Thomas Diamond Interview

I did an interview this week with Thomas Diamond. I have been able to talk to Thomas a few times over the past year and he has always been very friendly to me. He is a great guy and is very open to the fans, especially the kids. Below are the results of my interview.

Question 1: Who are your three favorite teammates since you joined the Rangers organization and why?

Answer: It is hard to say, because everyone seems to get along pretty good. John Danks is one, because we can relate to each other. We are both in a similar situation here. Jesse Chavez is another guy, because we hang around a lot at the field and play cards together. Travis Metcalf would have to be my third. He is my roommate on the road, and he is a great teammate.

Question 2: Can you please rate the ballparks in the Rangers organization that you’ve played in from 1 to 10 (10 being the best) and explain your ratings?

Answer: I have been in all of them except Oklahoma City, so they will not be in this. Frisco by far is the best. I give that stadium the 10. Spokane is the second best, receiving probably a 7. Third would probably have to be Bakersfield. That field would get about a 5. Last would be Clinton. The park was just really old and the factories around it were bad. However, every place has extremely great fans that supported me no matter what.

Question 3: Did you notice a difference between single-A and double-A hitters and, if so, what is it?

Answer: There is a difference. Some people say that the single-A to double-A jump is the biggest that a player has to make. The hitters are a lot more disciplined at the plate, and they work more counts.

Question 4: What are three major differences between major league and minor league spring training camps?

Answer: One you get to leave earlier at big league camp. Two the pay is better. Three there are less people doing drills in big league camp than at minor league camp.

Question 5: What is the toughest thing about minor league life and why?

Answer: The constant bus life around the different leagues. It’s tough to play a 7:00 game and then have a bus trip for seven hours after that game. We have to be ready to play no matter how long the trip is.

Question 6: Who are the three toughest hitters you’ve faced and why?

Answer: So far this year they have been Hunter Pence from Corpus, Alex Gordon from Wichita, and Lahair from San Antonio.

Question 7: What was your favorite team growing up?

Answer: The Atlanta Braves.

Question 8: What sports did you play growing up and which were you best at?

Answer: Football, Basketball, and Baseball. I was better at football.

Question 9: What are your hobbies?

Answer: Fishing, golf, and just hanging out.

Question 10: What was the biggest reason that you decided to go to college instead of going to the Devil Rays when you were drafted in 2001?

Answer: I didn't really feel that I was ready to take on pro ball at the age of 18.

Question 11: How did you feel when you dominated the Northwoods League?

Answer: I really didn't feel anything. I just went out every five days and tried to get people out.

Question 12: What is the worst injury you’ve had to deal with?

Answer: I strained my MCL my sophomore year of high school. I was going to be the #3 starter on our team behind two seniors, but when I got hurt I couldn't throw for the rest of the season.


I thank Thomas for doing this interview. I know that he is very busy and it was very nice of him to give me this much time, which just proves how great of a guy he is.

Come back next week for my analysis of the Marc LaMacchia trade. After that will be my May awards, which were postponed because of the interview and the trade.