Interview with Shane Gunderson

[goulik]

Shane Peter Gunderson was born October 16th 1973 in Faribault, Minnesota. He was initially drafted in the 50th round by the San Diego Padres out of Faribault High School in 1992. He opted to attend the University of Minnesota and was again drafted in 1995 in the 6th round by our own Minnesota Twins. Shane toiled as a Catcher, 1st Baseman and Outfielder through 6 minor league seasons but played most of his career in the corner outfield positions. He was in Elizabethton and Fort Wayne (FW) in '95, Fort Meyers (FM) in '96, FM, FW, and New Britain (NB) in '97, FM and NB in '98, and NB in '99 and 2000 before being forced from the game by injuries. He had the pleasure of playing with some pretty big names along the way.

 

Out of baseball, Shane still lives and teaches in Minnesota. I have known and worked with him for a few years now but only this year did I learn about his professional baseball background. I thought it would be fun to ask him some questions to share with the TD fan base. Thank you Shane for this informative and fun experience.

 

G: What was it like to be drafted that first time?

 

SG: It was exciting, I had gone to a tryout camp put on by the Atlanta Braves when I was in 10th grade so I knew the scout who had drafted me for a couple of years. The process helped me out later when I was drafted in college.

 

G: What was the decision like to choose college out of high school? Was it a hard decision or a no brainer? Did the Padres try very hard to lure you away from college?

 

SG: Choosing the University of Minnesota was an easy decision. They had just had a great run of really good professional players get drafted in the early rounds (Denny Neagle, Dan Wilson, Brent Gates) and they had an incredible reputation for building talent.

 

G: What was your reaction to being drafted by the Twins?

 

SG: It was incredibly exciting to be drafted by your hometown organization. I grew up seeing them win two World Series, so being drafted by them was a dream come true.

 

G: You played at 4 different levels in the Twins organization for 6 years. What is it like living the minor league life? What was your favorite part? What did you dislike the most?

 

SG: Minor League baseball is a grind. The biggest realization a young player has to figure out is that it's a job. Playing the game of baseball is so much fun but in the minors you have to approach it like work. You don't get many if any days off and you will be playing for no money. You will make enough to pay the bills but not enough to live on the rest of the year. My first experience was in rookie ball where we had 4 guys living in a 2 bedroom apartment, taking turns sleeping on the bed and the couch. My favorite part of the entire experience was the friendships. I have friends all over the country and we are all part of this unique fraternity.

 

G: You were quite the athlete when you were growing up. Did it go to your head and was there a moment where you realized you needed to change your attitude or were you able to stay grounded along the way?

 

SG: I'm sure like any athlete it went to my head at one time or another but I was lucky I had a great group of coaches in all sport that kept all of us grounded. I still remember the quote “you're never as good or as bad as you think you are.”

 

G: In or outside of Sports, What are you most proud of in life and what's one thing you would like a do over on?

 

SG: I'm most proud of the fact that I was able to earn my undergraduate and master’s degree from the University of Minnesota. When I retired from baseball I wasn't clear on my future. As an athlete you spend so much of your time trying to reach the pinnacle of your sport, when it's over you're not quite sure what to do. Fortunately for me, I had some good direction and some good people at the University who were able to help me accomplish that goal. I'm not sure there would be one thing I would do differently if I had it to do over again. All the experiences I've had were incredible.

 

G: What was your favorite sports moment? What was your favorite professional moment?

 

SG: I think my favorite moment was putting on the uniforms. There was just something about all the sports I've played from grade school to professional baseball that I've enjoyed. I have memories from all levels that has made athletics such an important part of my life and given me the greatest satisfaction.

 

G: You already told me about some of your injuries. How hard is it on a body to play at that level and what are some lessons you learned about taking care of your body as a professional athlete and since leaving the game?

 

SG: It’s incredibly difficult on your body, in hindsight some of the injuries I played through I would have taken days off now. At the time, I really didn't feel like I wanted someone else to play and possibly take my starting job. It's difficult at that level when you're competing for a position to take time off. I just always wanted to be on the field.

 

G: There has been a lot of media discussion the past couple years about minor league pay. How did you feel about the pay then and how do you feel about the system in retrospect?

 

SG: It's a very tough question. I can see both sides of the issue. One problem, in my opinion, is the amount of time and effort needed to devote to being a professional athlete. There is really no time for another job but you hear stories all the time about how guys worked two different jobs in the offseason and still found time to workout. So it can be done. I do think they should increase the pay some for the younger guys. Many of them are living check to check.

 

G: Who did you most enjoy playing with and who was your favorite Coach(Es)?

 

SG: I have the utmost respect for my college coaches. They still are incredible coaches and even better human beings. They have molded some great people, not just baseball players. They are able to get athletes to compete at a high level every year and when they're done they are ready for whatever life has in store for them. In professional baseball my favorite coach was John Russell. He taught me to be a student of the game. He was always thinking and many times more steps ahead of the other managers we played against. During the times I was injured, I watched him handle the running game of other teams, how he handled the bullpen and how he was able to connect with all players on our roster. He is really good, which is why he is still with the orioles.

 

G: What was the most important thing you learned along the way?

 

SG: Perseverance, you really have to grind out days in the hot summer. I remember Ft. Myers in late August and we had played 35 days straight without a day off and our manager at the time looked at us and said “boys time to go to work.” It struck me that if I can play through this I can do a lot of tough things much more difficult in life.

 

G: What is one thing you would hope all Minor and Major League Baseball fans would learn or know about the profession and professional athletes?

 

SG: That it is a job for these guys and they take pride in it. It seems glamorous because most of the time all we see is the big contracts. Many of these guys are away from their families for weeks on end and it wears on them. Most of the time they are at the park for 12-14 hours working their tails off to get better.