Q & A with Reds' Todd Coffey
11/07/2005
MLBPLAYERS.com: Has the big leagues, so far, been everything that you thought it would be?
Todd Coffey: Oh yes, and more. It's been a great experience for me. We have a great bunch of guys. This has been more than I could have hoped for, definitely.
MLBPLAYERS.com: Who are some of your teammates you have enjoyed playing with?
Coffey: I have gotten to play with good, fun guys like Kent Mercker, David Weathers, Ken Griffey Jr. -- a future Hall of Famer.
MLBPLAYERS.com: You started your pro career in Billings, Mont., in 1998 in rookie ball. Does it seem like a long time ago?
Coffey: It does seem like a long time ago. It was a long ways from home. I grew up in Forest City, N.C., where I still live.
MLBPLAYERS.com: How different is it from what you were accustomed to?
Coffey: It was a big difference. It was a two-day drive from everything seemingly.
MLBPLAYERS.com: When you first arrived there, what were your impressions of the level of play?
Coffey: It was definitely tough. I was 17 years old and I did not play much. I really went there and learned and watched a lot. That's pretty much all I did.
MLBPLAYERS.com: A few years later, you had Tommy John surgery. As a pitcher, what went through your mind when you heard the news?
Coffey: I thought I was done. That is all you think about.
MLBPLAYERS.com: How much did it slow down your progression as a pitcher?
Coffey: It was a roadblock for me, for sure. But the way I look at it, I would not be throwing as well as I do now if it wasn't for the surgery. Overall, I try and take the good with the bad.
MLBPLAYERS.com: What is your family connection when it comes to professional baseball?
Coffey: My grandfather played ball -- semi-pro ball. He is still alive and very happy. I live less than a mile from him and I see him all the time.
MLBPLAYERS.com: Has he given you any good advice in particular?
Coffey: He has told me just to remember where I came from. That has really stuck with me.
MLBPLAYERS.com: How big a difference is Triple-A from the big leagues?
Coffey: There's a huge difference between the two. This is it. The best hitters in the world are in the Majors. Trying to get them out is a huge challenge.
MLBPLAYERS.com: When it comes to professional baseball, what has surprised you the most?
Coffey: Everything. Everything is totally different than anything and everything I had experienced. The way you prepare yourself and the atmosphere in the clubhouse -- before, during and after a game. It is totally different than I thought it would be. It is much better in fact.
MLBPLAYERS.com: What do you like the best about the big leagues?
Coffey: Getting to play with these guys. That is the greatest part of it to me. I'm still just a big kid, I guess.
Source: http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/
MLBPLAYERS.com: Has the big leagues, so far, been everything that you thought it would be?
Todd Coffey: Oh yes, and more. It's been a great experience for me. We have a great bunch of guys. This has been more than I could have hoped for, definitely.
MLBPLAYERS.com: Who are some of your teammates you have enjoyed playing with?
Coffey: I have gotten to play with good, fun guys like Kent Mercker, David Weathers, Ken Griffey Jr. -- a future Hall of Famer.
MLBPLAYERS.com: You started your pro career in Billings, Mont., in 1998 in rookie ball. Does it seem like a long time ago?
Coffey: It does seem like a long time ago. It was a long ways from home. I grew up in Forest City, N.C., where I still live.
MLBPLAYERS.com: How different is it from what you were accustomed to?
Coffey: It was a big difference. It was a two-day drive from everything seemingly.
MLBPLAYERS.com: When you first arrived there, what were your impressions of the level of play?
Coffey: It was definitely tough. I was 17 years old and I did not play much. I really went there and learned and watched a lot. That's pretty much all I did.
MLBPLAYERS.com: A few years later, you had Tommy John surgery. As a pitcher, what went through your mind when you heard the news?
Coffey: I thought I was done. That is all you think about.
MLBPLAYERS.com: How much did it slow down your progression as a pitcher?
Coffey: It was a roadblock for me, for sure. But the way I look at it, I would not be throwing as well as I do now if it wasn't for the surgery. Overall, I try and take the good with the bad.
MLBPLAYERS.com: What is your family connection when it comes to professional baseball?
Coffey: My grandfather played ball -- semi-pro ball. He is still alive and very happy. I live less than a mile from him and I see him all the time.
MLBPLAYERS.com: Has he given you any good advice in particular?
Coffey: He has told me just to remember where I came from. That has really stuck with me.
MLBPLAYERS.com: How big a difference is Triple-A from the big leagues?
Coffey: There's a huge difference between the two. This is it. The best hitters in the world are in the Majors. Trying to get them out is a huge challenge.
MLBPLAYERS.com: When it comes to professional baseball, what has surprised you the most?
Coffey: Everything. Everything is totally different than anything and everything I had experienced. The way you prepare yourself and the atmosphere in the clubhouse -- before, during and after a game. It is totally different than I thought it would be. It is much better in fact.
MLBPLAYERS.com: What do you like the best about the big leagues?
Coffey: Getting to play with these guys. That is the greatest part of it to me. I'm still just a big kid, I guess.
Source: http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/
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