Baseball Life:  I read that you knew by age 5 you wanted to be a professional baseball player. What led you to making that decision at such a young age and did you ever consider another career path?

 

Adrian Houser: I looked up to my favorite baseball players so much when I was five.  I wanted to be just like them when I got older so I decided then that I wanted to play in the MLB.  As I got older I didn't really look for another career path because I had the same goal and dream I did when I was five. 

 

BL:  As you were growing up, who was your favorite MLB team and player? Where did you see your first MLB game?

AH:  My favorite MLB team growing up was the Seattle Mariners because my favorite players were on the team.  My favorite players were Ken Griffey Jr., Randy Johnson, and Alex Rodriguez.  I loved watching them play when I was little and wanted to be just like them. I saw my first MLB game in Texas. I was watching the Mariners and the Rangers play.



BL: Even through youth baseball, Little League, travel ball, etc. were you always a pitcher or did you try other positions?

AH: When I was younger I was always a pitcher, but when I didn't play pitcher,  I played shortstop or centerfield.  In high school centerfield was my second position after pitching. Pitching was always my first position.

 

BL:  You were a 3-sport stand out at Locust Grove High School in Oklahoma. Your senior year you were part of a Class 4A State Championship Team! You were 10-1 with a 0.62 ERA and 125 strikeouts in 62 innings. What would you say was your proudest achievement in high school?

AH:  I would have to say that my proudest achievement in high school would either be winning a State Championship in baseball with most of my friends that I grew up with or graduating as one of the valedictorians of our class.  It's hard to choose because baseball is such a big part of my life, but I also knew how important school would be.

 

BL:  You had signed a national letter of intent with Oklahoma and then the Draft came calling. You were selected by the Houston Astros in the second round of the First Year Player Draft. Will you please tell us about the day your were drafted. What were you doing and how did you find out you were selected? Did you have a celebration?

 

AH:  The day that I was selected in the draft I was at a hospital in Oklahoma City to see my grandpa who was very sick.  I had been at the hospital for maybe twenty minutes when I got a text from my good friend Archie Bradley telling me congrats, and then I got a call from my agent telling me that the Astros had selected me in the draft.  I didn't have a celebration until after I had been to Houston and signed with the Astros.  All of my friends and family were waiting on me at my house when I got back from Houston.  It was a great time and I'm glad I could share that moment with them.

 

 

 

BL:  Transitioning straight from high school baseball to pro, what were some of the immediate adjustments you had to make? Had you lived away from home before? How about the pace and the schedule?

 

AH:  Some of the immediate adjustments I had to make going from high school to pro ball was not being able to hit or play another position.  I had to be just a pitcher, which was something I was not use to at all.  I also had to learn how to live on my own and to be away from my friends and family pretty much all the time.  I did play travel ball the summer before my senior year and that helped me being away from everyone because I was only home for three weeks that whole summer.  The pace and schedule were quite different from what I was used to.  I didn't have to go to school before I went to baseball.  It was just baseball all the time and I love it.

 

 

BL:  You have pitched two seasons now. What’s in your repertoire of pitches and what is your go to pitch? Is the Slider back in your arsenal now?

AH:  I have four pitches that I throw right now.  They are a four-seam fastball, a two-seam fastball, a change-up, and a knuckle curve.  My go to pitch would have to be my four-seam fastball.  I throw it the most.  Yes the slider is still there.  I'm just not pitching with it as of now, but I am still throwing it and working on it.

 

BL: Do you have a pre-game ritual?

AH:  I'm not sure if you would call it a pre-game ritual, but I just listen to my music and hang out in the clubhouse or training room.  I also go outside during BP and sit in the dugout just to hang out there and watch the team hit and get used to the weather or see what it's going to be like.

 

 

BL:  What goes through your mind when a batter steps into the box? In your plan of attack, how do you decide which pitch to employ?

 

AH:  When a batter steps into the box I really don't pay much attention to him.  I just focus on the glove and focus on what pitch I'm going to throw.  The only time I really pay attention to the hitter is when I see how he reacts to the pitch that I just threw him and that helps me determine what pitch I'm going to throw next to the him.

 

 

BL:  How do you feel about your command, mechanics and movement?

 

AH:  I feel that my command and mechanics have come a long way since high school and the beginning of pro ball.  They have both gotten a lot better, but they both still need some work.  As for my movement I feel that I have pretty good movement on all of my pitches.  I like the movement that my pitches have.

 

 

BL:  What professional (MLB) player would you say you most pitch like? Which MLB player do you most admire and why?

 

AH:    I'm not sure what MLB pitcher that I most pitch like.  I just like to attack hitters and see what they have.  An MLB player that I probably admire most would be Roy Halladay.  He works hard at what he does and he is a great pitcher.  Easily a Hall of Famer.

 

 

BL:  What has been the best and worst part of the minor league lifestyle?

AH:  The best part about the minor league lifestyle would be being able to play baseball every day and getting to go all over the country to play.  I would have to say the worst part about the minor league lifestyle is the long bus rides to and from games.

 

BL:  How are you spending your off season? Do you have specific workouts or training you do?

AH:  I'm spending the offseason at home with my family and going to see friends that are off at college.  I am also working out at a place in Tulsa called DSD (Dynamic Sports Development) where I workout with my good friends Dylan Bundy, his brother Bobby, and other pro baseball players from the area.  I love working out with these guys.  They are all really good guys.

 

       

BL: Do you have any hobbies such as golf or fishing? If so what are they? 

AH:  I have a few hobbies that I love to do.  One of the hobbies that I do the most is hunting.  I enjoy hunting and being outdoors.  I also like to get out and go golfing when I can.  I do like to fish and hang out with my friends too.

 

BL:  What type of music do you like? What is the most played song/artist on your IPod?

AH:  I like all types of music.  I listen to country, rap, hip-hop, rock, classic rock, indie, alternative rock and some R&B.  The most played song on my iPod is probably a rap song or a John Mayer song.

 

BL:  When looking at your twitter, one can’t help but notice that you give the Glory to God for your accomplishments.  How important is your Faith to your life and career?

AH:  My faith is very important to my life and to my career.  I've been blessed with my talents, my friends, and family.  I thank God for all that he has done for me.  I wouldn't be able to do what I'm doing without him.  With God you can do all things.

 

BL: Do you have a favorite life verse, saying or motto that you live by?

AH:  I don't really have a saying that I live by.  I just try to be the best at what I do and be the best person I can be.

 

BL:  Who has had the most influence on your life? How has that person helped you the most?

 

AH:  The person who as has had the most influence in my life would have to be my dad.  He taught me how to play baseball and he pushed me as a little kid and even as I got older to be the best I could be and don't stop.  Even now he still pushes me to be better every day and I appreciate that he does.  He has made me the person I am today because he has always pushed me so hard.  I thank him for it too.

 

BL:  What is your favorite baseball movie? What movie have you seen recently that you really liked?

AH:  It's too hard to have a favorite baseball movie because there are so many good ones!  If I had to choose I would probably pick the Sandlot, Bull Durham, or Major League.  A movie that I've watched recently and really liked would have to be The Dark Knight Rises.  I really like the first one and I think this one was just as good.  I really hope that they make a third one.

 

   

 

BL: What would you like your legacy to be? How do you want to be remembered?

 

AH:  I would like to be remember as a hardworking guy and a great pitcher that pitched for a long time in the MLB and is in the Hall of Fame.  Just a fun and good guy to be around while playing baseball.