Follow Us 
Good hit, good field, good mood: Mission Hills' DeJesus hopes to continue red-hot ways of 2008 in 2009 campaign |
 |
 |
 |
| Written by Mark Dewar | |||
| Wednesday, 08 April 2009 00:00 | |||
 You want clutch?Well you got clutch in 2008, Royals watchers, at least in the person of one David DeJesus, who maintains his full-time residence in Mission Hills. The rangy 6-0, 190-pound outfielder led all of baseball last season at the plate in hitting a scortching .419 (44 for 105) with runners in scoring position. That impressive mark trails only Hall of Famer George Brett’s .469 in 1980 in terms of Royals history. DeJesus enjoyed personal bests last season not only in view of his .307 batting average but also hits, home runs, runs batted in, stolen bases, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The 29-year-old native of Brooklyn, New York, who officially had logged four years and 146 days of big-league service heading into the 2009 season, does not turn 30 until Dec. 20. The Sun caught up to DeJesus during this year’s Royals FanFest to chat about subjects ranging from his memorable 2008 to residing in Johnson County to taking on outfield walls to who should take on the DeJesus role in the movies someday. Q. First off, tell me about that rise in batting average last year, David. Following a tough year at the plate in 2007, you seemed to be your old self again. A. Yeah, I felt like I was healthier than (2007). I’d had a little sickness early in spring training, and then I felt weak in August and September. (In 2008), I came back wanting to feel strong and be strong throughout the whole year. Other than the fact I missed a few weeks with my back, I felt pretty good and healthy and strong throughout the season. And I think that’s more with me just mentally feeling that I could compete and last the whole year. That’s key for me. Q. You’re sitting here in Johnson County, a little league mecca, and there is not a baseball-playing kid out there in my readership who does not want to hit .300 at the big-league or little league or high school level. Can you share one friendly tip to help their progress in that direction? A. Practice every day. There’s always something you can do, even if it’s for 15 or 20 minutes. Just practice on your swing every day. With my dad, I was more forced to hit in the basement and hit out in the field. I think doing something with your swing every day is going to make you a better hitter in the long run. Q. Did you play multiple sports growing up? A. My dad loved baseball, so I was always playing that. But I did play soccer, I played football and I played basketball. So I played pretty much everything. Q. You seem like a very happy, upbeat person. We see you on the field and on TV, and I’m sure I’m not the first person to ask you about this … but you almost constantly look as if you are smiling, even in the heat of the action, and we are not used to that. Is that just a natural expression on your face, or are you really having that good a time out there? A. You know, it is a natural expression. I am laid back and I don’t want to take things too seriously, but when I’m out there on the field I’m trying to compete, I’m trying to win, and I don’t like losing. It’s one of those things where it comes off that way, but I’m 100 percent (sure) that I play better when I’m relaxed and I’m having fun with the guys. Q. A key decision in your life, especially in view of the fact that so many young, aspiring players will read this: You were drafted in a low round (the 43rd round of the 1997 amateur draft) by the Mets right out of high school. But then you opted to attend Rutgers University for three years (before the Royals drafted him in the fourth round in 2000). Obviously choosing to attend college turned out to be a great decision for you. What can you tell that kid from our parts who may be facing that decision to attend college or head into the pros straight out of high school? A. I think college is such a big step. It forces you to be a man. Going to school, you’re by yourself. You don’t have your parents around. You have to survive on your own. I had a bunch of good guys that were in the same situation and could be a pro ballplayer. So we all hung out together. We all learned from each other. You grow. You’re only 17 or 18 years old out of high school, and in those three years you’re growing up, you’re getting stronger, you’re maturing and you’re getting your education. So I feel that it was a great decision on my part to go to school, and it definitely helped out. Q. I don’t know if you are an MTV watcher, but the reality TV show “The Real World” is set in your native Brooklyn this season. There is a young woman from KC in the cast. Tell me what the average Royals fan could never know about Brooklyn without experiencing the place firsthand. A. I think just how many different things there are to do. New York is so many different burroughs. You have the Village, you have the west part. So there are so many different and intricate places you can find there that in Kansas City you don’t find. You have one like Overland Park, you have Mission Hills, you have the Plaza area. There are so many different things in Brooklyn that you wouldn’t be able to experience out in Kansas City. Q. We see you out and about in Overland Park and Leawood on a fairly regular basis. Do you maintain residence here at least part of the year? A. I live in Mission Hills. I live here, other than spring training, all year ’round. I hope down the road we have more guys that want to stay and live in Kansas City. Now Kevin Seitzer is our hitting coach, and he has a nice place, Mac-N-Seitz, that Alex Gordon and I use because we are the only two guys who stay here in the off-season. Q. We have seen you make some memorable plays up against the outfield wall. What is your best advice for attacking the wall, being smart about it and not coming up with alligator arms in the midst of your pursuit? A. (Laughing) See, I wish I had something to say about that. But it’s one of those things that, as a centerfielder, you want to make that play. You want to help your pitcher get out of an inning or set the momentum going back in our favor. So I think just going out there and having a plan, like, ‘This is for your pitcher,’ it’s going to help you out that you won’t alligator arm it or you won’t pull up because you’re helping out the team. Q. About how bad the sunshine can get for an outfielder at certain times of the day: What is your best trick for getting through it? A. I’m more about just turning to the side. If you turn to your side, you’re going to be looking at the ball and looking away from the sun. So that’s the big thing with me. All you have to do is position your body the other way, and you’ll be all right. Q. You’re signed with the Royals through 2010 with a club option for 2011. Have you given much thought to the possibility of playing your entire career in Kansas City? A. I don’t mind it. I like playing in Kansas City. The fan base is getting better, and I think the teams we are building are getting better. So I think we’re going to start winning in these next couple of years, and it would be nice to play in one spot your whole career, because not too many guys do that anymore. Q. Last question, David. When Hollywood makes “The David DeJesus Story” someday, what actor should be cast as David DeJesus, and who should play your best buddies on the team, John Buck and Mark Teahen? A. (Laughing) I would say Jesse Metcalfe, because I want to go a little younger. And then he kind of looks like me. Oooh, Johnny Buck … Brad Pitt. And then Teahen, because he’s funny …. maybe one of the brothers (Luke and Owen Wilson). One (Owen) is blonde and was in 'You, Me and Dupree.' Teahen has that dry humor. Which one? I don’t know. The better-looking one. Contact Mark Dewar at 385-6061 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Set as favorite
Bookmark
Email This
Trackback(0)Comments (0)
|
TrackBack URI for this entry
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
