On The Rubber

[Empty Body]

Entering his second season of professional baseball-his first with the IronBirds-Brandon Bonilla is used to traveling. Growing up, Brandon bounced around between ballclubs and clubhouses as his father played for multiple major league teams. In his own career, Bonilla has split his time amongst three different collegiate teams, including one in Hawaii. With the first few weeks of the season officially in the books, I sat down with Brandon to find out more about his unique journey to the mound and to the pros.
At what point growing up did you decide to be a pitcher?
That's a funny story! I'm left handed and my dad always had a bunch of right handed gloves, but I could never use them, which drove me to really like hitting. During the off-season, my dad and I would spend time together practicing batting which later led me to reflect on the opposite side of hitting-pitching. I got the opportunity to pitch and I have stuck with it ever since. I love the feeling of standing on the mound and being in control of the game.
If you were to face your dad, Bobby Bonilla, during a game, how would you try to get him out?
My dad always stood far away from the plate so I would have to work my way in there and brush him off the plate some. In his prime, he could crush a fastball but I am still confident that if I attacked the plate I could get him out in the end.
Do you have any words of advice for young pitchers in the game looking to make it big?
Be willing to try different things. If there's one thing I've learned from watching the pitchers in the majors it's that there is no one correct way to pitch. At the end of the day, it's just a game, so always make sure you are having fun, working hard, and enjoying yourself. Stick with it - you can do this!
Back when your dad (Bobby Bonilla) played for the Orioles, do you remember getting to hang out with Ryan Ripken, whose dad was also playing for the club at the time?
There's no doubt in my mind that we hung out together, although I don't remember the exact moments because we were so young. We most likely spent time in the clubhouse hitting with little bats and balls while our dads were out on the field. It is crazy to think how we've come full circle and are now teammates.
How do you feel like growing up around big leaguers such as Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and Albert Pujols has shaped you as a player?
Being around so many talented players allowed me to see how they go about their business, which has in turn helped to shape my work ethic. From growing up around multiple clubhouses while my dad was playing, to all the different teams I have played for in high school and college, I've seen that there are kids out there who want it, and if I want to succeed, I need to want it more than they do.
 
What's your favorite team?
Growing up I would have to go with the St. Louis Cardinals. I always enjoyed watching the Red Birds play but now that I play professionally myself, I don't really have a favorite team. I just love the game of baseball and enjoy watching any team play.