North Carolina State University Athletics
BATES Q&A:
8/17/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Aug. 17, 2005
All-America first baseman Aaron Bates went to bed early Tuesday night, in anticipation of the first day of fall classes at NC State on Wednesday morning. He got up early, as well, and was on time for his "Coaching Concepts" class at 9:10 a.m. When he stepped in the classroom, under rules established by Major League Baseball and the NCAA, Bates made his decision to forego professional baseball official - at least for the next nine months. Bates, an eighth-round pick of the Florida Marlins back in June, received several late offers by the major league team, but he had long ago decided that he would return to play for Elliott Avent's squad next spring, even though his performance in the Cape Cod League - where he batted .333 with three home runs, 16 RBIs and a league-best .446 on-base percentage - opened some eyes among scouts.
Bates stopped for a few minutes Wednesday, just before taking some batting practice with his teammates, to talk with GoPack.com's Tim Peeler about his decision to return to school and his summer experience of playing for the Brewster (Mass.) Whitecaps.
GOPACK: You went to class this morning, which means you will be back at NC State for this academic year. How's it feel to have that decision - finally - put to rest?
BATES: I'm really excited about the team I think we are going to have. It's going to take a lot of work, the same work ethic that our program is known for. I'm real excited just to have all those decisions behind me, so I can focus on my team, my teammates and this coming season.
GOPACK: There were a lot of people concerned that you might reconsider your decision and sign with the Marlins. Was it ever really close?
BATES: It wasn't much of a decision for me. I know other people, like Coach Avent, had some concerns. But it wasn't a concern for me. I went to bed early last night, and now I'm just ready to get going.
GOPACK: But did you get a lot of phone calls from the Marlins in this last few days before classes started?
BATES: I spoke with them a few times after the Cape Cod season finished, and they kind of threw some numbers out there. I think my mindset, though, was already made up about wanting to come back to school. It was going to have to be a pretty good situation for me to want to leave. There was no real hesitation in my decision. I was pretty set, once the season concluded at the Cape, that I was coming back to school.
GOPACK: Talk a little about the season you had up at the Cape, a wooden bat league that is known for its great pitching.
BATES: It was pretty exciting. The whole summer was a great experience. It was an honor to be a part of it, to be on the same field as some of the players who are up there. The caliber of talent is unbelievable.
GOPACK:I heard you won the home-run derby at the Cape Cod League All-Star Game. What was that like?
BATES: It was a fun experience because that is the first home-run derby I have ever done. I was a little nervous, so I had to really work at staying as relaxed as possible. I just wanted to put a good show on. I did a little better than I thought I would do. The last guy I went against was John Copely, who is actually a pitcher, and he had one at-bat all year long. But he had some really good pop in his bat. We had just played his team the week before and I had seen him do really well in batting practice. I thought I would go out there and have some fun, and I wound up winning the thing.
GOPACK: The way the story has circulated is that he hit five home runs in his turn during the finals before he made his allotted 10 outs, then you came out and hit six straight pitches out of the park and walked off the field without making an out. Is that accurate or Internet exaggeration?
BATES: First six swings, I hit out. Gib Hobson was on the other team and he was sitting along the foul-line and he came up and gave me a big handshake. I just got in a groove, relaxed and had some fun with it.
GOPACK: After the summer you had, with all the things that you had coming at you with taking a summer school class, why not just go ahead and sign the professional contract?
BATES: It would have been easier to do that, no question, but it just didn't feel right. I'm going to be patient with it. I knew we were looking to have a great team coming back. It's a little different coming in as a new guy and not knowing your way around than it is coming back as a returning player. There are different responsibilities but it's a lot of fun, too. I got a little taste of the ACC last year and I had some fun with it. I went with my gut feeling and never looked back. There is no doubt that I feel it was the right decision for me to make.
GOPACK: Do you have goals for where you would like to be drafted next year?
BATES: It might sound like a cliché, but I can't really worry about that at this point. Once the negotiations stopped and I went to class, it was more just concentrating on working towards getting to the College World Series and winning an ACC championship. I think if you're a team guy and doing your best to help your team win, that other stuff kind of takes care of itself. I watched Joey Devine, and he never talked about that kind of stuff and he ended up a first-round pick (of the Atlanta Braves). All that stuff will take care of itself, as long as you have a common goal of winning baseball games.
GOPACK: Third baseman Matt Mangini had a great summer in the Northwoods League (.344 BA, 6 HRs, 43 RBI, .525 slugging percentage), Matt Camp had a great summer in the Cape Cod League (.276 BA, 2 HR, 16 RBI, 13 SBs), Gib Hobson pitched great in the Cape League (6-1, 2.55 ERA, .219 batting average against), shortstop Jonathan Diaz drew raves defensively in the Northwoods League - you guys look like you could be loaded for next season.
BATES: I think it is going to take a lot of hard work, but most of the infield is coming back. We still have to get accustomed to each other again, which is what fall practice is for. I think offensively we have a chance to be very good. It is exciting to be in that position, but it takes a lot of hard work to get there.
