the golf courses are but I can tell you where the malls are in every major league city. I used to go the mall, hang around, have some lunch and head to the ballpark. Pitchers hung around at golf courses, but, hey, (smiling) we all prepare for a game in different ways.
12 Since no one is throwing the ball at you, shouldn’t it be easier to hit?
It sure seems like it would.
The ball isn’t moving. It’s just sitting there. But I learned early on that this game will humble you real fast. I just didn’t get into it when I was young. I didn’t have any clubs, didn’t have much opportunity to play and really didn’t have the money to play. It used to amaze me when I would play with guys who are experienced golfers because they would recall shots and stuff that happened years ago. But I guess when you’re passionate about something, you remember details. I’m passionate about baseball and I can remember a lot of things that happened when I played.
13 Are your World Series memories still fresh?
Oh, absolutely. Those are the
moments you dream about your whole life, going all the way back to when you were a kid. To be in that position, with everything on the line in such a dramatic moment, that is really rare and it’s something you envision your whole career. And then to be able to deliver in that moment, that is the kind of stuff you are never going to forget.
14 Of all the pro golfers you have seen, whose swing would you like to have?
the same agent so I got to know him a little bit. We both are right-handed but play golf left-handed, and I also batted left-handed. I have watched quite a bit of golf on TV and there are a lot of great young players with a ton of talent and impressive swings, but I think Phil’s swing would work pretty well for me.
15 You’re involved with the Special Olympics event every year at the
Phoenix Open. When are we going to
see you in the pro-am? I really love that Special Olympics event. To be able to interact with those kids really is special. But the pro-am is
www.azgolf.org Well, Phil (Mickelson) and I had
Luis Gonzalez keeps control of the golf cart while he discusses his life story during the Arizona Diamondbacks’ annual fundraiser at Whirlwind Golf Club.
a whole different ballgame. One time I walked with Phil during a practice round and when we got to the 16th hole, he handed me a club and told me to hit one. I was terrified that I might miss the ball, so I made sure that I made contact and sent this ugly, screaming line drive over the green. All of the fans booed, of course, so it was kind of a warm and fuzzy moment. Standing over that ball, I was the most nervous I have ever been in my life and I had already played in Game 7 of the World Series at that point. So, I don’t think I’m quite ready for the pro-am.
16 Along with this event, you are involved with many other charities
around the Valley. What is your
approach to that? It’s something that I have always placed a value on all the way back to when I was kid, the importance of giving back and helping others. To come out to an event like this reminds you of who the true heroes are. Athletes sometimes are seen as heroes, but what athletes do is entertainment. What our servicemen and women do every day is what provides the freedoms we enjoy. They are the real heroes and that’s the kind of thing that should be acknowledged. As athletes we have a platform, and I think we should use that platform to support causes and events that improve
the quality of other people’s lives. It’s a privilege more than an obligation.
17 Your son seems to be following in your footsteps. What is it going to be
like for you when he plays his first
game at Chase Field? Oh man, it’s going to be so exciting, and so nerve-racking. I know I will be far more nervous than I was as a player, because I could control what I was doing when I played. I’m not in control when he plays, and I know how nervous I was just watching him play in Rookie League. But I am confident that he is going to be just fine. He is such a great kid and I am so proud of him. It is going to be amazing, seeing him play in the major leagues.
18 The Diamondbacks are going into their 20th season. What’s in their
future?
I think the future is very bright. We have a lot of great young players and that showed last season. But with young guys, you also need management people who can relate to them and we have that, too. Today’s players are a different breed and you need people who can identify with them. We have that with our management staff and with (manager) Torey (Lovullo). They know how to communicate with today’s players. I really like where we’re at. n
PREVIEW 2018 | AZ GOLF Insider | 27
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