Icezack Flemming Embraces Unique Name

  Voting ends today for the MLB Network Radio Twitter poll to name the best name in minor league baseball. Pulaski reliever Icezack Flemming is in the running and got his unique name when his parents couldn't decide on a baby name.

     "My momma wanted to name me Zachary and my dad wanted to name me Ice and that was kind of the argument for awhile," Flemming said. "They finally agreed on putting it together and making it Icezack but pronouncing it normal."

     Flemming added that having such a unique name has been fun.

     "I love it. It opens up a lot of nicknames. A lot of people call me Ice or Ice Man or Zack," Flemming said. "It makes it really cool and everyone seems to remember my name."

     Flemming has made his mark throughout baseball but it hasn't been the easiest road and he said he's had to work hard to get where he is starting off with trying to make his high school's baseball team.

     "I actually had to switch high schools to get on a high school baseball team because I didn't make my freshman baseball team," Flemming said. "I transferred to a lower ranking school in the district and made the team. I started pitching my senior year."

     He started his baseball career as a middle infielder and transitioned to outfield in high school. It was while in high school that the idea of pitching came about.

     "Our starting pitcher at the time ended up tearing his shoulder and our coach said I had a pretty good arm from the outfield," Flemming said. "He wanted to see me pitch. One thing led to another and now I'm a pitcher."

     Flemming has a wide variety of playing experiences from pitching at the College of the Canyons and East Central Oklahoma before making the decision to play at Cal State Los Angeles.

     "My junior year I didn't get drafted and I kind of wanted to be close to home and play in front of my family," Flemming said. "I didn't want to be away when it was possibly my last year playing."

     But it wouldn't be his last year playing as his favorite team growing up drafted him.

     "My buddy flew in from Oklahoma. We were waiting around all day for my name to be called and it hadn't been so we were getting nervous. We were like let's go to Hollywood since we had never been," Flemming said. "We're walking around Hollywood in front of the Nike store. I was like if I get drafted, I'm going to buy a pair of Nikes right now. We walk out of the store and I turn my phone on streaming and that's exactly when they called my name. We were both in the middle of the street in Hollywood jumping up and down freaking out. It was pretty cool."

     And his family was just as excited Flemming was drafted by the Yankees.

     "My family's reaction was unreal. The Yankees have always been our favorite team as a family. It's the Yankees," Flemming said. "To get drafted by them was a dream come true for me and for them. It's been pretty awesome to share that dream with them."

     This is Flemming's second season in the Yankees system and said he continues to grow as a pitcher and hopes to contribute to Pulaski this season.

     "I've definitely learned a lot and learned how to become a better pitcher. I'd like to be a more consistent pitcher in a relieving role," Flemming said. "They definitely know how to get more out of you than you think that you actually have. They have great coaches. It's a great organization and I'm really glad it's with the Yankees because they are one of the best organizations to develop with."