Friday, March
12, 2010
Spring Training
Q&A:
Twins Pitching
Prospect Bobby Lanigan
·
Another
reminder, this Saturday (TOMORROW) is the TWINSCENTRIC Viewing Party at Major’s
Sports Café in Apple Valley. All four TwinsCentric
guys will be there. Several other prominent Twins bloggers will be there as
well. It will start about noon (when the Twins/Phillies game starts) and will go
until a little after the game is complete. Prizes (including a Minnesota Twins 2010 Prospect Handbook, a Twins
2010 Annual, and even Twins tickets!) will be given away throughout
the afternoon. So, if you have a chance, stop by and it’ll be fun just talking
Twins with Twins fans!
·
Aaron Gleeman joined me on last
night’s episode of The Show. We talked Twins for an hour, so check it
out.
·
Parker wrote about
JJ
Hardy’s impact to the Twins defense over at the TwinsCentric blog.
·
Have
I mentioned that you can buy your own copy of the Minnesota
Twins 2010 Prospect Handbook here?
·
Minor
League camp starts today. Expect that several Twins minor leaguers will move
across the parking lot from big league camp to minor league camp within the
next couple of days.
The Twins selected Bobby Lanigan
with their 3rd round pick in 2008. He was taken out of Division II
Adelphi University. Lanigan is a Long Island native
with a solid fastball. He’s probably best known as a slider pitcher, but is
working on his other pitches as well. In Beloit, he began 2009 as a starter and
experienced the ups and downs that you would expect from a pitcher in his first
full professional season. Later in the season, he moved up to Ft. Myers where
he spent time in their bullpen. Today we get to learn a little more about Bobby
Lanigan. (To see all previous SethSpeaks.net Q&As, click here) (and feel free
to leave
questions or comments here)
…Let the Questions Begin!
SethSpeaks: Now that you’ve had a few months to look back and reflect,
what are your thoughts on your 2009 season?
Bobby Lanigan: Overall
2009 was a good year for me. It was my first full season of pro ball and
starting out in the Midwest League was the right place for me to start. I
learned a lot about pitching, the game, and what it takes to be a full time
baseball player. I learned through failure and experience, which to me is the
best way to learn. Finishing up in the Florida State League was a lot of fun.
It was the first time in my life I had come out of the bullpen. I figured out
again through experience, and at times failure, how to prepare to pitch
possibly every day. Unfortunately we lost in the playoffs, and I actually
pitched the last four innings of the year, although losing your last game is
always tough, I go into this season on a positive after finishing strong last
season.
SethSpeaks: What do you do when you’re not playing baseball or
working out in preparation for the upcoming season?
Bobby Lanigan: When not
playing baseball I love to play golf. Back home I get to play until it gets
below 40, than it’s a little too cold, Luckily, I got out there until December
this year. Other than that I just take advantage of the things that are home
that I miss when I am away.
SethSpeaks: When did you start getting ready for the 2010 season, and
what was your routine?
Bobby Lanigan: After
about two weeks of just resting I start to prepare for the next season. I
follow the workout they give us and add some stuff that I know has worked for
me in the past. I don't throw much until about January, and that is indoors.
The only thing I really did this season outdoors back home was shovel, but I'm
glad to be down in Florida now.
SethSpeaks: What are your
goals for the 2010 season? Where would you like to play, and are there any
statistics that you are looking to improve?
Bobby
Lanigan: My
goal this season is to continue to learn the game. I always have goals, plenty
of them, some are long term and some change daily. For now I just want to have
a good Spring Training, stay healthy, and prepare for wherever I wind up.
SethSpeaks: Who was your Favorite Player and
your favorite team?
Bobby Lanigan: I grew up
in a split town of Yankee and Met Fans. It my house it was blue and orange. My
Dad was a Met fan and we followed suit. My brother is still a big Met Fan. I
follow it a little bit, but I have an excuse now not to have to root for them
and get as frustrated as Met Fans have been lately. Favorite player had to be
John Franco, he lived near me and knew my dad, so I
got to become friendly with John as well. He is a great example of never
getting too big for the game, and is/was a good role model for me.
SethSpeaks: Best thing of career in baseball?
Bobby Lanigan: The
greatest moment in baseball for me was My Dad, brother, two friends, and my
high school coach witnessing my first win in pro ball at Burlington, NC. It
didn't mean that much to me at the time, but when my Dad passed just a couple
months later, I realized it was a great moment in both our lives, and is
something I won't forget.
SethSpeaks: Funniest story in your minor league career?
Bobby Lanigan: Funniest
story in Milb was probably on a bust trip when we
were in E-town. I was sleeping on the bus, had my mouth open, and Thom Wright
had the greatest spit ball shot of all time, landed it right on my resting
tongue. Kinda gross but had to tip my hat, it was a
good one. I laughed it off, and Evan Bigley actually
got it on tape. We probable watched that video 100 times.
Thank you very much to Bobby Lanigan for
taking some of his time to respond. If you would like, you can e-mail me, or feel free to leave
your comments here.