This is part two of an interview for Mister-Baseball between Jakub Janda and Eddie Aucoin. Part one was published yesterday.
Jakub Janda: You signed with the Blue Jays in 2006, were even listed at the Double-A level. Your minor league career was ruined by a knee injury. Nevertheless, has this episode of your career improved you or shown you something?
Eddie Aucoin: Adversity is a part of baseball. Dealing with the adversity of an injury I believe helps you to become not only a tougher player but a tougher and more well-rounded person. It’s difficult to get released when you know you can’t physically be at your best, but it’s part of the game. It’s a tough business. At the same time I’m thankful for the opportunity the Blue Jays gave me. I have no hard feelings towards them and I think they’re a class organization.
Since I left the Jays and came to Europe, I don’t believe I’ve missed a start in the 5 years I’ve been here, and the vast majority of those starts went 7 innings or more. I think the adversity I faced with my knee and my elbow helped me to develop a bulldog mentality in a way. I know now how to take care of my body and prepare it for that start every series. I go out there with the mentality that I’m going to go deep in the game and give my team the best chance to win that game.
JJ: From 2006 to 2009, you pitched in the German Bundesliga, recording unbelievably low ERA of 1.66, in 450 frames you whiffed 505 batters while walking only 38. Tell us your insight on German league and how have you been able to dominate that much?
EA: I think it was a combination of a few things. In Germany, I was pitching once a week for the first time in my life. I was able to get my work in at the gym every day and fully prepare my body for that one day every week. That helped. I also got to know the hitters around the league and was able to slowly develop a mental scouting report on a lot of them. There are a lot of talented players in Germany. Pitching is a mixture of physical and mental preparation, and I take the mental side of it seriously. Everyone who knows me or has played with me knows that I like to have a good time off of the field—I readily admit that! But what few see is the amount of preparation I put into preparing myself to compete every week. This is still my job and I treat it that way. Respect for the game is a big deal for me.
JJ: This season you joined Pioneers from the Dutch Hoofdklasse. How could you compare the German league to the Dutch competition? Any slight differences?
EA: I’ve enjoyed my time in Holland so far, and yes there are definite differences. The Dutch league is more competitive. As I said, Germany has a lot of talented, professional caliber players. But I believe there are too many teams in the top level to keep the competition at a consistently high level compared to a place like Holland or Italy. Part of it is due to the geography. It would be great if the top teams in the north could combine with the top teams in the south to form one national league, but geographically it’s just too difficult in a country that large.
I really enjoy playing in the Dutch league and the competition is very good. The one negative I would say about baseball in Holland is while the caliber of play is very high, the umpiring is below the level of play, which is unfortunate. This is not to say every umpire is bad, there are some quality umps over here. I just refer to the overall level. I had heard this before I came here, as well as the tendencies by umpires to favor certain players that have been around the league for a while. That is definitely evident, and speaking to players throughout the league, most everyone recognizes it. That’s the only real negative I can say about the Hoofdklasse.
There are great players over here and every start is a challenge. I found when I came over here, I just wasn’t getting the calls that I thought I should, so I started to change my pitching style back to how I threw when I was in the states. I pitch more to contact here by changing speeds constantly and trying to live on the corners of the plate. I want the hitters to make contact; I just try to make that contact weak on every at-bat. I have faith in my defense that they’ll make the plays.
JJ: Have you participated at the 2010 CEB Cup at Brno? Since you have been quite around Europe, please, give us your opinion on leagues you played in.
EA: Yes I did play in Brno. While it was a disappointing tournament from a team standpoint, I thought Draci was a great host and it was a good time overall. The European Cup tournaments are one of the things that make European baseball so unique. Bringing the best teams from each country together to compete against each other is an awesome thing for the game over here. In a format like that, anything can happen. Some teams bolster their lineup with an extra pitcher or two, so a lot of strategy comes into play. Anything can happen and that’s great for the game. On another note, the beer was phenomenal in Czech Republic.
JJ: What do you consider your career highlight?
EA: That’s a tough question. I have a lot of great memories playing this game over the years. Being named pitcher of the year in any league is a real honor and I’m fortunate to have had that happen a few times… Winning a Northern League Championship with St. Paul was certainly a highlight… One night I spent with a woman on a road trip in Winnipeg stands out. I don’t know if you’d call that a highlight but it was a hell of a good time.
JJ: What stuff do you currently have and how it been any different in the past?
EA: Actually, when I first got to Germany, I had still really only been pitching for a few years. I didn’t even have a changeup at the time. With experience, a pitcher learns to develop different elements both physical and mental. Every year I try to improve some aspect of my game.
Right now I throw a 2-seamer, 4-seamer, a cutter, a curveball, and a changeup.
JJ: Do you still have any baseball dream?
EA: Hmm, another tough one. To be honest, I never expected to play as long as I have. The game found its way into my blood a long time ago and hasn’t left yet. In that way, I guess I’m living a dream now. I like the freedom I maintain playing in Europe, and I like the fact that at the end of each season, I have no idea where in the world I’ll play the next. It keeps things interesting. It’s not for everyone, but it works for me. It’s not the big leagues, but I’m very thankful for this life.
JJ: What to you suggest to young baseball players if they want to become as succesfull as you have become in European baseball?
EA: I have a lot of advice for anyone that wants to achieve success in baseball. I actually spent the last several years writing a book on the subject of playing at the next level—specifically how an amateur player can increase his chances of playing as a professional. It goes into great detail about major league scouting, the draft, contracts, etc. as well as the avenues outside of MLB that exist to play for a living—including the independent leagues, European leagues and other international leagues. It also explains the many ways a young player can create exposure to professional decision makers so he’ll get every possible chance to one day go pro. The book goes to print at the end of this summer and will hopefully be available this fall.
As for specific advice, for one, it takes a great deal of dedication to succeed in this game. If this is something that a young player sees himself doing for an extended period of time, with the goal of playing on a national team, playing in college or even going pro, plan on investing a great deal of time and sweat into making it happen. Try to get to the elite camps where you can be taught by those that know what it takes to succeed at the next level. Watch the game, study the game, and pick the brains of the successful players that you come in contact with. I love it when a young player comes up to me and asks for advice or help. I’m more than happy to help someone in this position. Take advantage of every opportunity you get to learn from experienced players and try to compete at the highest level possible each season. Also, have faith! Anything is possible!
European baseball has a lot of potential and it continues to grow. More young players get signed every season and hopefully this trend will continue as MLB expands its efforts internationally. It’s a great thing to see.
Thank you for your time.
Jakub Janda
Jandis(at)volny.cz
