that this game can frustrate you a lot, you’ve just got to not let it get to you.

Is there something that you know that if you said to an umpire you know you’re going to get kicked out?

Pretty much, you can’t say rude stuff to them. You just got to watch what you say and if they make a bad call, just walk back to the dugout. You have got to watch yourself. You got them in another series, they remember stuff and they will take it into the next game, so it’s not worth it.

Brush backs; knock downs, retaliations…?

I think it is legitimate once in a while. I mean you always want to take care of your teammate, that’s the main thing. If a guy is popping off or if one of your teammates gets drilled, you show the other hitters something, but you don’t go out and throw at his head.  This is this guy’s life. It is his job. You don’t want to go at someone’s head. You don’t want to hurt him. Anything below the shoulders, I think is fine. I think pitchers get a little bit bogus sometimes when they go after a guy’s head. You can really hurt someone. They are out here trying to make a living just like your guys, but it is part of the game. It is a hard nose game and you don’t let anyone take advantage of a teammate or let anyone hurt a teammate. You always back your guys up.

Being traded, although you haven’t been traded yet? (note: Gerald was traded to the Texas Rangers Organization in January 2002)

No, I don’t think about that stuff.  It doesn’t matter where I’m at, as long as I get to the big leagues. If it’s with the A’s, Angels, Oriole’s, where ever I’m at, if I’m in the big leagues, that’s what I want to do. Right now, I’m playing for the A’s but I’m playing for thirty other teams. You never know when you are going to be traded or what other scouts are in the stands looking for in a trade or positions. You’re pretty much playing for everyone. I don’t really follow that, I just play, and some day if I’m in the big leagues, no matter with whom, I’m going to play in the big leagues.

Being injured, is your arm okay (he had been hit with a back swing the night before and his arm was swollen)?

Yeah, I got hit last night, it’s okay, I won’t play tonight, and it’s pretty swollen.  It comes with the position I player, catcher, you get banged up a lot.  No a back swing, a guy’s bat hit me in the elbow but, I mean, it’s a rough position but I love it.  I’m in every pitch; I’m in every play.  Injuries come a lot with catching.

Were you hurt last year?

Yes, I broke my wrist.

Did they send you to spring training camp?

Yeah, I went to Arizona for rehab. I went down there just so I could get some of those at bats. They didn’t want me to come up with an injury and just go back to the disabled list. I just went down there, worked out, got some batting time and they sent me right back.

What about weight lifting?

Weight lifting is a good thing. You play for six months, so you can lose strength. You want to stay strong, so weight lifting is a big thing. Some guys do it more than others but it’s a big part of the program here at Oakland and honestly it helps you out, just taking care of yourself.

In the old days, weight lifting for baseball players was a taboo

Yeah, but now days you see how players are. They are hitting balls harder with more home runs.  Weight lifting is a big thing.

Philosophy

What would you suggest to someone looking to get from high school, to college, to the pro’s?

My biggest suggestion would have to be just learning how much there is. When you are in high school you see some things, but when you get into pros there is a 140 games I’ve to get ready for. It is tough. I admit it’s not always about playing the game, it’s about preparing yourself to play the game every day. That’s pretty much the basic thing is to prepare myself to perform a 140 game schedule with something like eleven days off.

What would you tell a high school player?

I just think it is how bad you want it and how hard you work. I mean there are guys out there that have all the talent and don’t work as hard and think it’s going to be handed to them. Nothing gets handed to you; you’ve got to work for it. I was an all right student, but if I could go back, I would work a little bit harder in the classroom. I was fortunate because I got drafted but I’d tell anyone in high school, just go out there and live it up, and have fun. Those are the best times. I mean it is fun but now it is my job now. In high school I was in a fabulous school. High school games, going to all the classes, playoffs, and everything was fun. Just take it all in. Do it all, play football, basketball, what ever you’re good at and that you like. I played football also and was a quarterback and safety.

Your personal philosophy. Is there anything that we haven’t covered that you would want to say?

Just pretty much, it flies by. I’ve been playing for three years now and it’s been like it started yesterday. Just take it in every day, have fun, don’t take advantage of it. Don’t take advantage of the game; it’s a great game. Just play, have fun and work hard. You can never work hard enough. You are always going to learn something. Learn as much as you can and when the time comes to hang it up you will know, until then, just play.

Do you think you will know when the time comes?

Yeah, I’m going to play this game until they tell me I can’t. I love it. I love being here everyday. You show up to the park every day and play baseball in front of people and get paid to do it. What’s better than that?