Last week, I had the exclusive honor of interviewing Baltimore Orioles Left Handed Pitcher Richard Bleier.
Bleier played at Florida Gulf Coast University. While at FGCU, Bleier was voted Atlantic Sun Conference Pitcher Of The Year. Also at FGCU, he was was drafted in the sixth round of the 2008 MLB Draft by the Texas Rangers.
In his first season in the minor leagues, Bleier had the second highest strikeouts in the A-Short Season league. In 2015, he later signed with the Washington Nationals. There, he was voted as a Washington Nationals Organization All-Star. In 2016, Bleier was acquired by the New York Yankees and eventually made his major league debut with the team. Bleier currently plays for the Baltimore Orioles.
INTERVIEW
Q: Which past or present pitcher do you model your game after?
“I don’t really model after anyone. I do like watching power pitchers pitch which is weird because I’m not really a power pitcher at all.”
Q: What was it like to play in the World Baseball Classic for Team Israel?
“It was a great experience, I had a lot of fun. Representing a country and it’s people is a huge honor and I’m certainly looking forward to the next one.”
Q: What is a piece of advice you would give to kids who aspire to play in the major leagues?
“Persistence. Keep at it if you think you have what it takes. People may tell you otherwise but if you believe in yourself you have a chance.”
Q: What is your view on the whole Astros cheating scandal?
“They cheated. It’s an unfortunate situation for all of baseball.”
Huge thanks to Richard Bleier for the interview. Best of luck this upcoming season!
Photo Credit: BaltimoreSun.com
