We spoke to ex-BlueClaws second baseman Adrian Cardenas for BlueClaws Blog, and here is part two of the interview. Part one is available by clicking here.

Question: What did you learn during your time this year in the Arizona Fall League?

Adrian Cardenas: I learned I need to make some more adjustments. The Fall League was a great experience because I was surrounded by so many great players. It’s basically a Double-A/Triple-A All-Star Game. With a lot of guys there fighting for spots on team’s 40-man rosters, I wasn’t a priority guy or everyday player. I was there to bust my butt and prove I belonged at the level.

AC (ctd): I had to do a lot of things I wasn’t accustomed to doing, like pinch-hitting, pinch-running, and coming in as a defensive replacement. If I get a chance to go to the big leagues, that’s what I’ll be doing at first.

Q: Was there a noticable difference in competition compared to Double-A?

AC: Yes. Every lefty there was a good lefty . The set-up and closer guys were all mid-to-upper 90s. They could locate better. The game was a lot faster. You have guys like Eric Young, Jr. and Darren Ford running down balls that are sure doubles during the regular season or in lower levels.

Q: Do you still keep in touch with some of the Phillies players?

AC: Oh yea. Most of them I try to talk to. Michael Taylor, Jason Donald, Lou Marson, I saw a bunch of them in the Fall League. Quintin Berry and I went do dinner a couple of times in Arizona too.

Q: What did you learn from playing with Jason Donald?

AC: The biggest thing I consider myself is mature, which is why I signed out of high school. I thought I was ready. I didn’t think I could take it to the next level mentally, until I met Jason Donald. I had never met somebody so focused on something, goals or preparation, he sticks to the routine no matter what. Eventually everyone starts following him, and that shows he’s been doing everything right.

AC (ctd): He’s a great guy. We were basically competing for the same middle-infield job and he was very nice and open to helping me out on a lot of things. That was the first experience I had going into pro ball. I heard it was cut-throat, watch-your-back, which can be true, but when I met him you could sense that he was genuine and sincere.

Q: What did you enjoy most about your time with the BlueClaws?

AC: Hands down the fans. A 140 game season is tough with the long bus rides. Going there, so many games when you’re out of it physically and mentally you get the adrenaline boost from seeing all thsoe people in the ballpark.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 17th, 2008 at 12:09 pm and is filed under Past BlueClaws, Q&As. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.