Mr BioFile Interviews by Scoop Malinowski
By Scoop Malinowski
Status: Major League Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher from 1987-2008 for Atlanta Braves and New York Mets.
Ht: 6-1 Wt: 185
DOB: March 25, 1966 In: Concord, MA
Childhood Heroes: Bobby Orr, Carl Yastrzemski.
Nicknames: None, to be honest.
Hobbies/Interests: Time with family. Play golf. Watch whatever sports are on TV. Reading. Relaxing.
Childhood Dream(s): Do what I’m doing now. Or playing professional hockey. I knew the dreams were a long shot. A lot of times I got laughed at for having those dreams. But I knew what I wanted to do and I just hoped I had the chance to do it. (I was sparked by) my love for playing sports. There was nothing that I did that captivated my attention like that, that made me enthusiastic like that. There was nothing that I looked forward to like that Little League game or that hockey game that I would go to. Nothing stirred my emotions like sports did.
First Job: Worked construction with my dad – building house foundations in Boston.
First Car: Black Chevy Camaro Z28.
Favorite Movies: Caddyshack, Silence of the Lambs.
All-Time Favorite TV Show: Cheers.
Musical Tastes: Rock, Phil Collins, Led Zeppelin.
Pre-Game Feeling: I’m always nervous. Nervous anticipation of what’s going to happen. I guess I always have the fear that I’m going to go out there and have a bad game and embarrass myself. Ultimately, the excitement of the challenge of getting out there takes over. Not only trying to get guys out but trying to reach that level of perfection that we always strive to achieve and probably never will actually. I visualize a little – what I want my pitches to do, how to react and where to end up. I visualize how I like to see the action on my pitches.
Greatest Sports Moment: It has to be the World Series in 1995. The final out. Everybody running out to the pitcher’s mound. Celebrating out there. The culmination of a lot of hard work. The end of a long cycle. Going from losing 100 games (actually 54-106 in 1988) to losing the World Series in the seventh game to Minnesota in ’91…ultimately to winning that World Series. That was a long time coming. [Tom earned MVP honors as he won Game 2 and the decisive Game 6, allowing two earned runs and striking out 11 in 14 innings.]
Most Painful Moment: Losing the 1991 World Series. To have a year like we had – nobody expected us to do anything. Getting to the World Series and forcing it to Game 7. And to lose 1-0. To be that close. Wondering if we’d ever have the chance to get back there.
Worst Injury: Tore a ligament in my right knee (age 10). From goofing around in the backyard, playing Run the Bases [smiles].
Closest Baseball Friends: John Smoltz, Greg Maddux.
Toughest Competitors Encountered: Mad Dog Smoltzie, Steve Avery, Barry Bonds, Ken Caminiti.
Favorite Meal: Anything Italian, with a Diet Coke.
Favorite Breakfast Cereal: Froot Loops.
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Strawberry.
Little Known Fact: I don’t like roller coasters [smiles]. I’m not into all that motion, throwing your body around and ultimately having that fear that the one time the roller coaster goes off the track, I’m gonna be on it [smiles].
Favorite Vacation Spot: Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire.
Favorite Athletes To Watch: Greg Maddux, Smoltzie, any of my teammates, Michael Vick, Ken Griffey Jr., Ray Bourque, Mark Messier, Michael Jordan, Shaq, Larry Bird, Pete Sampras, Tiger Woods.
Funny Baseball Memory: The funniest – or stupidest – thing I ever did was I went up to bat one time in Chicago and I forgot to take the donut off my bat. And I got in there, ready to hit, and the catcher had to remind me. I just tried to act like I knew it was there [laughs].
People Most Admired: My mom (Mildred) and dad (Fred). Simply for, number one, being good parents. Number two, for providing for us as a family and always being there to support whatever I or my brothers and sister wanted to do. They were there supporting us or taking us wherever we needed to go.
Career Accomplishments: 305-203 pitching record; 1995 World Series Champion; 10-time All Star; 3.54 career ERA with 2,607 strikeouts; Hall of Fame induction 2014.
