FROM THE MANAGER’S DESK: A PRESEASON CHECK-IN WITH CANNON BALLERS MANAGER JAYSON NIX BY DAN HELOTIE THE VOICE OF THE CANNON BALLERS
Q: Starting off, your career gave you seven years in the big leagues, and you have spent a good amount of time in professional baseball. What are some of the takeaways that you can take from your long career in the game of baseball to take into your first managerial role here in Kannapolis? Nix: I played a long time, and I was a high pick out of high school. I was a prospect and had some struggles in the minor leagues before I got to the big leagues and was able to play there in the big leagues for several years. I played for a lot of different organizations, I saw a lot of different ways of doing it and have been through a lot in this game, and I know what it takes to be a professional and what it takes to grind in the minor leagues and grow as a young player and ultimately get to the big leagues and stay there to play for a little while. From all my experiences, this year with this team, I am really just excited to help them understand how to be a professional and what that looks like and to start their journey. Q: Coming up through your playing career, who might have been some of the biggest influences for you in your playing career that helped you get to where you are now and then who are some of those people that may have steered you going the coaching route after your playing career? Nix: There are so many people, just so many different teammates and coaches I had along the way. Some of the coaches that really come to mind, Mike Gallego was one of the first infield instructors I had coming out of high school right out of the draft and was with him for several years in the minor leagues and then in the big leagues. He had a big impact on me. Rob Thompson was a coach I had in the big leagues who also had a big impact on me. Those two guys, as far as coaches, have had big impacts on me and they are guys who I think about a lot and were really valuable for me as a player. Now I think about them on the coaching side of it and how they were, so they are a resource for me still. There are so many players; one of my first full years in the big leagues was with the White Sox and being around guys like Paul Konerko, Jermaine Dye, Jim Thome, AJ Pierzynski, Scott Podsednik. Those guys were pro’s pros and I really learned a lot from playing with those guys and learning how they went about things. Those guys had a big impact on me as well.
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