Beyond the Ballpark with JT Brubaker

After battling an elbow injury for most of 2019, former Tribe right-hander JT Brubaker has big goals for the 60-game major league season. We caught up with him to talk more about those goals, and his lifestyle outside of baseball.

Q: What is your favorite movie?

A: Probably "Space Jam." I just grew up watching "Looney Tunes" and stuff, and to mix that with one of the best basketball players ever, I think it was just a great idea for a movie. I don’t know if the sequel will be able to top the first one, with Michael Jordan and Bill Murray. That’s going to be tough.

Q: What is your go-to pregame song?

A: That’s a tough one. Any kind of rock. I don’t have a specific song, but a specific genre like rock and metal. Kind of like AC/DC, Ozzy Osbourne, that type of group.

Q: What are you binge-watching right now?

A: Before season three came out I was binge-watching Yellowstone to catch up for when the season three premiere came out.

Q: What is your favorite ballpark or city to play baseball in?

A: It was always fun to play in Louisville and Columbus. Louisville just because of the history of the Bourbon Trail, and then Columbus and Indy are probably two of my favorite stadiums. Columbus is just close to home.

Q: What’s your favorite holiday?

A: Probably Thanksgiving. Just hanging out with a bunch of family and getting to eat a lot of food. It’s an excuse to overeat.

Q: If you could attend either the Super Bowl or a Game 7 of either the World Series, NBA Finals or Stanley Cup Finals, what would you choose?

A: Well, just from experience I would love to go back and watch another Stanley Cup Final game. I was fortunate enough to watch one game in person of the Stanley Cup a couple years back with Pittsburgh and Nashville, and that was an experience. It’s awesome just because the fans are so close, you really can’t have a bad seat in a hockey arena and it’s just loud and electric.

Q: What was it like for you to have somewhat of a summer?

A: It was actually kind of nice to just have your summer days to do whatever you want. It was a little bit different of a feeling of waking up and not having to go to the field or sleeping in and wasting half of your day before you go to the field.

Q: What are your goals for the 2020 season?

A: Last year I had the injury bug, so my number one goal is staying healthy this entire year and do what I need to do out on the field. Number two, be in the big leagues for the year and get that experience. And then three, make a playoff push.

Q: Who is your best friend in baseball outside of any Pirates players?

A: There’s a guy from my hometown, his name is Seth Gray, he was just drafted by the Minnesota Twins last year. He’s a guy I’ve worked out with in the offseason and I’m pretty close with him.

Q: What’s your dream vacation?

A: Oh, that’s a tough one. I would say probably Montana or Colorado, somewhere out in the mountains, woods and just being out in nature. I’m not a beach vacation person, I like to be more out in the wilderness on a vacation.