First off, thanks to everyone who submitted questions for Travis, especially our friends at Phuture Phillies. If you want the audio version, click here. Below you’ll find the text…We’ll have part two tomorrow…Here goes…

Ron in Allentown, PA: Does the organization stress working the count when you’re at the plate, or do they want you to be aggressive?
Mattair: They want you to be aggressive and seek that fastball early. But working that count comes with good pitching. When you’re seeing that fastball early, though, you’ve got to go after it.

Ron in Allentown, PA: How has it impacted you emotionally to repeat Lakewood and did the organization tell you why they wanted you to come back here?
Mattair: At first it did, it messed with my head a little bit, being 20 I want to move as fast as I can. About two days before they were going to post teams, Chuck LaMar told me I was going to repeat Lakewood, and at first I was a little down on myself. Right now though, I realize why I’m here. I need to post some power numbers, hit some doubles, and home runs and continue to mature as a hitter. I’ve been playing pro ball for three years but I’m only 20 years old. I want to be successful wherever I’m at and I appreciate them for that, but I want to move up as fast as I can.

Henry in Havertown, PA: Do you have any advice for a young player transitioning into professional baseball? Anything you might do differently if you had to do it all over again?
Mattair: Turning pro out of high school is a very tough deal. Being 18, leaving home, flying across the country, not knowing where you’re going to go, the people you’re going to meet, going from 20 games to (180 in a full season), it’s a lot of games. You have to be mentally prepared and you have to love the game. If you don’t love baseball, it’s not for you. It’s every single day, try to focus in on every single at bat, and not give at bats away. That’s what I’m working on right now.

Henry in Havertown, PA: If you weren’t a baseball player, what would you want to do with your life?
Mattair: I’ve worked with special needs kids for a long time, starting in 3rd grade, and I want to teach special ed an eventually run a branch of the Special Olympics in my area back home. That’s what I really want to do. I feel I have a gift for it and that’s what I’d like to do when I’m not playing baseball.

Chuck in Easton, PA: What do you think led to your explosion of walks earlier in the season?
Mattair: Just maturing as a hitter. I was trying to be agressive on the fastballs but I was getting in hitters counts. Then, you can take an extra strike do a lot of things. It was more of maturing as a hitter from last year, leaving the curveball down instead of waving at it.

Chuck in Easton, PA: What were the keys to a young Lakewood team winning the first-half championship?
Mattair: Having fun…Dusty Wathan brought in a different style of baseball from last year to this year and we have a great time. We play music in the locker room after the game. We always have each other’s backs. It’s kind of like a fraternity house in a good way. We have a good time and enjoy being around each other. We’re around each other so often, so when you enjoy that, you get those wins. It’s a young team but a talented team.

Tom in Boston, MA: Can you give us a scouting report on yourself? Whom do you model your game after?
Mattair: I would like to say I model myself out of Scott Rolen. That’s the body-type I have and that’s the kind of player and person that I want to be. He’s a great guy outside of the game, not showboating during the game. “This is who I am and this is how I play.” That’s kind of what I hope to be someday.

Tom in Boston, MA: Which of your teammates have you been most impressed with this year?
Mattair: The young guys…Gose, Collier, Valle when we had him. We have a lot of young talent on this team. When you’re 18 coming into a full season, you don’t really know what to expect. For them to be 18 and performing the way they do is incredible. Gose leading the minors in stolen bases, as I believe he still is. It’s incredible for them to be performing the way they are in their first full season. Also Murphy and Hanzawa, I’m glad I got to play with them this year. Great guys performing on a high right now.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 8th, 2009 at 11:34 am and is filed under 2009 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.