Kyle Spraker
Middle-infielder- Tampa Bay Rays organization
My first interview is with Kyle
Spraker. Kyle is a 23 year old middle-infielder in the Tampa Bay Rays organization from Portola Valley, California. Kyle made his professional debut with the Princeton Rays after being selected in the
34th round of the 2009 Draft out of Loyola Marymount University. In 2008, Kyle also played for the Orleans Cardinals in the elite Cape Cod Summer Baseball League. I asked
Kyle various questions about his first year as a professional baseball player, what it was like when he first heard his name get called on draft day, and his emotions during his first professional at-bat.
What was the moment like when you heard
you were drafted and how did you find out?
I knew I wasn't going to go on the
first day (Rounds 1-3), so I wasn't very nervous or concerned when the day was
over. I was hoping that I would go towards the end of day two (Rounds 4-30), so I sat next to
the computer all day and watched and listened to the draft tracker. I was a
little disappointed when my name wasn't called, but still had high hopes for day
three (Rounds 30-50).
I pretty much didn't sleep that night because I was so anxious. Once
again I sat by the computer and as each round went by stomach kept knotting up
more and more. Then the 34th round came. At this point my dad and I were
sitting in his office in Palm Springs, California, almost losing hope and just as we
turned away from the computer my name was called. I had to look back at the
computer and see it with my eyes to really believe it. It was one of the most
exciting moments of my life and for my family. Overall it was just a great week
for us, because I got drafted and my brother and sister-in-law had a safe and
healthy delivery of their newborn
baby boy.
What was the process like after you
were drafted?
After I was drafted Robbie Moen, the Tampa Bay
Rays’ scout who signed me, called and
congratulated me. I spent much of that day on the phone with family and
friends. Then a time was worked out for me to meet with Mr. Moen to sign the
contract and get everything figured out.
After
I signed, I was flown out to Port Charlotte, Florida to get a physical and work
out in extended spring training for a few days. I was assigned to the Rookie
league team, the Princeton Rays, in the Appalachian League. Once in Princeton, West
Virginia our team worked out for a few days before the season started.
Where did you play this season?
I started off playing for the Princeton
Rays in West Virginia. The Rays
are the “Rookie” level affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, and play in the
Appalachian league. I played there pretty much all season, until the night
before our last game, when I got called into the coaches’ office with two other players. They
told us we were being moved up to “Low A” in Bowling Green, Kentucky to play for the Bowling
Green Hot Rods. Unfortunately I never got a chance to play because I was never
activated, but I did get the opportunity to workout and see the difference between "Rookie" and"Low A" ball, which I think was a very valuable experience.
What your first at-bat like and what
was the result?
I thought that I
would be nervous for my first at-bat but I was actually just excited. I was
hitting third to start the season and came up for my first at-bat with a guy on
second. I swung at the first pitch. It was on the outer-half of the plate and
drove it into the right-center gap but it was caught. We ended up winning our
first game 2-1. I was 2-5 with 2RBI, and the last RBI coming on a walk-off
squeeze play.
What was a typical game day during the
season like for you?
Throughout the
year we would lift about 3 times a week at about 10 or 11 in the morning. We
would then eat lunch and go to the field around 1. Once at the field some guys
would get treatment, and other would hit early in the cages with our hitting
coach. Then at about 1:30 or 2 we would break off into individuals where we
would go through our infield routine. This occurred just about every day,
including before home games, and occasionally before road games.
After individuals the
whole team would come together and do a "team fundamental", usually pick-offs, bunt plays, PFP's
(Pitcher's Fielding Practice),
or base running. After the "team fundamental" we would take batting practice(B.P.).
Once B.P. was over we would go into the clubhouse while the other team worked
out and took B.P.
Before the game started we would all try and get something to eat, normally Peanut Butter and Jelly
Sandwiches, and then have about an hour of down time to get ready for the
game. About 30 minutes
before game time we would head out to the field to play pepper, warm-up,
stretch, throw, and get ready for game time. The game would then start around 7 and get done around 10. After the game we would shower, ice (if necessary), eat some food, and then go home and get ready to do it all over again the next day.
What kind of training and workouts do
you do?
In season we
lifted about 3 times a week. Sometimes it was difficult to find places to life
on the road, but we usually figured something out. Most of the workouts were
lightweight, maintenance workouts to get us through the season without injuries.
For the off-season,
our workout program is Monday, Wednesday, and Friday lifting, with running/conditioning in
between. However, right now, I’m
working out 5 days a week. I am
focusing on my speed, agility, and trying to get my lower half and core as
strong and explosive as possible.
What was the hardest part of playing
professional baseball, or something that you did not expect?
I don't know if I could say that
anything was necessarily hard considering the fact that I'm playing
professional baseball. I guess I could say that I didn't realize how much of a
grind the end of the season is. After playing an entire college season that
went from August through May, and then starting up again in June and going
another 70 games, it was a lot of baseball. However, knowing what I know now I'll
be much more prepared for my first full season next year.
Describe what living as a Minor League
baseball player is like?
While in Princeton, West Virginia, most of the team lived in the dorms on the Concord University campus. This was pretty miserable because of
the heat, and the fact the air conditioning did not work. However, it was manageable since we spent most of our time at the field. In the beginning of August, when the
students were moving back into the dorms, we moved into a hotel that was much
nicer. It was nice to have everyone living in the same buildings throughout the
summer, because you really get to know everyone on the team.
When I got moved
up to "Low A", most of the guys lived in nice apartments spread out over the Western Kentucky campus. We
were charged $12.50 per day, which included rent and one meal (only when at
home in the cafeteria or at Shoney's Restaurant). On the road we would get $20
per diem, and our paychecks would come on the 15th and 30th
of every month.
What is the biggest difference between
College Baseball and Professional Baseball?
First is the mentality. Everyone on your team is doing everything they
can to make it to the next level and keep moving up. You can really see a lot
of guys working hard, at least more so then I noticed in my college years. I
think a lot of guys that are in pro-ball see how close they are to
making $400,000 a year, whereas in college, that goal seemed a little further
away.
The other is the grind. In college, you play five games a
week and get to rest for a few days. In Pro-ball you are practicing and playing
games every single day. I think we had 3 days off all summer. This is why it is very important to get into
a routine, so the grind doesn’t
wear you out.
Has there been any point where you
have been like, “wow
I’m a professional
baseball player," or you thought about how far you have come from playing t-ball
to now?
Definitely. From little league through
high school I never really struggled because baseball came so easy to me. After high school, I
went to Cal Berkeley, where I was the starting short-stop as a freshman. About a
quarter of the way through the season I started to struggle and it really took
a toll on me mentally. I started to think that I
couldn't hit anymore, and ended up not playing much my sophomore year because my freshman season had carried over. It wasn't until I transferred to Loyola Marymount that I got
my confidence back and started to succeed. Looking back on the last five years or so really makes
me appreciate have far I have come, and look forward to the professional career that lies ahead of
me. I learned a lot about the mental side of the game during my struggles, and I think that it has
helped me out tremendously.
What are your plans for the 2009 off-season?
For
the off-season I have specific goals of working on my speed and agility. I'm
going to spend a lot of time in the gym and running on the sand dunes (Manhattan
Beach, Ca). I've always worked hard but now I have a dream of making it to the
Big Leagues so it gives me even more motivation to work harder
to get ready for next season.
I also just got an internship with Ranker for the off-season. Ranker is
a web start-up focused on user-generated content, with elements of social
networking and cutting edge technology. I'll be helping out with viral marketing, public
relations, research, and testing elements of the site. So
between working out and my internship, I will be relaxing and getting ready for the up
coming season.
You can follow Kyle on twitter
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