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April 04, 2006
Catcher knows value of positivity on and off field
Crouching behind the plate and fielding pitch after pitch, sophomore James Bachmeier’s interest in baseball began when he was a kid, watching Kirby Puckett and the Minnesota Twins.
“I thought it looked like fun and wanted to play,” said Bachmeier. He said his favorite baseball memory took place when he was twelve years-old and placed third in the state little league finals along with Hamline shortstop Andrew Bennet.
Just like every other athlete, he has had his idols. “The first athlete I ever idolized was Puckett,” said Bachmeier. “I felt really sad when he died.” During the home run showdown between Sammy Sosa and Mark McGuire in 1998, he had his favorite just like everybody else. “I guess I wanted McGuire to get it since he was in it earlier than Sosa,” said Bachmeier. “McGuire seemed cooler and I didn’t know much about Sosa.” Bachmeier now looks up to third baseman Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees because, in his words, “he is the best player out there.” He also looks up to catcher Ivan Rodriguez of the Detroit Tigers.
Throughout his baseball career, he has played all nine positions. “I decided that I wanted to be a catcher when I was thirteen years old,” he said. “I found out that that was what my dad was, so I decided that’s what I wanted to do.”
He doesn’t do anything special to get ready for a game. “I get plenty of rest before a game, but other than that I don’t do much because I’m a really healthy guy,” he said. However, he is hoping to improve his leadership skills as he feels that they are a necessary quality for a catcher to possess. “Everybody is facing the catcher. If he has a bad attitude, everyone in the field will have a bad attitude. If he has a good attitude, everyone in the field will have a good attitude,” Bachmeier said.
Growing up, Bachmeier has felt that his parents’ divorce was a challenge that he had to overcome to get where he is today.
He said, “I always felt different because of it.” Another challenge was his past coaches. “I never had a coach that believed in me and supported me,” said Bachmeier. Except for head coach Jason Verdugo. “He is the opposite. He’s always encouraging us and he has more knowledge than the others,” Verdugo said.
Other than baseball, Bachmeier enjoys playing hockey and basketball, although he does not have much free time between practice, games and classes. If he didn’t play baseball, Bachmeier would play hockey as he would be able to excel more in it than in basketball.
Posted by dwright at April 4, 2006 01:37 PM
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