Mike Adams Interview

At spring training in March, Rangers pitcher Mike Adams was nice enough to give me a few minutes of his time for an interview on the backfields in Surprise. 

Me: What was the toughest part about pitching for four different organizations in 2006?

Mike: Just the uncertainty, not knowing where you’re going to be and moving around a lot.

Me: What is your best pitch and how was it developed?

Mike: My slider-cutter. It’s come a long way. It’s something that took a few years to develop but now I have a pretty good grasp on it. It’s my go-to pitch.

Me: What’s been the best game so far of your professional career and why?

Mike: One of the World Series games. That’s what we all play the game to be in. Just the experience of that. Those were by far the most fun games I’ve ever played in.

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

Mike: I’d say Miguel Cabrera. He’s one of those guys that’s just very tough to get out. Albert Pujols. Same thing. He’s one of the top hitters of all time. And Barry Bonds.

Me: What have you worked on over the offseason and why?

Mike: This offseason was really more about getting back in shape, trying to develop my changeup a little. And right now, I’m just trying to put that to use.

Me: What has been your favorite stadium to play in and why?

Mike: San Diego. Petco Park. That’s one of the more beautiful places in baseball. It’s fun to play there. The weather’s great every day. It just makes it easy to come to the park.

Me: What is the best thing about being a major leaguer and why?

Mike: Everything. Everything about being a major leaguer is fun. This is something you dream of as a kid. Every kid who plays baseball wants to be in the big leagues. Being able to have a job where I play a kids game, you can’t beat that.

Me: Other than baseball, which sports did you play growing up and which were you best at?

Mike: I played basketball and ran track, but I was a basketball player. I went to college on a basketball scholarship. It didn’t even have baseball scholarships. That was actually my true love.

Me: What college did you go to?

Mike: Texas A&M Kingsville.

Me: What was your favorite team growing up?

Mike: The Texas Rangers. It’s kind of a funny coincidence how it all worked out. This is the team I grew up rooting for. In the summers, I would go to Arlington to watch baseball.

Me: Who are your three favorite teammates since you joined the league and why?

Mike: Wow. One of them was Trevor Hoffman. (pauses and thinks) Edward Mujica from San Diego. And then probably Luke Gregerson from San Diego.

Me: Thank you so much for doing this interview. I really appreciate it.

Mike: No problem.

I would like to thank Mike again for allowing me to interview him. He was very friendly and seemed like a great guy.

Come back next week for my May All-Stars.