07/26: 20 Questions W/ Jose Tabata
Posted by: James
Sapna Pathak over at MiLB.com got a chance to sit down with Yankee prospect Jose Tabata and pick his brain a little bit. Tabata comes off as a good kid, intelligent and to the point but still pretty jovial. I'd read the whole article but I've presented some of the highlights below:
MiLB.com: Were you exposed to Major League Baseball while growing up in Venezuela?
JT: There were games on TV. I grew up loving Manny Ramirez.
MiLB.com: Your childhood hero was Manny and now you're a part of the Yankees, how does that feel?
JT: (Laughs) It's weird because I love Manny Ramirez, but I knew that if I played it would only be for the New York Yankees. I wouldn't even consider it.
MiLB.com: What are you doing when you aren't playing baseball?
JT: I love playing basketball as much as baseball. If I was taller maybe I'd be in the NBA right now (laughs).
MiLB.com: What's the best part about playing here?
JT: The most important thing to me is being a team player. I'm not caught up with doing well all by myself; I have that team-mentality.
MiLB.com: Do you shy away from being in the public eye, or do you enjoy it?
JT: Oddly enough, although my English isn't that good, I like speaking in public. I enjoy being around fans or young children and getting to know people.
MiLB.com: What big-league ballpark would you play in if you had the choice?
JT: Yankee Stadium, as a Yankee.
JT: There were games on TV. I grew up loving Manny Ramirez.
MiLB.com: Your childhood hero was Manny and now you're a part of the Yankees, how does that feel?
JT: (Laughs) It's weird because I love Manny Ramirez, but I knew that if I played it would only be for the New York Yankees. I wouldn't even consider it.
MiLB.com: What are you doing when you aren't playing baseball?
JT: I love playing basketball as much as baseball. If I was taller maybe I'd be in the NBA right now (laughs).
MiLB.com: What's the best part about playing here?
JT: The most important thing to me is being a team player. I'm not caught up with doing well all by myself; I have that team-mentality.
MiLB.com: Do you shy away from being in the public eye, or do you enjoy it?
JT: Oddly enough, although my English isn't that good, I like speaking in public. I enjoy being around fans or young children and getting to know people.
MiLB.com: What big-league ballpark would you play in if you had the choice?
JT: Yankee Stadium, as a Yankee.