Tim Kurkjian

He has figured out how to play the game of baseball at an exceptionally high level.

The light went on a little bit later for him, maybe, than Cleveland and Oakland thought.

The A's thought, but it has happened here, and I love watching him play, and I love watching him jump that first pitch.

I asked him last year all the first pitch hits he got in the postseason.

I said, what's the deal there?

He goes, well, it all goes back to, you know, when I played coach pitch the first time.

My dad said, hey, you got three pitches.

You better start swinging.

And that's why he swings and jumps that first pitch all the time.

Well, he won me over last year during the postseason when he made one of those opener starts in one inning.

And John Schneider looks at me and goes, he would pitch all nine innings tonight if we would let him.

We're only going to let him go one.

Fellas, he's a wrestler.

How many guys have you known who play in the major leagues who were a wrestler in high school?

I remember Mike Hampton.

I remember Jeff Brantley.

And now I remember Louie Varlin.

Those wrestlers, I remember those guys from high school.

I was afraid of all of them.

They have a different mentality.