20 questions with Dustin Richardson

MiLB.com: You were on a reality TV show called "Knight School" when you were at Texas Tech. How did you get involved in that?

DR: I heard about it from a friend. He told me they were holding auditions so I tried it out and they cast me (laughs).

MiLB.com: What was the premise of the show?

DR: It was with Coach Knight, and we were competing for the chance to be a walk-on to coach Knight's team. It aired on Sunday nights on ESPN so it was a pretty big deal, which I didn't realize at the time.

MiLB.com: You were at the Tech to play baseball and you tried out for a basketball show. Which did you like more?

DR: Well baseball and basketball have always been my two sports. Once I saw the other guys on the show, I knew I had a good chance to win the competition. I hurt both my ankles on day one, and they kept me for a reason so that meant something.

MiLB.com: You were just drafted by the Boston Red Sox. Did you have any idea they had an interest in you?

DR: Most of the teams had contacted me at some point. I got the information from all of them, but the Sox really came on strong in the days leading up to the draft. A few days before I had a conference call with Theo Epstein and some front office people, we talked for about 25 minutes.

MiLB.com: What was it like when the Sox drafted you?

DR: They were on the clock and called. Someone told me what they were thinking and I said, "Ok, let's do it." It was a relief knowing my name would be called right after.

MiLB.com: What did you do when you came to Boston for the first time?

DR: It was my first trip to Fenway, and they took me to the suites where we watched the game and dined on the best food. We ate like kings, it was me and Theo and others, and it was the coolest thing ever.

MiLB.com: Let's go back to the TV show, can you describe some things you did when not playing basketball?

DR: We did a lot of off-the-court stuff like meeting some people from Coach Knight's life, played in a wheelchair basketball game and spent some time doing ROTC things.

MiLB.com: Was that your first exposure to anything that had to do with the Armed Forces?

DR: My brother joined the army after high school, but I had no idea what it was really like until we tried ROTC. I've had some coaches who drive you into the ground like drill sergeants, but now I have a new respect for the Army.

MiLB.com: You said you had a good chance of winning. In fact you would have won had it not been for your baseball commitment, correct?

DR: Coach Knight told me I was his natural pick, but he had spoken with my baseball coach and knew I would most likely get drafted so he had to go with someone else. I knew if I wasn't playing baseball, I would've gotten some playing time with Knight.

MiLB.com: Was it frustrating knowing you'd won the competition yet couldn't go through with it?

DR: I got to that point of making it and had to move aside because of baseball. But baseball's always been No. 1 for me so there were no regrets about anything.

MiLB.com: You haven't even played your first Minor League game yet. What fears, expectations, etc. do you have?

DR: I'm more pumped than anything. The organization has done a good job of making our roles clear so I kind of know what to expect. I'm just gonna go out there and play my game.

MiLB.com: You're on the same team as Joshua Papelbon, who's older brother, Jonathan, has made quite a name for himself with the Red Sox. Do you think that will be a distraction?

DR: There's politics everywhere, but depending on how the organization runs things it probably won't. Personally, I think if you've earned a spot with your play, then it should be yours and I'm sure that's how they see it too.

MiLB.com: What are your pet peeves?

DR: I hate fly balls for our hitters, and I hate bloop or infield hits for the other team's hitters (laughs).

MiLB.com: Tell us about your hometown Newton, Kansas.

DR: It's a lot like Lowell (Mass.). It's a city around of 20 to 25,000 people, and it's pretty developed. Sports were big there because of the whole Midwest thing. Oklahoma and Texas were big competition.

MiLB.com: Finish this statement: If I wasn't playing baseball, I'd be...

DR: On a beach sipping margaritas with friends.

MiLB.com: How has doing the show changed you?

DR: The show aired during baseball season so I was getting recognized all over the place. On the road I'd hear "Knight School," or "Hollywood," but it was all part of the gig.

MiLB.com: Do you think a lot of girls saw the show?

DR: Oh yeah, a lot of girls saw the show. I got a lot of friend requests online (laughs), that was great.

MiLB.com: You're supposed to be getting a copy of the show on DVD. Are you afraid of the Spinners getting a hold of that tape?

DR: Oh gosh, they'd probably show clips of it every time I came out (laughs). It would be funny what they would come up with I'm sure.

MiLB.com: How long were the cameras on you during the show's taping?

DR: It took two and a half months to tape the whole season. They put us in the same house for two and a half weeks of that time.

MiLB.com: What was that two-and-a-half-week stint like?

DR: It was interesting. Kind of like a "Real World" sort of feel. But it got me the chance to meet some new people, so that was cool.

MiLB.com: How long did it take to get used to the cameras on you 24 hours a day?

DR: When you're on the court doing drills with Coach Knight, you forget about them. The only thing that was a pain was wearing that microphone around your chest when you're playing.