|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
MLB EXPANSION DRAFTNovember 18, 1997Jeff SuppanPHOENIX, ARIZONA Q. How do you feel about leaving Boston and coming back closer to home? JEFF SUPPAN: Well, you know when I found out ‑‑ when I got out of high school, I was going to UCLA because I wanted to stay close to home, but when I got drafted by the Red Sox, I was in the total opposite side, on the East Coast. I really enjoyed Boston. I think the move is definitely ‑‑ my family is definitely very excited that I'm closer to California, but then I'm kind of sad leaving the friends that I have made in Boston, and some of the fans that I have met, from the Red Sox. Q. Are you disappointed that the Red Sox didn't protect him? Did you expect them to protect you? JEFF SUPPAN: Two months ago I thought for sure I was going to be protected, but then again I didn't know. I can't remember, WEI, I think in Boston, they called me and let me know there was speculation, there was a little shock factor, but after that I really was just going to wait and see what happened in the draft. So I did definitely ‑‑ I was shocked by it, but I came to realize that through the actions of the expansion draft, you know, you can't protect everyone, and definitely it's a business decision. Q. Are you somewhat relieved that ‑‑ you've been hurting the last couple of years ‑‑ are you somewhat relieved to be in a different atmosphere? JEFF SUPPAN: I don't think what I had was really being hurt, I only missed one month in four years. But am I relieved to be in a new atmosphere? I don't know, because I was just getting used to Boston, and feeling comfortable there, knowing the coaching staff and knowing a lot of the players in the organization. Relieved, I don't know if that's the word I'd use, but it's definitely exciting, I can say that for sure. Q. What is exciting about this? JEFF SUPPAN: Just a new opportunity, almost like a new world for me. I was so brought up within the organization, I never even thought about any other organizations, I really wanted object a Red Sox for a long time ‑‑ a Red Sox for a long time, and it's just ‑‑ it's exciting in a way that I never thought of. I never thought this would happen. And that I think is the exciting part, going into something you don't know a lot about, definitely being able to play in Arizona is exciting, being on a new expansion team, being able to start from the ground up, that's exciting, there's a whole lot of things that are exciting. Q. What can you bring to this team that perhaps people are not familiar with and haven't seen? JEFF SUPPAN: I think I can bring some young talent, I think I have a lot of ability as a pitcher. I think I learn fast, I listen well. And I look forward to new challenges, so I think I can bring a lot of experience at a young age, but also a lot of inexperience to where there is still room for me to grow and to become the player that I can be. Q. Do you feel the arrival of Rose and Pavano has speeded your exit? JEFF SUPPAN: I don't really know. I don't know what their plans were. I've heard rumors that Carl might be traded, so I don't really know what the situation was, why I'm leaving Boston, I don't really know. Q. You show a sound of disappointment. Is there a disappointment right now? JEFF SUPPAN: I don't know if it's disappointment. I think it's a shock factor. When you're with the team, an organization, with a group of people, with a group of players for a while there is a little disappointment, but it's not taking my whole ‑‑ all my thoughts are of disappointment. A lot of my thoughts, most of my thoughts are of the new excitement of getting the opportunity to play with the Arizona Diamondbacks. End of FastScripts |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|