Monday, February 23, 2009
Q&A with Jonathan Waltenbury
Twins Minor League Hitting Prospect
Good Monday morning everyone! For
Twins fans, it certainly was an interesting weekend. Late Friday afternoon, it
came out that the Twins and Joe Crede
were close. It became official on Saturday morning. And that news was quickly
followed with new that the Twins had offered reliever Juan Cruz a contract. That was followed by rumblings that the Twins
and Diamondbacks may be close to the sign and trade. And that enthusiasm is now
being tempered by reports that it is unlikely to happen. That shouldn’t be
surprising because not only would Cruz have to accept the Twins offer but then
the Twins and D-Backs would have to agree on compensation. That makes it tough.
But in 48 hours, a lot can happen, so it is still worth following. Anyway, I
did have a couple of posts over the weekend, so be sure to scroll down and
check them out.
OSCAR ASIDE –
I actually really enjoyed watching the Oscars last night. Maybe it is actually
because I had actually seen several of the movies that were up for several
awards. I had seen Slumdog Millionaire,
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,
Dark Knight, Revolutionary Road, and Wall-E.
Maybe I need to see The Reader, but
I thought that Kate Winslet was
pretty incredible in Revolutionary Road
and could have been nominated for that as well.
OTHER ASIDE –
Thanks to Dave Mona who, on Sunday’s Sports Huddle with Sid and Dave,
mentioned me and this site. Thanks to those of you who e-mailed to tell me.
Yes, I was listening and thought it was pretty cool!
But since we can’t just sit
around and wait for something to happen, I thought it a good time to post
another Q&A with another exciting, young Twins hitting prospect. Jonathan Waltenbury grew up in Ontario,
Canada. He signed with the Twins after the team made him their 7h
round pick in June of 2006. He spent 2007 with the GCL Twins. 2008 was a very
good year for him at Elizabethton where he hit for average and showed excellent
power. Let’s see. Canadian, plays 1B, a big hockey fan, bats left-handed, a big
powerful frame… Should we start hearing comparisons to the Twins Justin Morneau? Hey, let’s just let him
play. He’s a good player, but to compare a 20 year old in A ball to the 2006 AL
MVP and 2008 MVP Runner-Up probably isn’t fair. But I also don’t want to
downplay the tremendous upside that Waltenbury does have if he continues to
work hard and progress.
Click here for the stats of Jonathan Waltenbury. (Click here to see previous Q&As)
Let the Questions Begin!
SethSpeaks: Growing up in Ontario,
can I make an assumption about who your favorite big league baseball team has
been to follow while growing up? Who were or are some of your favorite players
to follow?
Jonathan Waltenbury: Growing up in Ontario, I
was always a Jays fan, and I always loved watching Larry Walker and Ken Griffey
Jr.
SethSpeaks: Tell us a little bit
about your high school baseball career and teams at Henry Street high school.
Did you play other positions?
Jonathan Waltenbury: High School baseball in Canada
is not what it is like in the U.S. We only play an 8 game season, I
believe. In Canada, baseball players who seek a future in the sport
are all on travel teams, like I was, such as the Ontario Blue Jays. They
also have a regular season, but it’s only about 30 games. Growing
up, I played all over, but as I entered high school, I stuck with the outfield
and played right and left field up until the draft when the twins drafted me as
a 1st basemen.
SethSpeaks: It's impossible not to
ask a Canadian baseball player about hockey. Did you play a lot of hockey as a
youth as well, and are you a big fan today?
Jonathan
Waltenbury: HUGE
fan of hockey. I played when I was younger and still do today; except when I
play today its just pick up hockey with some friends.
SethSpeaks: Were you being recruited
much while you were in high school? What were your options coming out of high
school?
Jonathan Waltenbury: Coming out of high
school, I signed with Connors State Junior College in Oklahoma.
SethSpeaks: The Twins drafted you
with their 7th round pick in 2006. Was that about where you were hoping and
expecting to be drafted?
Jonathan Waltenbury: I was happy when I was
picked in the 7th because I was aiming for the top 10 rounds, so it
all worked out well.
SethSpeaks: Had you talked to Twins
scouts much? Were you surprised when the Twins drafted you?
Jonathan Waltenbury: Yes, I talked
to the Twins quite a bit actually and wasn’t really surprised when
they took me.
SethSpeaks: How difficult was the
decision for you to sign with the Twins?
Jonathan Waltenbury: Actually not too
difficult really. I knew what I wanted and I got my chance so took it.
SethSpeaks: What was the adjustment
to pro baseball, on and off the field, like for you? What was the biggest
adjustment?
Jonathan Waltenbury: Adapting to the speed of the game was my
biggest adjustment.
SethSpeaks: You had a solid debut in
the GCL in 2007, but had a nice breakout season in 2008 at Elizabethton. How
would you describe yourself as a hitter? What would you call your strengths and
what areas are you most working toward improving?
Jonathan Waltenbury: After my first season of GCL, I really wasn’t
too happy about how I performed, but I think it had a lot to do with
the speed of the game. I felt way more comfortable last year which is why I
think it led to a fairly successful season. I guess I’d describe myself as
a power guy. My strengths? Well I like to think I have some pop so I’d
say power, but I definitely need to work on my approach against lefties.
SethSpeaks: You're a big, tall
left-handed hitting 1B from Canada... people probably want to assume
similarities between yourself and Twins MVP Justin Morneau. Are there any
similarities between the two of you on the field, in your opinion?
Jonathan
Waltenbury: I
have been told on a few occasions that there are some similarities.
and all I can really say is there is he’s a big left handed hitting Canuck
and so am I.
SethSpeaks: Your 2008 Elizabethton
team was pretty impressive. What was it like to be part of a league champion
team? Describe the run toward the championship.
Jonathan Waltenbury: It was the most fun
I’ve had in my life and to win a league championship was awesome. You could
play 20 years and not win a championship. It’ll be something I will always
remember.
SethSpeaks: The lineup was amazing,
with you, Bigley, Morales, Harrington, de La Osa and good power throughout the
lineup. Talk about watching some of those players and everyone having success
together. Was there competition between each others?
Jonathan Waltenbury: There’s always going to
be competition in baseball but our team had pretty good chemistry.
SethSpeaks: What have you been able
to do during your offseason? Did you get away from baseball? When did you start
your preparations for 2009?
Jonathan Waltenbury: when I first got back I
took some time away from everything, just relaxed a bit. But I started prepping
for ‘09 in early October.
SethSpeaks: Do you set goals for
yourself? What are your goals for the 2009 season? Are there certain statistics
that you pay more attention to than others?
Jonathan Waltenbury: I try not to pay attention to statistics. I do set
goals. My main goal for ’09? I’d love to improve on hitting all
around, better off lefties.
SethSpeaks: What are some of your hobbies when
you're able to get away from baseball?
Jonathan Waltenbury: I manage a professional hockey team....FANTASY!!
SethSpeaks: Favorite baseball book?
Jonathan Waltenbury: not much of a reader.
SethSpeaks: Favorite baseball movie?
Jonathan Waltenbury: hands down, no question, Bull Durham.
Thank you very much to Jonathan
Waltenbury for taking the time to answer these questions. We wish him the
best success in 2009! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free
to put them in the comments,
or e-mail me and I will try to
get a response.