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| Bryson Stott, image- Jay Floyd |
Shortstop Bryson Stott, the Phillies' first round draft selection this year, has enjoyed a successful initial pro campaign. En route to being recognized as an All-Star for the Class A short-season Williamsport Crosscutters the 21-year-old UNLV product has tallied a .295 average with six home runs and 25 RBI in 45 minor league contests.
Last week I spoke with the lefty hitting Stott to discuss his transition to professional baseball, joining the Phillies organization and plenty more. Read ahead for that interview.
-Obviously, your performance and the production on the field is going well, but how do you feel you have adapted to the pro life?
It feels good. You hear about the everyday grind, but you don't really believe it till you feel it. I would say that's the difference between college and the pros, is you're not practicing, you're playing games every day. I would say that's the biggest difference. But I'm getting used to it and I'm having a blast.
-How did the draft go for you? Were you surprised by the Phillies selecting you where they did or were they among the teams you expected could be calling your name?
Yeah. I mean, before the draft I heard a couple teams' (names), but I had a really good meeting with the Phillies in the fall and the winter and they were always a team that I thought was very interested and I thought was a good fit leaving those meetings and for it to actually happen was a blessing.
-Coming up as a young guy, what team did you follow and who were you a fan of?
I always followed Derek Jeter. He was my favorite player growing up and Bryce (Harper), being from Vegas, I'd always follow him and all those Vegas guys. I never had a favorite team. I would just follow the players. Just to be able to follow them and their careers was what I did.
-What was your knowledge of the Phillies before being part of the organization?
I really didn't have a whole lot of knowledge (about them) until Bryce (Harper) went over there and then I really started paying attention to what they have going on and it was awesome. Of course, the World Series team from a few years back and of course Ryan Howard and Utley and those big names that everyone in the baseball world knows, obviously, you know those names, so I'd say recently it's been a whole lot of information and a whole lot of good information.
-You talked about the World Series team and Jeter and you probably watched them in '09. How old were you when all that was going on and those big names were so big?
I would have been in elementary school 10 years ago. And I met Jimmy Rollins when I was in Philadelphia. So, to see some of those guys was unbelievable.
-You mention stopping through the stadium in Philly and getting an introduction to the team, the media and such...I recall while you were there, hearing some discussion of a connection with you and Bryce Harper from out there in Vegas. You guys are pretty close, right?
Yeah, we talk all the time. Having someone like that, especially now in this organization is good for me because if there's ever anything I need, if my swing goes off, he's always a call away and he can help me with all that stuff. And, like I said, him being here and me being in the same organization as well, it's very rare I'd say that it actually happened this way and I'm very grateful for it.
-What are your thoughts on Pat Borders as your skipper?
He's awesome. He's not that cookie-cutter manager that makes everyone be the same. If I need one thing and Kendall (Simmons) needs to do something and (Logan) O'Hoppe needs to do something then it's always different and what we need and our needs instead of "We're going to do it this way, my way, or else it's not going to happen." Having a manager like that that's so understanding of what your personal needs are and how to make you have fun and the team have fun, 'cause that's what he's really about is enjoying time out there and knowing that it's a game still and we should really enjoy it.
For the rest of this interview, head on over to Patreon.com/PhoulBallz to support my work and get access to loads of exclusive material.
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