Giants Q & A with Alex Burg
Joe Ritzo: How was your experience of playing in San Jose last season?
Alex Burg: My experience was unreal. It was kind of up and down in the first half as I wasn't playing a whole lot. I got an opportunity about halfway through the season and played well. The people in San Jose were so supportive of me. It was a cool place to play and I enjoyed it a lot. Anytime you get a few thousand people at your game, it's really nice. I was also blessed to have a really nice host family, Doug and Joyce Morgan. It definitely made the experience a lot better.
JR: It was an interesting year in that you went from barely seeing the field in April and May to becoming one of the top hitters on the team during the second half. How did you stay sharp early in the season so that you could take advantage of your opportunity later on?
AB: I think just working out with Davy (hitting coach Gary Davenport). Always keeping a positive outlook on baseball. Especially in the minors, it's so difficult if you don't have a positive outlook. A lot of guys will squander their opportunity if they're not mentally prepared. I tried to be positive everyday and I think it turned out pretty well for me.
JR: What were some of your favorite moments from last season?
AB: I think clinching the first half ridiculously early and being able to celebrate with all those guys was fun. I've played with those guys for a few years in row and to be able to celebrate like that was pretty awesome. It was three weeks before the All-Star Break and we had already clinched. We were, I think, 51-19 in the first half and just saying that record is incredible. You don't see teams with records like that. It was pretty unreal. For me personally, getting five hits in a game in Bakersfield after not playing for a long time was memorable. I had never had five hits in game before, even in youth baseball. I also hit four homers in three games down in Rancho. I've never been on a tear like that home run wise.
JR: You started games at catcher, first, second, third and in the outfield. Was it challenging to bounce around the diamond playing a different position almost every night?
AB: It is challenging because you have something new to work on. Third base was a pretty new position for me. There was a lot of early work with Davy and Skeels. I enjoy hitting and winning and whatever gets me on the field is what I want to do. It's exciting to play different positions. One day you're catching, one day it's first base, the next day it's third. It's a new challenge every day and I'm constantly able to learn new things. I think at one position you can get into a lull and maybe get lazy. There's never that possibility of getting lazy when you're playing six or seven positions. I'll take fly balls in the outfield then some groundballs then catch a 'pen. It's a challenge I really enjoy. There's room to move up with a guy who plays multiple positions.
JR: Where was the most difficult place to play and why?
AB: I think third base was the most difficult for me because I hadn't played there at an upper level before. There were so many new things. I'm on a first place team and I'm trying to learn a new position. Jose Alguacil and also Shawn Dunston worked with me a bunch and that was pretty surreal. There's a guy in Dunston who I grew up watching as the Cubs were always on TV. And then being able to take groundballs with him was pretty sweet. And, of course, catching is always hard - every pitch is a thought process.
JR: So I guess all that's left is shortstop and pitcher...
AB: Yeah and I haven't played center field as a pro. Shortstop, center and pitcher are the only ones I haven't played. I think short and center may be out of the picture, but I would love to hop on the mound and see what I've got up there.
JR: Have the Giants indicated a primary position for you this season or will you continue to work as a utility guy?
AB: I haven't heard anything from the Giants. I think there's a lot of value in a utility guy. In the offseason, a big part of what I do is take grounders at every spot. I also catch bullpens. There's so much value in a utility guy who is a catcher first. It can make me more valuable and I think the Giants will give me an opportunity to catch a little bit. I know I worked a ton at first and third during (fall) instructional league. I really have no idea what they're going to do with me. I would assume I'll be in a utility role.
JR: You won the San Jose Giants Nettie Rappe Good Guy Award at the conclusion of last season. What did that award mean to you?
AB: It was huge. I strive to be a good guy and Good Samaritan. I enjoy going to schools and reading to kids. When I was growing up in the Seattle area, these older players helped me a ton and shaped me as a player. When I get an opportunity to talk to a kid, you really have a chance to change their life. You never know what a kid can become just through one conversation with them. I had no idea that Giants had an award like this and it was really awesome to be recognized. I thank the Giants for choosing me to be that guy.
JR: How was the experience of playing winter ball in Australia this year?
AB: It was great. For my first winter ball experience to not go to a country where I couldn't speak the language, it was really nice. The city of Perth was unreal and they welcomed me with open arms. The baseball was great. I knew Cameron Lamb there (a pitcher in the Giants farm system), so that really helped. The organization was great there. I had a lot fun.
JR: Were you able to get out and explore Australia or was it all baseball, all the time?
AB: You only play on the weekends, so I got to explore a lot. I was 25 minutes from the beach, so I was there everyday I could. There were two or three Shark alarms while I was at the beach. That was a surreal experience. Every team was located in a big city, so I got to visit Sydney and see all the cool stuff it had to offer. We also had eight days off during Christmas break and I had a chance to explore a lot in West Australia. It was a ton of fun and I really appreciated the opportunity.
JR: What has been the highlight of your baseball career so far?
AB: My highlight was probably clinching the first half and being on that San Jose team. In college, we got to go to the College World Series and were the #1 seed and that was one of the coolest experiences I've ever had. As a pro, I haven't had a signature moment yet.
JR: Did you have a favorite player growing up?
AB: Oh yeah, Ken Griffey Jr. Growing up as a kid in Seattle in the 90's, I lived in the shadow of the Kingdome and Safeco Field. He had a way about playing the game and always had a smile on his face. Playing whiffle ball in the street, all we would do was imitate Griffey's swing. Everyone wanted to make diving catches and rob homeruns over the wall too. I was able to meet Ken Griffey Sr. (Bakersfield Blaze manager) last year and got a chance to talk about being a kid in Seattle and seeing him go back-to-back with his son. It had to be the coolest thing for him to experience. It was great to talk to him about that.
JR: Looking ahead to this season, what part of your game are you looking to most improve upon?
AB: I've been working extremely hard on my defense. Every year you want to improve on every aspect of your game and I've worked really hard to improve my defense at third and catcher. There's been a definite extra emphasis on improving my defense. That was a big reason why I went to Australia. I feel like I've made some strides and that's been huge for me.