Jakub Janda did an interview with left-handed starting pitcher Andre Hughes of the Solingen Alligators and the German national team.
Andre Hughes
- Lefthanded pitcher
- German national team player, Solingen Alligators
- 25 years old
Jakub Janda: Please describe your career since you started playing baseball to the present.
Andre Hughes: I started playing baseball in 1994 when I was in elementary school. The local Baseball-Club (Hochdahl Neandertaler) had a batting cage at the schools summer-fest and I tried my best as a hitter – I liked it and started to play at that club.
In the winter of 2002 I changed my uniform from blue into the Solingen Alligators’ green. I started as a 1st Baseman/Outfielder in the Junior-level (U18) but also had the chance to practice with the Senior-Team (2. Bundesliga). Me and two of my teammates (Nils Hartkopf and Kai Gronauer) were the oldest at that time and the coach (Matze Winterrath) wanted to give us a chance to make the Team as substitutes.
During the winter my Junior-Coach (Peter Krüger) showed me how to pitch. Started the U18-Season as a 1st Baseman/Outfielder and Reliever, ending the season as the number 2 starter in the Senior 2. Bundesliga-Team.
2003 I had my first appearance in the 1. Bundesliga as we promoted after the 2002 season. 2003 was my first year with the national team (starting pitcher at the 2003 junior European championship in Holland, facing Russia for 12 innings in my first complete game win)
2005 I made my first appearence for the senior national team in the European championship in the Czech Republic and since then honored to be one of the starting pitchers in the German-senior-national team and starting pitcher in the 1. Bundesliga team of the Solingen Alligators.
JJ: How were you preparing for this season during winter? Did you change anything from previous offseasons?
AH: The preparing this winter wasn’t much different than other year. This time I had the chance to work with Kai Gronauer (Mets organization) in the gym which gave me a different look of baseball-workouts and conditioning than I had before. Other than that, the Alligators head coach (Andy Fleischacker) was back in Solingen very early so the specific Baseball-practices started a lot earlier than 2008 or 2009.
JJ: What do you consider your career highlight?
AH: I have a couple that I will never forget
- winning the German championship in 2006
- winning my first ever individual award (best pitcher 2006)
- pitching in front of 20.000+ people in Taiwan
- getting the chance to pitch in front of the home crowd vs. Venezuela in the 2009 world-cup in Regensburg, Germany
JJ: What has baseball taken from you and chat has the game given to you?
AH: I play baseball since 1994, it is my life so it didn’t take anything from me…it gave me a lot. It gave me the chance to play a team-sport that is very different to other team-sports in Germany and is not comparable to soccer, basketball, hockey etc. It also needs a lot of strong individuals to perform all together to be successful. For me especially – baseball brought me to Solingen somehow which gave me the chance to meet people (club-members, fans, players) that are like a second family right now and most important my wife – the club gave me a chance to do a prenticeship and through the school and stuff, I met her so all in all – Baseball made my life complete.
JJ: How do you like your own performance this season?
AH: I think I had the best season I have ever had in a regular season in the BL (statistically). Speaking of the numbers I didn’t lose a game as a starter in the regular season (11-0) and I am 2-0 in the playoffs so far. But these numbers doesn’t mean anything to me if we (Alligators) don’t win the 2010 championship. So to answer the question short and simple: I need to perform about 4 more times to be happy.
JJ: What do you think about your club in this season? Have you fulfilled expectations?
AH: The club did a really good job on and off the field so far. I don’t know about the expectations from people outside of the club but the team-goals so far, were all accomplished. We got 2 more goals with one being way more important than the other but: winning never gets boring.
JJ: How many times in your career have you thought about quitting baseball?
AH: Once: I had a little incident in 1997 in Wiesbaden. My first year with the ‘big guys’ (juniors) as a youth-player (U16) at the German-cup. Batting practice prior to the game and me standing behind third base to ‘catch’ groundballs. One of them juniors hits a hard groundball in my direction – a bad-hop makes my day by hitting me square in the mouth – blood and tears everywhere. That was the only day where I thought about quitting.
JJ: Do you have any special practice or game routine?
AH: No specialties…we do our pitcher fielding practice, bullpens, long-tosses, lifting in the gym and running…and of course: standing in the outfield, chewing tobacco and picking up balls while everybody else gets the fun at batting practice.
I think everybody has any kind of superstition: I try not to step on the baseline and always try to be the first on the field between innings by running out to the mound – that’s about it.
JJ: Where do you see your own key for succeeding on the European level?
AH: I am trying to stay within myself – I am trying to throw strikes and keep the hitter on the heels by changing speeds…I think that’s what every pitcher tells you. I always had a good and strong defense behind me which is very important since I am not throwing a very fast or heavy fastball…my strength would be on controlling the pitches in the zone and changing speeds.
JJ: Any funny story connected with baseball?
AH: There are a lot of funny stories on and off the field since I am connected with baseball…people say that I am kind of a funny guy or even a freak, so there are tons of stories but that would break the server-capacity of mister-baseball.com. 
There were a lot of rookie-treatments, funny stuff at an airport or on a bus…I think a really funny story was a German pitching in the Dutch Hoofdklasse – that’s what my teammates told me at least 
JJ: If you could advise young players reading this interview, what would you address them?
AH: I would tell a young player to keep having fun in first place but keep working hard, stay focused and set your own goals every day at practice and you will get better. Try to act like a role-model as good as possible and help out younger kids and kids at your age since baseball doesn’t grow any further in Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Holland or Europe in general if you are selfish only.
JJ: Your future plans on the field?
AH: My plans for the future is to get another win on Saturday (04.09.2010) in Heidenheim with my team…didn’t plan any further yet.
Thank you.
Jakub Janda
Jandis(at)volny.cz
Photos: (c) Solingen Alligators (top right), Walter Keller – www.catchthefever.de (bottom left)
