Baby-Bombers.com Q&A With Braedyn Pruitt

After the 2007 Season, Baby-Bombers.com had the chance to talk with 2007 SI Yankee Braedyn Pruitt

By: Robert Pimpsner

December 27, 2007 –   First off, I would you to thank you for taking your time out for this Q&A session.

How did it feel to make your professional debut this past season?

It felt great, I'm glad I got the opportunity to play. Now the real work begins.

 What was your favorite moment of the 2007 season?

 It's difficult to narrow it down to one, but personally, the opening night game-my first pro baseball experience was a great time and very memorable.

Do you see yourself moving to first base full time in the next couple of seasons?

It's hard to say right now, it may just depend where there happens to be an opening, but I'll be happy playing anywhere.

Were you upset from the team’s early exit from the 2007 Playoffs?

Definitely, it’s never easy to play so hard throughout a season and then not finish the job completely.

Was it tough to make the transition from aluminum bats to wood bats?

I have been using wood in batting practice since high school and we used wood in college during the fall so luckily I had some experience with it beforehand. That definitely helped me make the adjustment.

How difficult was it to adjust to pitching in the NY-Penn League?

It was definitely a step up, the pitching was much better than what I was used to seeing in college.

Did you feel that you made progress at the plate and in the field?

I think so, but there is definitely much more to be done.

How difficult was it to bounce back from an injury early on in the season?

It was a bit disheartening to go down after one game, and things could have gone either way I feel, but fortunately it didn't hurt my timing too bad and I was able to assimilate back into the flow of the game in a relatively short amount of time.

What would you say was the hardest part of the 2007 season?

Personally, the injury. As a team, the playoff losses

Excluding yourself if you had to choose one player from the 2007 Staten Island Yankees that could rise through the Farm System who would it, be?

It's hard to say just one but Snyder's versatility in defense, and ability at the plate makes him hard to bet against.

Would you say that the rivalry between the Brooklyn Cyclones and Staten Island Yankees rubbed off on some of the players and helped motivate them to do better against the Cyclones?

Definitely, there was that one game where both benches cleared and tension ran high, and that kind of atmosphere makes for a high level of play.

What are you doing to help yourself get better for next season?

I've got some drills/workouts that will target some key areas of my game and will hopefully make me a better player all around.

Where do you see yourself next season?

Not sure, I guess I'll have to see after spring training.

How would you compare the coaching at the professional level with that in college?

It's a bit different, the time structure is different in pro ball than in college so that affects the instructional style (as does different personalities), but I've been lucky and had great coaching everywhere I've played; both in college and in professional baseball.