Chad Hermansen's NL Central comments

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mikechamp
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Chad Hermansen's NL Central comments

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These comments came from a chat with former MLB outfielder Chad Hermansen that occurred on February 1. He played for the Pirates, Cubs, Dodgers and Blue Jays. He spent some time as a scout for the Angels and is now a life coach for former athletes. If you'd like, you can e-mail him at chad@mentaledge.coach

Because he played for 2 NL Central teams, there are a lot more NL Central questions than bonus Q&As. I still included 3. As always, click on the link to read the entire chat.

The link to the entire chat can be found here: https://live.jotcast.com/chat/live-chat ... 14949.html

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Hi Chad thank you so much for chatting! Your Wikipedia page says when you were traded to the Cubs on July 31st 2002 you decided to retire but you played some games with the Cubs that season. Did you change your mind? Is the Wikipedia page wrong? If it's true, is there a story behind that? I apologize if it's too personal. Thank you!

Chad Hermansen
Hello Jorge, yeah it looks like that is wrong on Wikipedia. I was traded to the Cubs on that date and continued playing until 2009.
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Chad, you hit very well in the minors until the Pirates called you up at age 21, then not so well. Did the Pirates call you up too soon? Was it injuries? Did the Pirates put too much pressure on you? Thank you!

Chad Hermansen
Honestly I believe it was the game policing itself for a while until Chapman hit Cutch up by his Head and I believe that is where it really took a turn.

I love old school baseball mix with the new age. Let the guys play and they will figure it out one way or another. We won the wild card game and sent them home that was a sweet victory and I'm sure a gut punch to Cincy.
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What was it like sharing a clubhouse with Sammy Sosa for a few months?

Chad Hermansen
I was in Chicago for two months and Sosa was a Rock Star! He treated me great. There were some mixed feelings about him that I certainly noticed. He had his own coach that followed him around everywhere, would flip to him in the cage, throw him BP. He had his own music that he would play loud as well, some didn't like that so much! haha
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What stands out to you about your brief time with the Cubs?

Chad Hermansen
I couldn't believe how many Cubs fans there are. It really showed when we would go on the road. I was a Cubs fan growing up so I was very excited to come over to Chicago. Playing at Wrigley Field is special. I hit my first home run there and played well there as a Pirate, that must be why they traded for me.
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Hi Chad! What's your favorite stadium to play in?

Chad Hermansen
I loved PNC and Wrigley Field. Wrigley's playing surface was actually pretty poor in the late 90's early 2000's but I think they have improved it drastically. Really thought they all have their special place.
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Hey Chad, thanks for doing this chat! Being drafted in the first round, did you ever feel that there was more pressure on you to perform in the minors/majors then on players around you?

Chad Hermansen
100% especially in the Majors. I wanted to do so well in the Majors and tried so hard that it didn't serve me. I came up with the Pirates highly touted and wanted to be that "next guy" so bad but was so in my head about my swing change that I was simply trying to find myself and made excuses in my mind why I struggled. The shame of not reaching my potential has eaten at me for over 20 years.
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Who did you imitate when playing baseball in the backyard as a kid? Your favorite player?

Chad Hermansen
Ken Griffey, Andre Dawson, Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire, many more! Anytime I batted lefty I was Griffey. I had that little swag. I got to play against Griffey and that was incredible. I also got to play for his dad Ken Sr. in the Arizona Fall League. That was the year I got married.
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Respectfully, in your mind what were the two or three reasons you went from a "walk on water" prospect to underwhelming performance in the majors during your time with the Pirates? I am curious of the development and deployment parts of what was going on in the organization at the time re you, Ron Wright, Danny Clyburn, Trey Beamen, etc.

Chad Hermansen
I lost complete confidence in myself the 2nd day in the big leagues. I let a coach who I wanted to please immensely and do it his way affect me. I was so in my head about what he wanted and doing it his way that I had a really difficult time just being me. After I left the Pirates I didn't really trust any more hitting coaches and just worked on things on my own for the most part. I do however take full responsibility for my poor career, I just had a really hard time getting over that event and couldn't understand why we were changing something when you haven't seen me all year. Let me fail first and then we make adjustments.
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What city did you like playing in the most?

Chad Hermansen
Chicago for sure. I never got to play in Boston or at the old Yankees stadium. They are however all special.
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Chad, I'm asking this as a Bucco fan. Why are the Pirates so bad at developing players? Lots of young players never reach their full potential with this inept organization. What are some key differences between the teams that are good at developing (Rays, Cards) and the ones that are bad (Buccos)?

Chad Hermansen
I wish I had an answer for you.
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What was your favorite experience in your pro career?

Chad Hermansen
My first home run in Chicago. My wife and mother in law were there and they seemed like they were the only two Pirate fans there.
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Who was the toughest pitcher you faced in your career, and in the minors was there ever a guy that you faced and thought "wow this guy is gonna be a good ML guy"?

Chad Hermansen
Randy Johnson, Billy Wagner, Kerry Wood and Rick Ankiel. Ankiel is the only lefty that buckled me as a lefty with his breaking ball. Wood was electric.
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Whats the best fan heckle you ever heard?

Chad Hermansen
When I was a Pirate I was playing right field in Chicago against the Cubs. IN right field Sosa was known for standing in the same spot and not really moving or adjusting the hitters. So there was a worn out path out there where it was just dirt. Like an old softball field. When I went out there I was standing in the path and the fans in right field kept yelling at me "Hermansen get out of Sosa's path." So would put my foot in and out of it and they would yell back and forth to me it was hilarious.
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When you were first called up to the Pirates, which players were your mentors?

Chad Hermansen
When I first got called up that September I felt pretty much alone in a way. Then I made the team that following spring and had Jon VanderWall next to me. He was awesome and would help keep my spirits up some. I was around Mike Benjamin some on the bus. It sounds weird but I needed that mentor to help me as I was so young at 21-22. You hear all time the older guys taking the younger guys under their wing. Guys like Torii Hunter taking Mike Trout under their wing when I was scouting for the Angels. I think it's really important for older guys to help the younger guy because they all wondering if they belong there and if they are good enough.
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Chad, you were traded to the Cubs midseason and from the Cubs during the offseason. How did you find out about each of the transactions considering different times of the year?

Chad Hermansen
Traded to the Cubs I was in the Pirates clubhouse and got the call to go see skip. I went to Chicago the next day or two days from that. Traded from Cubs to the Dodgers I actually had a torn labrum in my throwing shoulder in 2002. I played through it with cortisone shots but it was killing me everyday. The Cubs did my surgery that winter and when I woke up in the recovery room the doctor told me that my agent was on the phone. He asked me if I was coherent and I said yes, he said you've been traded to the Dodgers! I said, do they know I just had surgery. Yep, they will take care of you.
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Did you or teammates ever frequent Wrigleyville bars in your time in Chicago?

Chad Hermansen
Jeff, I am sure they did. I am a prude dude, haha I don't drink and was straight back to the hotel for me unless we had dinner plans somewhere. My big league ages was from 21-26 I think and I was pretty good about not going to places that would get me in trouble. Plus I was married at 21.
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Chad, you came up through the Pirates chain with Aramis Ramirez and debuted when they had some good talent in Jason Kendall, Al Martin and Brian Giles. Who were your favorite teammates? Did any of those old Pirates serve as a mentor figure for you ? Thanks.

Chad Hermansen
I loved Al Martin and would have loved for him to be "my mentor" if you will but he was traded or free agent and they didn't keep him. Giles was more quiet, always naked in the clubhouse haha, Kendall was the serious well respected guy who was great to me but just different personality. My closest relationships were with Craig Wilson and Jack Wilson.
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What do you think of new rule changes?

Chad Hermansen
Hubs, I am a little torn over the new changes. To me I have the thoughts if you are a manager play your guy wherever you want to knowing that you may be giving up something. I can also see how that affects the Hitting game and could be a little boring watching a second baseman catch a would be base hit in shallow right throwing a runner out at 1B. I've always felt more on the side of leave the game alone and cater it to the fans who love how it is and don't mind the 3 hours game and the strategy behind it all. I don't think we should be catering to those who don't care much about the game but demand it should be shorter in time. To me, the enjoyment of being at the park for 3 hours away from work and with your loved ones still is amazing.
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What was life like as a scout?

Chad Hermansen
Life as a scout was very interesting. When I got the job, I was so excited to be back with an MLB team and a part of a team working to get back to a World Series. When I first started I had Nevada, Utah, and Colorado. It was certainly a learning process and curve of learning how to scout, how to give them a grade, and what do the grades even mean. After two years they added on Arizona and New Mexico and I had the full four corner scouting job. I'm married and have 4 kids so that was the hardest part being away from them around 100-120 days a year. After a few more years I certainly started to see some changes in the scouting game where the analytics where becoming more and more important and felt like all I was doing was getting video for the higher ups and they really didn't care what my thoughts were on a player. There was no more older school type scouting where I heard scouts fighting for players. You had to take your feelings about a player out of it and focus on the numbers
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Chad, thanks for doing this! How do you apply the skills you learned as a baseball player to your every day life?

Chad Hermansen
Learning to manage your mind is the most important thing any of us can do. All problems are thought problems. I have learned a lot in the last 6 months about more who I am and what I am all about. I've carried garbage with me for 20+ years and my wife said maybe you should get coaching on that. I did and it changed my life! I've learned to let go of the past and it's and have learned how to coach myself and work through my thoughts and emotions about everything in a more precise manner. We all either react, resist, or avoid our emotions and I have learning how to process them more and actually sit with them.
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