Skip to main content

PhoulBallz Interview: Threshers OF/1B/3B Luke Miller

Luke Miller, image- Jay Floyd
HELP SUPPORT CONTENT LIKE THIS AND KEEP IT COMING ALL SEASON LONG BY BECOMING A PATRON!  Get early access to my posts and EXCLUSIVE interviews- https://www.patreon.com/phoulballz

After opening the 2019 campaign in Extended Spring Training, Luke Miller joined Class A Lakewood and quickly proved to be a steady contributor.  After roughly a month of success with the BlueClaws, Miller was promoted to Class A Advanced Clearwater, where he has played like an All-Star.

In 21 games for Lakewood, the 22-year-old tallied a .260 average with two doubles, three home runs and 12 RBI.  Since joining the Threshers, Miller sports a .325 average with two doubles, two homers and five RBI in 11 games.

The righty batting Miller was the Phillies' 22nd round draft choice last year out of Indiana.

Around the time of his promotion to Clearwater I chatted with Miller about his season thus far, lessons from his coaches, early memories of baseball including the 2008 and 2009 World Series that features the Phillies, another pro player in his family and more.  Read ahead for that complete interview.


-It's been a big year for you despite starting the season in extended spring training.  You joined Lakewood, spent about a month there, then earn a promotion to Clearwater.  What are your thoughts on the year so far?

I started in extended, and it felt like I hit pretty well through extended.  I tried to bring that (to Lakewood) when I got promoted.  I was just trying to stay with my approach and do what I was doing down there, which was just basically "hit the ball hard and see what happens" and it worked out for me.  

-Starting out in extended spring, what's that like. Obviously, everyone would want to open April with a full-season club.  So what was the spell in extended like for you, then the satisfaction of getting to come to Lakewood after some time?

In extended, it's a grind.  Waking up early in the morning and then working out, then have a full practice and then play a game after that.  So, it's a grind going through that.  But, getting (to Lakewood) was really good for me.  I felt like I needed it and I came up and played well.

-What was it like on the Lakewood team?  What was the vibe like around the clubhouse and with that team?

It's good.  You know, it's like a big family, just growing together and learning how to play the game together.  As you could see, we were starting to win games late and be able to stay in game and come back and win, so just continuing the growth and building with the team is important. 

-When you get news that you're going up, whether it's to Lakewood or to Clearwater, what is that like to get the promotion news?

The manager usually calls you in (his office) to tell you and after that, everyone else usually finds out and everybody comes up and congratulates you.  They just tell you, "Good luck" and everything.

-What was your exposure to or knowledge of the Phillies before becoming a player in the organization?  Did you have much exposure to the team in the past?

I mean I watched the 2008 Phillies.  I watched baseball growing up, so I saw that and saw how great they were back then and the dynasty they had.  But other than that, I wasn't really a huge Phillies fan or anything like that. But coming into the organization, it's a great organization to play for, so...

-What was your favorite team growing up and what are some of your early baseball memories?

I was a big Yankees fan.  Obviously, there's no Major League team in Indiana, so I grew up watching Derek Jeter.  So, I loved watching Jeter play, just how he handled himself.  Them winning the World Series, I think it was 2009--

-Against the Phillies!

Against the Phillies, yeah.  That was one of my biggest memories of watching baseball as a kid.

-How old were you then?

2009?  I was...that's 10 years ago, so I was 12.  But those were some of my earliest baseball memories, those post-seasons.

-Were there any other players that, into high school or college, that you would take hints from or watch and want to emulate or try to focus on to learn stuff from?

I mean, my cousin was a first rounder out of high school.  He was five years older than me, so he taught me a lot, just about the process and everything.  That and what to expect, so that was really helpful.

-What is his name and what team did he go to?

His name's Justin O'Conner.  He was a first rounder with the Rays and he's with the White Sox now.

-So he's still playing?

Yeah, he was a catcher, but they're switching him to a pitcher now.


***To read the rest of this interview, visit Patreon.com/PhoulBallz and become a patron to enjoy exclusive content!  (Direct link to interview at THIS LINK)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Lidge Shaky, T-Mac Honored in Trenton

TRENTON, NJ- Brad Lidge made his second rehab appearance for the Double A Reading Phillies on Thursday night and it didn't go as well as the veteran reliever or the team had hoped. Lidge struggled with his command and turned in a rather poor outing for the club that entered the night in a playoff race, 1 game behind division rival Trenton for the Wild Card spot in the Eastern Division. On the disabled list since spring training with a strained right rotator cuff, Lidge experienced an elbow strain when he was working back from that issue in late May. In his outing against the Yankees affiliate in Trenton, Lidge displayed difficulty with his control as he threw three wild pitches, hit two batters, walked another and gave up a single, all while letting up two earned runs on 28 pitches in 2/3 of an inning. After the disappointing performance, Lidge was composed and focused on some positive aspects, having reached 89 and 90 MPH on scouts' radar guns, according to some reports. ...

A Letter to This Guy

Dear Cardinals fan, When a homerun ball is hit in your direction, do not close your eyes and raise both hands far above your head, leaving your face/chest/neck/head defenseless. Jayson Werth long balls to the cranium are probably not very comfortable. Next time, let the guy in the pajama pants behind you take a crack at it. He may not know how to dress well, but he keeps his eyes open in the face of killer shots from World Champion outfielders. Love, PhoulBallz.com PS- Stay hot.

Kendrick & LaGrossa- Second Phils/Survivor Marriage

On Saturday, Phillies pitcher Kyle Kendrick married 3-time Survivor contestant and former Flyers employee Stephenie LaGrossa. The couple exchanged vows in front of 105 guests at the Silverado Resort in Napa, California. Their special day featured many personalized aspects, including cocktail hour snacks modeled in the fashion of mini Philly cheesesteaks, as well as the couple's two dogs, Bebe and Champ, serving as flower girl and ring bearer during the ceremony. The pets wore a white dress and a tuxedo, respectively. Kendrick is now the second Phillies pitcher to marry a former contestant of the CBS reality competition program, as lefty Cole Hamels wedded Heidi Strobel, who appeared on the sixth season of Survivor, in 2007. _________________________________________________________________ Be sure to follow PhoulBallz.com on Twitter, for updates, stats and info, by clicking HERE . Photos- People.com