Williams Valley graduate Tyler Herb and Crestwood's Matt Wotherspoon are pitching for the Norfolk Tides, the International League 'AAA' team of the parent club, the Baltimore Orioles. Matt and Tyler broke down where they are at as 27 year olds pitchers.
What it's like come back and see these guys, not so much as a pitcher, but as a friend? asked Jim Coles.
"It's always fun. There's a lot of trash talk and it's a good time. I miss all these guys." recalled Wotherspoon. "There's a bunch of great people in that organization and I wish them all the best."
I was watching the game. Saw you get through the first inning, saw the Homer, then I saw a couple of bleeders get through and I bled with you. What was the experience like?
"It was awesome." chirped Matt. "It's tough to put into words. Honestly, when you get the news, that you are going to the big leagues, and like you said it is something that you dream about from the time you have 10-11, 12 years old and when the news finally comes, it's an emotional moment. It was an awesome night and something that I'll never forget."
We've interviewed many players over the years that have gone up and down and come back and they say you have to stay aggressive. I guess that's the most important thing whether you are facing Aaron Judge or some guy that's up from 'A' ball. How do you stay aggressive?
"These last two games I think," began Tyler "I've been a little more passive and when I've have had success it's get in the zone early and get ahead of the hitters and just being aggressive and attacking guys and that's when I'm at my best. You hit it right on the head."
You guys are living dreams that all of us wanted to do. You (Matt) experienced it briefly, but that is only wetting the whistle. Want do you want, to close out your dream?
"I'm not sure." admitted Matt. "Obviously all of our goals here is to play in the big leagues and have a long career, but I think if you are only thinking about being in the big leagues and not actually where you are at, I think that it can get away from you a little bit." said Wotherspoon. "So I try to take it day by day and really focus on what I am doing to get better here can do here every day." Matt summed it up. "To put myself in the best position to get back to the big leagues."
"There is definitely an end goal." chimed in Tyler "Trying to reach for that goal is getting away from what we can control as players and pitchers. I think we're trying to get out an execute one pitch at a time and eventually it's like looking at a staircase, you can't get to the top, unless you go stair, by stair by stair. So, I think, that's what we are all trying to do.>