A few good minutes with…
Auburn High’s Drew Eiland, Reid Carter, Scott Norrell and Chace Mitchell!!!
That big fella in the center up there is Mitchell (the catcher) surrounded by the Tigers’ three ace pitchers (from left to right): Eiland, a junior; Carter, a senior; and Norrell, another senior. The ones that got Auburn through the playoffs and to its first state championship in 23 years.
The four took some time out from their busy schedule anxiously waiting for summer vacation to talk about Uncrustables, Bull Durham and the many and varied nicknames of teammate Trey Gregg.
Do you have any superstitions or pre-game rituals?
Carter: Before I pitch, I got through…
Mitchell: ...a 45-minute ritual…
Carter: ...I’m probably the slowest person getting ready that you’ll ever see. I always run to the same spot on the field, I always do the same exact stretches, throw in the same exact spot - closest to the line - and, uh…yeah. I’m probably the most superstitious person on the field.
Eiland: I’m kind of the polar opposite. I just go out and throw until my arm feels good. And then I go to the bullpen and throw about 15 pitches, tell coach (Tommy) Carter I’m ready, but then he tells me that 15 pitches is not enough to be ready. So I have to go back and throw more.
Norrell: I’m more like Reid: I’m pretty superstitious when I’m getting ready. Just not the extent that he goes to. He’s kind of crazy about it. I just warm up with the same people, kind of in the same general area each time. If I’m ready, I’m ready. I don’t have to run to the same spot on the field or anything like that.
Who’s your favorite pro player?
Norrell: Mine would be Tim Hudson, because he’s like 5-foot-9. (Note: Norrell is about 5-foot-7) He got cut from his high school team - Central - when he was like a junior. And he got to Auburn throwing like 78. And he made it to the Braves organization. He didn’t give up on baseball, he just loves the game that much and stayed with it.
What’s your favorite meal?
Norrell: (laughing) Chace, this one’s probably you.
Mitchell: Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Eiland: No it’s not.
Mitchell: Dude, I love those things. Get those little Uncrustables out of the freezer…
Eiland: ...that’s gross…
Mitchell: ...get about three of those, pop them into the microwave about six seconds, flip it over, about six more seconds. That’s the best, when they’re warm.
What’s on the iPods right now? What are we listening to?
Carter: I got into a group where through the playoffs, I would listen to the rap group, Youngbloodz. That’s the playlist I would listen to before every game and it would get me in the zone.
Mitchell: He kept me up at night listening to Youngbloodz.
Carter: It’s definitely good pump-up music.
Norrell: It’s a little bit different than Reid’s, but I have a reason, though. It’s a group called MercyMe. Because when I was warming up in Mary Montgomery (in the semifinals) - I’m surprised I could hear it over all those people - but they were playing one of their songs at the football stadium and that was the Final Four. So for the championship, on the way down there I just listened to it about five times.
What was the most annoying or distracting thing a Mary Montgomery fan shouted at you during the semifinals?
Mitchell: My mom’s name. And my girlfriend’s name.
Carter: They were calling me Abe Lincoln because of my beard. It was kind of funny. You kind of had to smile that off. That was pretty good.
Norrell: They didn’t say much to me. They couldn’t see me over the mound, they said.
Mitchell: ‘Circus freak?‘ Wasn’t that what they were saying?
Carter: They said you couldn’t ride the rides.
Norrell: They said if you’re as tall as your fastball, you can’t ride the rides.
Eiland: Grant (Massey) got it the worst. Grant was over at third base.
Norrell: They just talked to him about random stuff. Grant’s not one you want to yackback. He’s kind of like me. He gets angry sometimes for no reason.
What about your favorite movie?
Carter: Mine would have to be Bull Durham. Every time that comes on, I click on it and tell myself I’m only going to watch it for a little bit. But I watch the entire movie every time it comes on.
What was the deal with Trey Gregg going by “Happy” at the state finals?
Norrell: Nobody really calls him Trey. We call him “Happy” or “Happysaurus”...
Mitchell: ...“Happy Gregg”...“Happypotamous”...
Carter: He’s got a bunch of nicknames. He’s got the most nicknames on the team.
Norrell: “Paco”...
Where does “Paco” come from?
Eiland: He calls everybody “Pancho.“
Norrell: Yeah, and I called him “Paco” one time. And he’s like, ‘A’ight, Pancho,“ and we just went back and forth.
So if I’m writing about him in the paper: I call him Trey?
Norrell: I’d say “Dirkopotamous.“
