Interview Outtakes: Tigers Prospect, Could-be-closer Bruce Rondon Answers Eight Extra Questions

By MiLB.com

MiLB.com will publish our Q&A with Tigers could-be-closer Bruce Rondon in the next week or so. In the interim, the MLB.com’s №92 prospect (bio, stats here) shared eight thoughts (below) that didn’t make it into the story. Thanks to Detroit official Aileen Villarreal for translating Rondon’s Spanish. Enjoy.

(Charlie Neibergall/AP)

1. On his favorite 2012 season highlight: “Saving 29 games. It was amazing because my goal was to save 20 and I saved 29. I couldn’t believe it. It was a real blessing.”

(Charlie Neibergall/AP)

1. On how he spent his offseason aside from playing in the Venezuelan Winter League: “I spent a lot of time with my family. I took them shopping, we went to the beach a lot. My workouts were early during the day, so I had the whole rest of the day to spend with them so it was great. Baseball isn’t easy because sometimes your family needs your support and love even when you’re far away. I always miss them a lot and it isn’t easy, but like I used to tell my mom, this is what I wanted and I was going to accomplish it.”
2. On his first big league Spring Training: “It has been the best thing in my life so far, being next to all these big leaguers that I had never even dreamed of being next to. They talk to you like you’re the same as them,and I tell myself, ‘Wow, I haven’t even pitched a game in the Majors yet.’ They talk to you like you’re their equal, and it is really special and I give them many thanks for that.”
3. On what he has learned from veteran Tigers pitchers during camp: “You know pitching in the big leagues isn’t just about pitching. Sometimes it’s about your character, sometimes about talking to the media, when things are going bad, when they’re good. In the clubhouse with the rules, that you have to respect to be respected. All those things, how to go dressed to the stadium, being prompt to practice, et cetera. Those are some of the things they’ve helped me with, and I’d like to thank them because sometimes you get to a team and nobody helps you with anything — you kind of have to learn on your own. This team is united. It is like a family, and that is a great thing.”
4. On his scouting report of teammate/friend/fellow prospect/countryman Avisail Garcia: “Him and I have played a lot together. He’s always been with me and helped me with different things. I’d like to thank him for that because he’s been a great friend to me and to a lot of other guys on the team. I have nothing bad to say about him because he has been a great guy.”

(Paul Nelson/Toledo Mud Hens)

1. On his best friend in the Tigers organization: “Since I came to the United States, actually since I was in Venezuela, Jose Ortega. We’ve come up together from the bottom. We’ve both been working very hard for our families, and now we’re both here trying to accomplish what we’ve been working hard for.”
2. On the best hitter he’s faced in the Minors: “Like I say, there aren’t small or big enemies because everyone is batting against you. All of them to me are difficult. If I get too comfortable with one, he can hit a homer off me. That’s why I come out and see all of them as the best hitter and come out to pitch the way I come out to pitch because you can’t get too comfortable in the ninth inning. That’s when the errors come. You have to come out aggressive like always and not get too comfortable or overconfident whether he’s small or big, strong or skinny, it doesn’t matter who it is, I see them all the same.”
3. On his goals for the 2013 season: “My goal is to work hard, to keep working hard, and not stop working hard. If you ease up and take thing for granted, that’s when the problems come. I don’t want to stop working. I know things right now aren’t as I would want them, but I know I’ll get through it.”