West Virginia native son Seth McClung pitching strong in Tampa Bay

Q: Were you drafted by the team that you thought would take you and what team was talking to you the most in the time leading up to the 1999 draft?

A: No, the Rays in my mind where the only team that wouldn't draft me. I thought I was going to end up with Baltimore by being the 16th overall pick in the draft's first round or their (Baltimore's) next pick with the 34th overall pick of the draft in the second round.

Q: What was the biggest adjustment you had to makduring your first season in making the transition to being a professional baseball player?

A. Being away from home was hard, but not as hard for me as it was for other players. I got to drive home when I missed home. I also had friends and family coming to see me often and that helped.

Q: You played your first professional season in Princeton, which is located only about 40 miles from your hometown of Lewisburg, WV. Coming straight out of high school and starting your career so close to home, was it a help or a hindrance and why?

A: It was good as I mentioned in the previous answer, but it also could be negative because of some local people who are die-hard fans of Princeton High School and had rooted against me in high school. In my opinion, they were still upset with me since I felt that we dominated Princeton during my high school athletic career at Greenbrier East!! Overall though, my time in Princeton was all pretty positive other than the huge learning curve I faced in the learning experience of being a professional baseball player.

Q: What would you have been doing in the fall of 1999 and the spring of 2000 had you not signed to play professional baseball?

A: I would have been at a school at South Alabama playing baseball and basketball or at a junior college doing the same.

Q: Other than Princeton, what was your favorite ballpark in the Appalachian League in which to play when you were here in 1999 and why?

A: None of them, even Princeton. I think I got my butt kicked in all of them!

Q: You made the major league squad (Tampa Bay) for the first time right of out spring training in 2003. Can you share with us the circumstances of when you were told that you indeed were going to be a major leaguer for the first time?

A: I was very excited. They told me about a week early, but I didn't believe it until I was standing there on opening day of 2003.

Q: Even though the 1999 Princeton Rays were a very young team with a 25-45 record, time has since proved that there was a lot of major league talent on that squad. In your mind, at that time was it easy to pick out who the major leaguers were going to be off that squad?

A: Yes, and I always said that Carl Crawford would be the hitting star of that group. I knew that we had strong arms and even then there was talk among us young guys that Juan Salas would become a pitcher rather than the third base position he played in Princeton that season.

Q: Of course, 12 appearances (five starts) into your major league career in 2003, you had to undergo "Tommy John" surgery with a ligament from your left leg being removed and used in the repair on your right arm. You worked hard in 2004 and returned to major league play in 2005. Is it true that with proper rehabilitation that this surgical procedure actually can add a little bit more zip to your already overpowering fastball?

A: That depends on how you look at it as it is not that automatically guaranteed that you are getting a better fastball when you come back. These advantages come as a result of knowing that you have worked hard and now you're healthy and that you're pitching with all your strength now.

Q: Your last major league regular season start in 2005 on September 28 versus Cleveland was impressive: eight innings pitched, no runs, four hits allowed, and no walks in a 1-0 Tampa Bay victory that seriously damaged the Indians' playoff hopes. Where would you rank that performance among the 46 games (22 starts) you have pitched in the major leagues through the end of the 2005 season?

A: It has to be one of the best if not the best outing I have had as a major leaguer. I have watched the video of that game many times this past offseason to build my confidence and improve my abilities for this season.

Q: Who is your favorite major league player now (or who was it when you were growing up) and who have been your biggest influences in your development as a baseball player to this point in your career?

A: I liked Nolan Ryan and Ken Griffey, Jr. growing up. I think baseball-wise, the person who has had the most influence on my career is John Duffy, who was my pitching coach at both Hudson Valley and with the Charleston (SC) Riverdogs.

Q: Are you a goal-oriented person and have you set any goals for yourself in relation to the 2006 season?

A: That's easy, yes and yes.

Q: The amount of goodwill appearances you make has to be among the tops in major league baseball. With your busy (and tiring) schedule, what motivates you to share so much of your time away from the ballpark with folks other than your personal friends and teammates?

A: That was the way I was brought up. I was taught that if you have the capacity to help, you should help.

Q: Hopefully your baseball career has a long, long time to go, but when it comes to an end-what next? You do not strike your followers as someone who will be sitting around and not continuing to make a difference in people's lives. Also, where does moving back to West Virginia rank in your post-playing days?

A: I can see myself as the head boys basketball coach at Greenbrier East High School in about 15 years from now. I think also about maybe having a short career in the oadcasting booth. I will most definitely move back home as there is no better place in the world to raise a family.