Blogworthy Q&A with Minnesota Twins Pitcher Jeff Manship

I had the recently had the pleasure of asking Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Jeff Manship a few questions. OK, it was more than a few. I got a little carried away and these are the questions that are a little more "blogworthy" in comparrison to "newsworthy."

Enjoy! And also a special thanks to Jeff for being willing to answer my pesky questions!

Sarah: Who on the team are you closest with?
Jeff: Rob Delaney was my closest friend in the organization, but he was recently designated for assignment and claimed by the Rays. Everybody on the team, though, is friendly and great. Being a pitcher, I usually hang out with other pitchers.

Sarah: During the off-season, what do you do with your spare time?
Jeff: I do a lot of hunting and fishing. This-off season I was able to go deer hunting a good amount and really enjoyed myself. I'm newer to the sport, but I'm really looking forward to next season.

Sarah: Do you play fantasy baseball, if so, do you sign or draft yourself?
Jeff: I have never gotten into fantasy sports other than football. I began playing fantasy football about 4 years ago and love it. I was never a huge fan of football until I started playing fantasy, but now I try and watch as many games as possible during the season. Its amazing how much more I've learned about the players, rules, and just how the game is played.

Sarah: Someone told me that your last name is like a headline writers dream, for example, "Manship, Twins sail past Yankees." Have you ever seen play on word headlines like that? What do you think of them?
Jeff: I can believe it. I can't remember anything off the top of my head, but there is no doubt something like that has been written. I find it very funny when reporters use headlines like that. It's all about grabbing the reader's attention and that definitely does the job. 

Sarah: What are the top five songs on your iPod or MP3 player at this moment in time?
Jeff: I really don't even know what the top 5 songs would be. To many peoples' surprise, I am a fan of hard rock and heavy metal. Most people assume that I am a fan of country because I'm from Texas. While I do like country, rock is my favorite. Some of my favorite bands are Metallica, Rage Against the Machine, Korn, Slipknot, and Pantera.

Sarah: When you're down in Fort Myers, who do you live with? What's that like?
Jeff: Currently I'm living with Chris Parmelee and his wife in a condo that we rented. I always enjoy the living arrangements during spring training because most players try to live on a golf course. I'm not the biggest golfer, but I love to fish. Florida golf courses are loaded with ponds so there's a never ending supply of places to fish. So far this spring the weather has been great so I always have plenty of opportunities to be outside.

Sarah: Do you have any vices?Jeff: I'd have to say eating. I always feel like i'm eating, sometimes healthy and sometimes not so healthy. A lot of people always wonder why I don't weigh more than I actually do. Thankfully, I have a fast metabolism and hopefully it never slows down.

Sarah: What's one thing you couldn't go without doing every day?
Jeff: The Internet. I'm always on the Internet looking at scores, reading news and stories, or checking Facebook or e-mails. 

Sarah: Do you have any pre-game rituals or superstitions?
Jeff: I used to be a lot more superstitious than I am now. It was beginning to run my life and so I had to cut back. Some things that I can think of that I still do are trying to wear the same undershirts each game and attempting to eat the same meals. Back in college I some how picked up a superstition to not drink water before going out on the mound in first inning. I would get tired during my warm-ups and wouldn't drink anything. It might have been one of the dumbest things to do, but I had thrown well in a game before that and did well so it stuck. After I felt like dying pitching one game in the Florida heat I vowed to never live under that superstition again. I now make sure to drink plenty of water so I don't experience another game like the one in Florida.

Why I Love Baseball

I grew up a die-hard hockey fan. And why wouldn't I? I was born and raised in Northern Minnesota, where hockey is almost as important as religion.

Don't worry mom, I said almost. :)

Anyway, I always liked baseball, but didn't fall deeply in love with the game until the summer of 2006.

In the summer of 2006, two things happened.

I met my boyfriend Chase, who just so happens to be one of the greatest baseball fans and minds I know.  Also, I had an amazing internship as a sports reporter, which gave me the opportunity to be at games multiple nights a week.

Chase’s love of the game and interest in all aspects of baseball helped show me that it was more than a game. 

I found the more I watched whether it was on TV or in person, the more I learned and the more began to enjoy it. It started off with simple questions about the infield fly rule and grew into me being able to explain a thing or two to others who were somewhat new to following the game.

Once the amazing summer of baseball was over, my focus once again shifted to the sport I've always loved and understood, hockey.

However, I found myself missing baseball and longing for green grass, home runs, strikeouts, Texas League Bloopers, and the list could go on and on.

And it was then that I realized, I loved baseball. Although I probably always loved baseball, it just took me awhile to realize it.

The reason I love baseball is simple.

Baseball is always there for you. When the snow is still falling in Minnesota and the wind chills are below zero, somewhere, there is baseball.

Whether its fall leagues in Arizona or spring training across the country, it's happening. Or Lew Ford is going yard in some league in Japan, baseball is out there.

Spring training baseball is always one of the most exciting because it means after a three or four month hiatus, the wait is over and it's time once again to watch your favorite players stretch a single into a double or see a pitcher make some of the greatest players look bad on his nasty slider.

What makes baseball so different from any other sport is the length of the season and interestingly enough that's what some people hate about it. That's one of the things that makes me LOVE it.

162 games (sometimes 163) is perfect. Having games five or six nights a week is awesome. You never have to come home from work and wonder, what's on TV. It's the nights when there isn't baseball that causes a panic. 

The start of baseball means the beginning of spring and along with spring comes warm weather, hot dogs and beer. But the most beautiful thing about it all, is the social aspect that goes along with baseball. Being able to teach your loved ones about the game and knowing that from April to October, it's always there for you.

Starting Out!

Hey there,

Thanks for stumbling across "Stealing Home." I'm glad you're here.

"Stealing Home" is a site that will focus primarily on baseball related news and topics, but I will from time to time dabble in other sports or things going on in the world. As a proud Minnesotan, I plan on doing as much work with the Minnesota Twins and local teams as I possibly can.

I came up with the name "Stealing Home" after days and days of racking my brain. I was thinking of as many baseball terms as I could and finally it came to me. To steal home in baseball is very rare and I hope that you can come here for unique stories, interviews and perspectives on the wide world of sports.

I always welcome any feedback and look forward to hearing what you may have to say.

Please check back soon as I plan to update regularly!

Thanks! :)