Today we went to the second lunch at Miller Park for season ticket holders. Jim Powell was the emcee and it included JJ Hardy and Brian Shouse.
I remember when I got the email six weeks ago that listed the players for this luncheon. And I thought, ho hum...JJ Hardy.
My how things change. In case you haven't been watching...last week JJ batted .600 with 12 RBIs and was the Player of the Week for the National League. If it weren't for CC Sabathia, JJ would be all anyone in Milwaukee is talking about.
So anyway, it was a treat to see JJ and Shouse at the luncheon. Lots of Q&A as usual - here are a few of my favorite points...
Brian Shouse
1. Asked why he switched to sidearm throwing after being in and out of the Majors for almost 10 years, he said the coaches told him the only way he would get back into the Majors permanently was to do "something different." It took him a whole year to re-learn how to throw.
2. Explaining how his family - his wife and three daughters - handles all the moves that go with baseball, he said his wife counted them up at some point and had orchestrated 100+ moves in his career. .
3. Shouse said even though fans might have been surprised to see him close on Sunday, he thinks of every inning as a "closing situation." But, also, that every time he goes out there, he's scared. He laughed, but said the adrenaline is key.
4. On the benefits of being a left-handed specialist vs. a regular reliever, he said he likes to pitch multiple innings as a reliever, but on the other hand a left-handed specialist usually only faces a batter or two, meaning you can pitch day after day. He's pitched 40 games already this year.
5. On heckling, Shouse said he usually gets razzed about being old or being short. Like: "Why is the Bat Boy out there warming up?" When it's a good one, like that, he laughs.
6. He also commented on superstitions. He said he has more of a routine than a superstition: He likes to take a shower after practice and before the game. He said, laughing: "So I can be clean before sweat."
JJ Hardy
1. On such a hot streak, he was asked, do you try to analyze what's working so you can hold on to it? Nope. He tries to ignore it and just go with it. But, he likes to have video so when the streak ends, he can go back and try to figure out what drove it.
2. Asked what's most challenging for him personally, he said: Playing 162 games of baseball and the toll that takes on your body. Asked how many games he wants to play each year, he said 162.
3. In talking about CC and tonight's potential sellout, he said anytime it's a sellout, the players feel it and get into it. There's nothing like hearing 40,000 people cheering you on.
4. Someone asked JJ who acts as the team leaders this year. He said Braun has really become a leader, and that he personally also really looks to Counsel, who has been playing a long time, played in the World Series, etc., and Kendall.
5. He also mentioned heckling and one of his favorites: When he was in Chicago on deck and Hart was at bat...in Hart's big beard days...a fan yelled: "It's so easy, even a caveman can do it." JJ said he tried to keep a straight face, but even he had to laugh.
6. Talking about tossing the ball around before the games, he admitted there's a lot of smack talking among the guys about who's got the best stuff. He said Braun usually starts it, but none of them agree he's the best. JJ thinks he personally might have the best control. But he said Corey has the nastiest throw.
7. And, yes, JJ has a shower superstition too - he always has to use the same shower stall in the clubhouse.
As Jim Powell noted to wrap up the Q&A: the Brewers are the cleanest team in baseball.
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