Q-and-A with Stephen Sauer, ThunderBolts pitcher
August 9, 2012 11:20PM
Stephen Sauer, ThunderBolts pitcher. | Gary Middendorf~For Sun-Times Media
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Updated: September 11, 2012 6:16AM
Sauer, the ThunderBolts’ Opening Day starter, is in his first season with the team after being signed in February. He is 6-6 with a 3.63 ERA. Sauer was a 10th-round draft choice by the White Sox in 2008 and spent four seasons in the Sox organization. He is a Las Vegas native and a product of Arizona State University.
You had back-to-back rough starts about a month ago (allowing 13 earned runs in six innings against London and Gateway on June 28 and July 3, respectively). How were you able to bounce back from those and start pitching well again?
I had my confidence shaken in London and in Gateway. I was talking to a buddy of mine, (T-Bolts reliever) Mike Click. We’re both Christians and we just talked about how Christ would play if he played baseball. We talked about a parallel between faith and confidence. If you believe in something, you have confidence in it. I know that I was gifted in being able to throw a baseball. I just had to go out there and pitch and not be scared.
Earlier in the year a lot of the bullpen guys were posting photos of you on Twitter every day. What’d you think of that?
It was funny. They were all tweeting back and forth to each other and I had never used Twitter and was never interested. So when they said “Hey, do you want to get a Twitter?” I was like “Sure, whatever.” They kind of ran with it, made it a huge deal. It was more fun for them. I don’t tweet very much. I feel like I don’t have a lot to tweet.
What was it like growing up in Las Vegas?
I get that question so much. For me, it’s the exact same as growing up in any other big city. When you’re in high school, you go bowling, you go to the movies. The only thing that’s different is you might get an opportunity to go down to The Strip for prom or something like that and look at the fountains and all that stuff. That’s the special part.
Do you have any hidden talents?
I really enjoy playing the guitar and fishing.
What’s your favorite baseball movie?
It kind of depends on the mood I’m in. For a comedy, it has to be “Major League.” Overall, I’d say “Bull Durham,” because of how great Kevin Costner and Tim Robbins are.
What’s on your iPod?
Right now, I’m really into a Christian rapper named Trip Lee. There’s an awesome group called Needtobreathe. I love Alter Bridge.
If you had to go on one reality show, which would you pick?
I’d love to go on a survival show like “Man vs. Wild.” I’d love to go on an adventure with Bear Grylls. That would be sick.
Which of your teammates should have his own reality show?
(Pitcher) Mike Recchia. He’s hilarious, he’s crazy and he’s a really good guy.
You’re stranded on a deserted island and can have an endless supply of one food. What do you pick?
Oh, man, one food that has to have everything. You’ve got to enjoy it. I’m going to say beef because survival-wise it has a ton of calories and it’d be smart to have, plus it’d taste good.
As told to Steve Millar
