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You Asked, Buehrle Answered

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http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb...?player=buehrle

 

MARK BUEHRLE

 

As I was watching the telecast of the World Series parade, I thought to myself, "What are the players going to think when they turn onto LaSalle Street and see how many people are waiting for them?" Well, Mark, what was it like?

 

Alan Mesch

Champaign, IL

 

Mark: From the time we left U.S. Cellular, I didn't know where the most fans were going to be located, but once we got going, I had goose bumps the whole way. There were 10 to 15 people deep just in the neighborhoods around the park, and that is when I knew how special the parade was to the city of Chicago and our fans. Then once we got downtown, there were people 100 deep at some spots. You would look down the streets and couldn't even see the ends of the roads because there were so many people. It's almost too hard to explain; you just had to be there, and we hope we can give fans the chance to experience that again soon.

 

Hi Mark,

When you pitch, the games are usually "short and sweet." How did you develop your fast pitching style?

 

Peggy Kenny

Palo Alto, CA

 

Mark: I have actually always pitched that way. No one ever told me to work quicker or work fast, but I just didn't see the reason to be out on the mound and waste any time. I never saw the need to walk around the mound or look at the scoreboard; I just want to pitch. Plus, I know my teammates like it when I work quickly because it means they will have the opportunity to go hit and give us a lift offensively.

 

What's the best pitching advice you ever received?

 

Doug

Crystal Lake, IL

 

Mark: You receive so much advice growing up, and you just have to pick and choose the stuff that you think works best for you as an individual. For me, the one piece of advice that really helped me was to focus on location, not speed. You can throw as hard as you want, but if you leave it over the plate, someone is going to hit you. You have to work your corners and establish good off-speed pitches.

 

Dear Mark,

How has winning the World Series affected the way you think about baseball now? Do you think it has relieved the pressure of winning the World Series, or put more pressure on your team to win again?

 

Josh

Schaumburg, IL

 

Mark: It definitely has put pressure on us to go out and do it again. We put pressure on ourselves because we know we can do it, and there is added pressure from the media too. The city of Chicago loved it and that was great, but now we are defending World Series Champions, and with that comes the spotlight. I think it comes down to the fact that we don't want what happened last year to be a one-time thing. We want to do it again for the team, the fans and the city.

 

What do you think about when you get to the mound? Do you even hear the crowd or do you just keep throwing?

 

Nikki

Buffalo Grove, IL

 

Mark: I really don't think about anything. It's like the noise goes in one ear and out the other. You have to stay focused out on the mound, otherwise you will get eaten alive. For me, I just want A.J. to put a sign down and then let's go!

 

Dear Mark,

Who is the player you most want to square off with on the mound in either league?

 

Best,

Mark Balthazar

Bloomington, IL

 

Mark: I like facing guys that have had some success against me because I feel it is a challenge when you know a certain hitter in the opposing team's lineup has been able to hit you. Guys like Mike Sweeney on the Royals and Ichiro on Seattle come to mind because it is always a battle with them.

 

Do you listen to any music before a game, and if so, what bands?

 

Ernie Duran

Chicago, IL

 

Mark: I will listen to almost any kind of music. We all listen to the same music in the clubhouse before the game, usually just a mix of rap songs with a few other songs mixed in. I like a variety of music so I have never had a certain song or album that I put in. But right now I do listen to Godsmack when I listen to a CD by myself.

 

We've seen the scruffy beard for several years now. Any chance of going with a goatee or maybe a fu manchu? Or does the beard have significance?

 

Go Sox!

Scott Beaty

Cedar Rapids, IA

 

Mark: Well, I don't know if I could ever pull off the goatee. I think I might look a little funny with that. I do try to do something different every year with my facial hair, but I have kind of run out of ideas. There really isn't any significance to the beard; I just had it at the beginning of last year and was pitching well, so I decided to keep it all season long.

 

Hello Mark,

Sox fans heard a lot about team chemistry last year and how it was so important for the Sox's success. After a couple weeks of play and a road trip under the belt, how would you say this year's team is coming together and how long would you say it takes before a particular team's personality emerges?

 

Thanks a lot, and thanks for such a memorable and thrilling '05.

 

Grady Wheeler

Portland, OR

 

Mark: This team has already come together, and I think that is because of Ozzie and the quality of guys we have here in the clubhouse. There were a lot of guys returning from last year's team, so we still had that solid group of guys, but the new guys have been great and made it easy for us to keep the clubhouse chemistry the same as it was last year. We had a couple team get-togethers early in the season, and I think that really helped to establish the chemistry for this season.

 

Mark,

Is there a certain ritual that you go through on game days before you pitch? Do you have any superstitions?

 

Thanks,

Jeff Hinthorn

Joliet, IL

 

Mark: The rituals that I do before a game have changed throughout my career. I don't really have any superstitions, but at the beginning of the year I just try and find what works best for me. If I am pitching well, I try to do the exact same things that I did that day for my next start. This goes for almost anything, from what I eat, to when I leave for the ballpark, to my preparation at the ballpark. If I am not pitching well, though, I try to switch it up until I find something that works.

 

Mark,

You've credited the fact that you rarely call off Pierzynski's signals for being able to pitch games quickly in the shortest amount of time. Can you speak more to the trust that you and the catcher have developed and how long it took to be so confident in A.J.?

 

Jason Jaffe

Darien, IL

 

Mark: We have had trust in each other from day one, and I don't think that it would have worked if we didn't have that trust from the beginning. We have complete respect for each other and we both know each other's strengths, and those are the most important things. It helps that I have confidence in all four pitches that I throw, so I know that no matter what he puts down, I can have success throwing it as long as I do my job.

 

Mark,

What do starting pitchers do to pass the time during the game on their nights off?

 

Jason Alcock

Chicago, IL

 

Mark: Everyone is different, but I like to sit and goof off with my teammates. You have to be focused when you are pitching, but when I have the night off I like to try to keep all my teammates loose and relaxed. I do chart pitches sometimes too, but mostly I just like to have fun with the guys and keep the clubhouse in good spirits.

 

Mark,

Are you and your brothers still as competitive with one another like when you were kids? If baseball had not panned out, what could you see yourself doing for a living? Congratulations on all your success, it’s a pleasure to watch your team play.

 

Charlie Stephens

Park Hills, MO

 

Mark: My brothers weren't into sports as much as I was, but we are definitely still competitive when it comes to hunting. Whenever we go hunting, we always want to bring home the biggest prize, just like when we were kids. I have a feeling that will never change.

 

If baseball had not panned out, I really think I would have become a firefighter or a cop. I have always loved doing that stuff and took classes in college that catered to those professions. I always joke with my brother-in-law that he needs to get me a job in the offseason so I can have a job serving the people.

 

What was your most memorable moment from last year's World Series quest?

 

Randy Speake

Marion, IA

 

Mark: The most memorable moment has got to be clinching. I mean, when you play in your first World Series with the team you have played for your entire career, every moment is special. Coming out of the bullpen to get a save was certainly a feeling I will always cherish, but once that last out was recorded and we were celebrating as a team on the field and in the locker room, it was just amazing!

 

Mark,

Who inspired you into playing baseball?

 

Alyssa Shannon

St. Charles, IL

 

Mark: There wasn't really one person, but my parents are the reason that I am where I am today. My parents were the ones that supported me in Little League and throughout high school, and if it wasn't for them I would never have even come close to where I am today.

 

Mark,

What is your favorite park to pitch at besides U.S. Cellular Field, and why?

 

Thanks,

Alex Bozich

Louisville, KY

 

Mark: I like any ballpark that is big and where balls don't fly out! Kansas City and Detroit come to mind because we play there so often and I have pitched well there, but I also like places where the fans know baseball. You can just tell in certain ballparks that fans appreciate great performances.

 

After winning the World Series, how has your life changed on and off the field?

 

Jeff W. Ton

Chesterton, IN

 

Mark: It's the little things that have changed the most since we won the World Series. Off the field, I get recognized in public more frequently and more people ask for autographs. Since we won it, there have been a lot more public appearances on radio and television. On the field, I would say the biggest difference is that you aren't going to sneak up on anyone any more. Every team's coming for you, and they are going to bring their A-game and play their hardest because we are the defending World Series Champions. It's like we have a bulls-eye on our back that was never there before.

 

Hi Mark

When did you know baseball was your talent?

 

Thanks for your time.

Mary

Lemont, IL

 

Mark: I was very young when I realized that I had talent that the other kids didn't have. My mom and dad would take us to carnivals, and I could knock down all the milk bottles almost every time. I didn't think it was that big of a deal, but I would turn around and there would be all kinds of people watching and talking about me. I guess that was when I realized that I could do things with a baseball that most kids my age couldn't do.

 

Mark,

Can you describe what you do in-between starts (workout routine, video, meet with other pitchers on game plan, etc.)?

 

Andrew Maier

Lockport, IL

 

Mark: Honestly, I try to keep the game as simple as possible, and that means keeping my workouts simple, my routine simple and everything else simple. I do some running and work out a little bit, but I don't watch much video, if ever. I do talk to my catchers sometimes, but I just try not to think too much. I just look forward to the next time I get to put on that White Sox jersey and go out there and pitch.

 

Mark,

What is the significance of the chain that you always wear around your neck?

 

Diana Haggard

Arlington Heights, IL

 

Mark: There really wasn't any significance to it when I started wearing it, but now that I am married, I keep my wedding ring on it on nights when I am pitching.

 

Hi there Mark,

What were you like as a kid? Have you changed? We suspect not. Go Sox!

 

Liz Hartig

Schaumburg, IL

 

Mark: I was a lot like I am now. I always goofed off and had fun. I didn't get into much trouble at school, but I just had fun whenever I could. I always tell my friends back home that if my head ever gets too big or if I stop being the person I was when I was growing up just because of my success on the diamond, that they better knock some sense back into me, literally and figuratively. Sometimes people will say, "Wow, you are Mark Buehrle," and I will respond, "Yeah, the same Mark Buehrle that I was when I was growing up." To me, I don't see any reason I should change who I am!

 

Hello Mark,

Before I ask my question I wanted to thank you for all of your hard work. Your work ethic on the field and great attitude off of it is an encouragement to the fans that someone with strong character is representing the team. My question: With so many right-handed/switch hitters, a lefty seemingly goes into a game with a slight disadvantage. What do you do to gain control of the situation?

 

Thank you very much for your time!

Mike B.

Valparaiso, IN

 

Mark: I do love facing lefties, but a lot of times I will face a lineup that has all righties or at least a majority of them, so I just have to deal with it. I developed a cutter that I throw at righties that has really helped me out against them, and I just make sure that I hit my spots and run the ball inside so that I stay effective.

 

If you were given a choice between pitching a perfect game in the World Series or harvesting a world-record whitetail, which one would you choose?

 

George Kesl

Elmhurst, IL

 

Mark: Can I choose to pitch a perfect game in the World Series and then bring home a prize catch in the offseason? If I would have to choose, it would definitely be throwing a perfect game in the World Series. It would be amazing to throw a perfect game at any point in my career, but on the biggest of stages that would be amazing. Don Larsen will forever be remembered for his perfect game, and it would be quite an accomplishment to go down in history as only the second player to ever throw a perfect game in the World Series.

 

Hello Mark!

I always hear that you are quite the practical joker on the Sox. What do you consider to be the best practical joke you have ever played? And who was the victim? Thanks and Go Sox!

 

Betsy Shoudis

Morris, IL

 

Mark: I try to never stop with the practical jokes. I think that I have gotten so many people so many times that they all blend together. My favorite jokes, though, are the shaving cream pie in the face and dressing up rookies on get-away days early in the season.

 

We are White Sox fans that live in Cleveland, Ohio. Any suggestions to get the Cleveland Indians fans to stop bothering us when we wear our White Sox apparel to Jacobs Field? Thanks and best of luck in 2006!

 

Karen Klement

Cleveland, OH

 

Mark: I wish I could give you an answer to that one, but you are going to get that whenever you wear White Sox stuff at any ballpark besides U.S. Cellular. We love to see our fans at other parks, so all I can say is to keep wearing it proudly.

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