Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Exclusive Interview w/ Yankees Kendall Coleman


Today as a part of Prospects Month here on the blog we bring you an interview with the Yankees 11th round pick in the 2013 MLB First Year Players Draft Kendall Coleman. Coleman spent 2013 in the GCL affiliate with the Yankees and is likely to make the plunge to the New York Penn League in Staten Island in 2014. Get to reading...





The Greedy Pinstripes:  Kendall, we appreciate you doing this interview for us. How are you? How is the offseason going?

Kendall Coleman: I'm doing well, but allergies have me a little under the weather as we speak. Offseason went very well and I report back to Tampa on Tuesday

TGP: Growing up in Texas what sports, teams, and players did you root for growing up?

KC: Growing up, I was a fan and player of baseball, football, and basketball. Of course growing up in DFW I am a huge Cowboys fan. Also a big Rangers and Red Sox fan.... Growing up remember, not now! My favorite athlete still to this day is Ken Griffey Jr.

TGP: Did you play any other positions coming up either in Little League, High School, or professionally?

KC: I grew up playing a lot of first base and outfield. I pitched a little as well. 

TGP: What made you want to come out of High School, skipping college, to play professional baseball?


KC: I saw it as an opportunity I could not pass up. It has been my dream, for as long as I can remember, to play Major League Baseball, so when the opportunity came to start my journey to the Bigs with this storied franchise being the New York Yankees... There was no second guessing my decision.

TGP: As a recent draft pick do you think the new rules, slots, and money assignments hurt or help the game and the draft? Did it affect you at all?

KC: The new rules did not affect me at all. Like I've said before, I signed because of my passion and love for the game, not love for the money. But on the other hand, I do think it definitely affected some other people and their decision making.

TGP: Do you have a favorite memory from your time as a Texas Blackhawk or at Rockwall High School?

KC: My 2013 Senior season at Rockwall was by far my favorite memory. Riding with my teammates, who are really my brothers, through some adversity and rising above everyone in the state's expectations of us... No better feeling.

TGP: Who would you say your most entertaining teammate was in 2013?

KC: Miguel Andujar was probably the most entertaining player on the team last year. Watching him play and have fun day in and day out is something I looked forward to every day last season.

TGP: Were you nervous going into 2013?

KC: I was pretty nervous going in to the GCL but you realize again that it's just baseball, a kids game... Just a tad bit different completion level (sarcasm)

TGP: Do you know which Yankees affiliate you will start the 2014 season with?


KC: I do not know where I will start my season

TGP: We respect you big time for your faith and being so open about it, how do you think your faith has helped you in your life and in your career?

KC: God is and always will be number one in my life. Words could not even begin to describe what He has done for me. He has brought me and my family through very tough times. And I will continue to follow His path for me on and off the diamond.

TGP: I probably don't have to ask as I am a Twitter follower of you but how important is your family to you in your life and in your career?


KC: As God comes first in my life, my family falls to a very close second. The ones who will always have your back and love you when no one else does. I can't say enough about my mom (Alicia) and older sister (Brittany)

TGP: Do you think you will (or want to) stick in center field or do you think a move to a corner spot is in your future?

KC: I don't know where I will end up once it's all said and done. I just want to be somewhere helping the Yanks win a Pennant on our way to winning the World Series.

TGP: My projection for your Major League career is to be another Brett Gardner, would you find that to be an accurate statement?

KC: That's a new one. I normally get compared to the Phillies outfielder, Domonic Brown. The two of them are very different types of players, so I'm not exactly sure.

TGP: What have you done this offseason to improve on your 2013 season?

KC: Added strength to my game, and obviously tried to tune up some hitting and throwing.

TGP: As a fan are you the type that would rather build from within and keep every prospect, ie what the Rays do, or are you a fan of trading away a big chunk of your minor league talent for the "sure thing" like the Yankees are so known for?

KC: I'm sure all fans want their team to build from within their own farm system, but organizations have to do whatever brings home a World Championship.

TGP: If you could be a GM for a day what would you do? No need to be realistic and doesn't necessarily have to be the Yankees GM.

KC: I would do anything that brought a World Series to our clubhouse. I'm not sure the exact route I would take because both of them could be successful in the end.

TGP: You have put on around 35 pounds since being drafted and it looks like it is all muscle, is this going to change your game in anyway? If so, how?


KC: Hopefully I will maintain my speed but also have some power to supply to the lineup.

TGP: You have a great admiration for Michael Young, did you ever get the chance to meet or speak with him?

KC: Michael Young was always one of the players you knew who did everything the "right" way. I've never spoken with him but just growing up in Dallas and watching him play hundreds of games, he's always been an inspiration to kids from my area.

TGP: Do you have a plan for life after baseball? Or is that the last thing in the back of your head?

KC: I don't know exactly what I'll be doing once baseball is done. But I can assure you it will have something to do with sports, preferably baseball.

TGP: We will finish with this one, where do you see yourself in five years?

KC: Hearing my name being chanted from the right field bleachers during Roll Call in the Bronx.




Perfect way to end a perfect interview and a perfect career. Thank you Kendall, may God bless you in all your on the field and off the field aspirations. Thank you for taking the time to do this interview for us, we truly appreciate it. You can follow Kendall on Twitter by following @_KendallColeman

13 comments:

  1. That's my cuz right there!! You make us proud!!!!

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  2. I like what this guy brings to the game! I think with a few pounds put on...the right way...he could be Brett + power, as he is a young guy not fully filled out yet. He has a good idea of what the game is all about, I do hope he has baseball instincts, as Brett doesn't have them, neither does Nunez!
    He is a long way away yet but, we will know more of his talent in a year or two when he starts playing with the big boys!

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    1. Kendall has been through a lot and continues to come out swinging. He faced some racism while playing baseball in Texas in High School, his mother shared some tweets and links and such that I did not post. Damn shame the world is still ignorant.

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    2. Being honest, I had no idea there was a black and white thing, Not where I came from, we were all in the same crap of "Hells Kitchen" having each others back.
      When I was a kid playing Football in highschool, we had a black Quarterback. I was his back-up as well as wide-out and running back.
      Point being, we won a trip to the High School Scholastic bowl game in Georgia. When we checked in they said he was not eligible to play in the bowl game. When asked, they said the other team will not play against a black man. And we would have to find a black hotel for him. The athletic Director had a fit and was about to pull the team and go back home. They made a deal, he could stay at this hotel but NO WAY was he going to play.
      As his back-up I became the Q-Back and was to be the Captain (which I turned down), we went on to beat ...no, crush them!
      I also, had to deal with the race thing in the Army (by both sides equally) but, we handled it just fine!

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    3. Being born in NY in the mid 80's the whole race thing, especially today, still perplexes me.

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    4. I have found out one thing and no one wants to admit it at all.
      It works both ways, even if most people don't talk about it, or even admit it to themselves.

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    5. Please keep the talk related to baseball. Old football stories and racism and politics should be left to other low brow sites.

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    6. Twasp, of all people to say that is, Ludicrous! But, I read a bit of sarcasm in "them thar words"
      Nice to see you back and commenting.

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    7. You da man, Ken.

      And Daniel you're not too shabby yourself.

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    8. Thank you sir, you're not so bad yourself. Glad you're back. Now where the hell did Patrick go?

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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)