20 questions with Chris Richard

MiLB.com: You're known for riding your bicycle to the ballpark and around town every day. How did that come about?

Chris Richard: It actually started out of necessity, because I didn't have a car when I got to the city.

MiLB.com: So it started off as a necessity, but now do you enjoy it?

CR: Oh yeah, now I love it (laughs), it makes me feel like a little kid again.

MiLB.com: You must get a hard time in the clubhouse for it.

CR: Not really, it's not as bad as you'd think. There are actually two other guys who have their cars and they have bikes too.

MiLB.com: Do you all ride in together?

CR: (Laughs) No, we don't ride in a pack together. We just park the bikes next to each other.

MiLB.com: You spent some time in the Majors with the Cardinals, Orioles and Rockies. Talk about your first at-bat.

CR: There were a lot of things going through my mind in the on-deck circle. I just thought of all the things I'd done in my baseball career that led me to that point.

MiLB.com: What happened in that first plate appearance?

CR: The opposing pitcher had just gotten out of a jam in the first, and I was leading off the second. I knew he would try to blow by me with a fastball down the middle, so I just waited and hit a home run.

MiLB.com: You hit a home run on the first big-league pitch you saw, how cool was that?

CR: It was awesome. We were playing the Twins and I was with the Cardinals, and it was so cool to just run the bases and get the high fives from my teammates.

MiLB.com: You're from San Diego, but baseball's brought you to other areas, so which is your favorite: the West Coast or East Coast?

CR: West Coast for sure, it's got the best beaches (laughs).

MiLB.com: What's your biggest pet peeve?

CR: You know what bothers me, when you're in the dugout and you reach for an apple and it turns out to be soft. Sometimes you just want a fresh apple, but a soft one usually means the whole bag is bad. Soft apples are my pet peeve.

MiLB.com: What's the one thing you miss about home the most?

CR: In-N-Out Burger

MiLB.com: What's your best baseball moment?

CR: The 1984 playoffs between the San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs. It was Game 4 in a five-game series, and Steve Garvey hit a home run over right field to win it. I was 10 and just remember being there with my dad and brother and rushing out to the parking lot where people were going crazy.

MiLB.com: If you could only play one more big-league game, where would you play?

CR: Fenway. I think it's just an awesome place. Everything is still pretty much the way it used to be when it was first built, and it's just historic to think about some of the players who've walked down those tunnels.

MiLB.com: What's your favorite sports movie?

CR: Oh, it has to be Field of Dreams. It's such a great classic.

MiLB.com: What between-innings entertainment seems to catch your eye the most?

CR: There are some good ones out there, but I think the original is the San Diego Chicken.

MiLB.com: Now that you've been away from home for a while, how much cooking have you mastered?

CR: I'm a pretty good cook. I do more of it during the offseason rather than on the road.

MiLB.com: And your signature dish?

CR: I make a good lemon-pepper chicken. Or I'll barbecue some steak and veggies. I make good pancakes, too. I like the kitchen.

MiLB.com: Where's the coolest place you've traveled to?

CR: Lake Tahoe and Aruba were nice. But I went to Germany, and that was really cool. It gave me a different perspective once I saw the cities there.

MiLB.com: How exactly did your perspective change?

CR: Well, here you have buildings that are 100 years old and it's a big deal. There, things are 1,000 [years old], and it's amazing when you think things were built without trade tools. The architecture is beautiful there, too.

MiLB.com: Did seeing European people affect you at all?

CR: Yes. In America, we're led by the market. People are always craving "the next big thing." There, people are just happy with a good movie, or a good book, or even a roof over their heads. I've learned to keep things more simple now.

MiLB.com: What's your usual pregame mentality?

CR: Well, I'm pretty laid back. I think there should be a level of competition and "do not disturb me" moments, but mine don't usually come until about 10 minutes before the game.

MiLB.com: What's your favorite Minor League ballpark to play in?

CR: I'd have to say Victory Field. It just has a different feel to it, and it always has a great crowd.