Getting to Know J.B. Shuck

J.B. Shuck has been one of the Bees most consistent performers this season. His hot bat early in the season earned him the first call up to the Angels of the season. Since being optioned back to the Bees on May 3 he has hit over .300 and made great defensive plays in the outfield. Shuck grew up Westerville, Ohio and attended nearby Ohio State University before getting drafted in the sixth round of the 2008 MLB Amateur draft by the Houston Astros. His hard work and determination helped was recognized when he received the Angels Heart and Hustle Award in 2013.

What was your first baseball memory?

J.B.- Playing Teeball with all my buddies and being on the field for the first time. My team was all my friends I went to school with.

What was your favorite childhood team?

J.B.- Cleveland Indians. I was fortunate to grow up in the 90s. When the Indians dominated the American League Central and they had stacked teams. I was fortunate to get to go to many games and watch them on TV as a kid.

What is your favorite baseball movie?

J.B.- I'm a big fan of the Major League Series. I like to laugh, so I love those movies.

What is your favorite baseball stadium to play in?

J.B.- Jacobs Field. It's a great stadium first off and it was really cool to play in front of family and friends, on the field I grew up watching the Indians team play in.

Is there any significance behind the walk-up song you pick?

J.B.- No. I'm a big country fan so I like to pick a country song that has a good tone to it. I don't really listen to it too much when I'm walking up but the fans like it and it gets everyone moving.

Did you have a favorite baseball player growing up?

J.B.- Kenny Lofton. Being left handed I got stuck in the outfield pretty quick. I loved how he played and he made a lot of great plays in the outfield. He was a leadoff type of player, someone I looked up to and wanted to emulate.

When did you know becoming a professional baseball player was a real possibility?

J.B.- I didn't know much about it until I got into college. I'm from a small town and we didn't know much about the minors. My sophomore year of college I started to talk to teams about possibly getting drafted.

Do you have any pregame rituals?

J.B.- Not really. Baseball is a little bit more of a laid back type of game. For a sport like football, you have to get pumped and anxious like you're getting ready to go to war. Baseball is more chill, I like to hang out and get my uniform on casually.

What is your favorite place to vacation?

J.B. Hawaii. I got to go for the first time with my wife and her family two years ago. It was unbelievable it was so much fun.

What is your favorite food?

J.B.- I'll eat anything, but pizza is my favorite. My wife and I will have plenty of nights where we will try and decide what we want for dinner. We'll look at each other and say pizza.

Is there a particular kind of pizza you like?

J.B.- I've been big on buffalo chicken lately.

Do you have any advice to young players wanting to become a professional baseball player?

J.B.-If that's what you want to do, set your goal to it and work hard to get there. Coming from a small town, no one there had made it, so everyone told me to make sure to have other goals and plans. It was what I wanted to do, so I set my goal early and I worked my tail off to get there.