Other than baseball, what was your favorite sport to play growing up?
"Basketball, for real. I was all right in basketball, baseball and football, but baseball was my ticket so I went after baseball. Guess I went about it in a smart way."
You signed with USC before the baseball draft, why?
"I liked the school, and they had 12 NCAA championships. Their background was pretty good. I liked the coach, Chad Kreuter. I felt I could relate to him. USC fit me, I guess."
How did it feel to be the No. 1 overall pick?
"The night before (the Rays) called and told me they were 95 percent sure they were going to take me. I still didn't know. There was a 5 percent chance they wouldn't. I can't even explain the feeling of being the top pick. It's what everybody dreams about, that's what everybody works hard for, especially the prospects coming up. I worked hard and luckily I was blessed with the ability and skills to be the No. 1 pick."
What do you do to relax during the season?
"I'm pretty much at the field every day. After that, I watch TV, play video games, hang out with my brother and some teammates. Shoot pool. I'm a good pool player."
If the Rays had a pool tournament this spring, how would you do?
"I'd advance a few rounds. I'm not saying I'd win the whole thing, but I'd advance a few rounds."
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