Interview with Drew Pomeranz

This is an interview with Colorado Rockies pitcher Drew Pomeranz, who used to be a star on the Ole Miss baseball team. Pomeranz was the fifth overall draft pick of the 2010 Major League Baseball draft. In his first full season in professional baseball, Pomeranz made his major league debut. The theme is about his debut and the journey he took to get there, which included getting traded and having an emergency appendectomy. It shows the hard work and effort he put into fulfilling his lifelong dream. The best quote is, "Obviously, it’s been my ultimate goal to be at this point since I started playing baseball. It’s every little kids dream." I like this quote because it connects with the dreams of so many little kids and the feeling he had achieving that goal.

Q. What was it like going out there in your MLB debut?

A. It was pretty cool. I’ve had such a crazy last month. I’ve just been eager to get out there and pitch anywhere. It was pretty cool to get out there in my first big league game. I had some friends and family there. Just being in the big leagues is an awesome feeling to actually achieve that goal.

Q. How has all the hard work you’ve put in at Ole Miss and in the past year in the minors helped you get to where you are now?

A. Obviously, it’s been my ultimate goal to be at this point since I started playing baseball. It’s every little kids dream. I got better at what I do work ethic wise, and I just learned how to pitch in college for those three years. I think that helped prepare me to be in the spot I am right now where they thought I was ready even in my first year of pro ball to pull me up this quick.

Q. Looking back at your first start, what did you see from yourself and what do you and the coaches think you need to work on?

A. Obviously, I’m not at full strength right now arm strength wise. My mechanics and everything aren’t really 100%, so that’s a pretty good start to have with me not really being myself. I’ve only thrown 15 innings in the past month and a half from the whole trade thing and a couple weeks off from my appendectomy. That kept me out a little bit but not too long. I haven’t been throwing as much as I normally would if none of that stuff would have happened. I don’t think they are too worried about me working on things right now. It’s just more of me getting back to being myself.

Q. Talk about the trade. What were you feeling and were you happy to be going to the Rockies?

A. Yeah, I’m really happy to be with the Rockies. Who knows where I would be right now if I was still with the Indians. It was a great situation for me coming over here. I got called up in September and got my first start. I don’t know if I would be in the same place with the Indians, but I kinda didn’t know what to think at first. In my first year of pro ball, I didn’t really think I would get traded. But you just kind of go with it. It doesn’t matter where you are; you still gotta do what you gotta do. I went out there and that’s what I did. So I’m in a good spot right now.

Q. What did you think when you got the call that you were going to get a couple of starts before the season was over?

A. I kind of knew it was coming. When I initially got traded, they kind of told me that was going to happen. But after having the appendectomy, it made me think a little different. I didn’t know what to expect or when I was going to bounce back. I got back pretty quick, but I was kind of confused on what I was going to do. I threw three innings last Monday I think it was. That was the only time I had thrown after the appendectomy, and then they told me (I was going to get called up to the majors) right after that. I was excited. I kind of had mixed feelings about what they were going to do with me, but after they told me I was going to get a few starts up here at the end of the season, I was really excited about it.

Q. When you had to get the appendectomy, were you thinking your season was over?

A. I didn’t really know what to think at first when they told me. The surgeon came in, and after I found out I had to do it, I had heard different things about guys that were playing and had to have appendectomies and how fast they bounced back. I guess that was mostly how I felt the next day. I felt great the next day, and I walked out of there the very next day after it all happened. So I was pretty confident that I would be back. I was pretty determined to get back out on the field because I wasn’t about to let that stop me.

Q. Now that you’re with the Rockies, what is it like playing with another Ole Miss guy in Seth Smith? Had you two met before?

A. I had been around Seth, but I had never really met him. I had seen him maybe in (batting practice) once or twice. It’s kind of cool I guess though to have another Ole Miss guy on the team.

Q. Have they talked to you about next year? Are they looking for you to come out of spring training and break into the rotation?

A. I would assume that I would probably be up here next year, but they don’t tell us much. I just go out there now and try to prove that I’m ready to do that next year.