Thursday, April 1, 2004
5 minutes with zach minor
Ace Minor deals out the answers
Article by:
Adam Zolmierski - Sports Reporter
• azolmierski@northernstar.info
NIU left-handed pitcher Zach Minor has been the ace of the staff this
year for the NIU baseball team, posting a 4-0 record and 1.41 ERA. A
senior, Minor had a chance to stop and chat with the Northern Star on
Tuesday.
Northern Star: What is your out-pitch right now?
Zach Minor: Right now, I’d say my changeup because I try to get
ahead of people with my fastball and then use my changeup as my strikeout
pitch or groundball pitch.
NS: Last season in batting practice, you were sending some balls to
the warning track and the wall. Do you like to think you have a little
pop left in that bat?
ZM: I’d like to think that. I don’t know if it’s true
or not.
NS: There’s probably a pretty good chance you’ll get drafted.
Where would you like to play?
ZM: For the Chicago Cubs, and if not that, then for the Arizona Diamondbacks
so I could play somewhere warm if I couldn’t play in Chicago. The
Cubs have been my favorite team. It’s close to home, and people
could come out and watch me.
NS: Mark Prior is out until at least May. Can the Cubs win the World
Series with him out for two or three months?
ZM: I think so. They have four quality starters, and their hitting is
better, so I would think so.
NS: Who has the best chance to win the World Series?
ZM: Probably the Yankees. As long as their lineup stays healthy, no
one can hit with them.
NS: What can NIU accomplish this year, and what has been your best memory
at NIU?
ZM: I think we can win the MAC tournament and go to regionals and maybe
surprise some people. So far the biggest accomplishment has been last
year —winning 34 games and going to the MAC tournament for the
first time in my four years. Hopefully this year, we can be a little
bit better than that.
NS: If you could compare yourself to one pitcher in the major leagues,
who would it be?
ZM: That’s tough to say because I throw weird, but I don’t
throw very hard. I throw like Randy Johnson, but I’m more of a
Tom Glavine-type pitcher.
NS: What has been the reason for such success this year?
ZM: I’ve still been walking people, just not as much. When I’ve
gotten in jams, I’ve made good pitches for the most part, and we’ve
been scoring a lot of runs when I’m pitching. It’s always
easier when you’re up 7-0 early.
NS: What’s the biggest key for any pitcher?
ZM: I’d say throw strikes because if you walk two or three guys,
next thing you know there’s a couple runs on the board and that’s
what’s hurt you.
© 2004 Northern Star. All Rights Reserved.
