Ryan Lavarnway's NL Central comments

Discuss all things Cardinals Baseball
Post Reply
User avatar
mikechamp
Hall Of Famer
Posts: 10132
Joined: April 17 06, 5:05 pm
Location: Southwestern Illinois

Ryan Lavarnway's NL Central comments

Post by mikechamp »

These comments came from a chat with former MLB catcher and World Series champion Ryan Lavarnway that occurred on March 23. He played for the Red Sox, Orioles, Braves, A’s, Pirates, Reds, Marlins and Indians. He announced his retirement yesterday and is now trying to figure out what to do next (besides be a Dad). @heyzeus will want to check this one out, because he took a lot of questions from Jewish fans.

He chatted for an hour, but because his answers were brief, he covered a lot of ground. Because he played for 2 NL Central teams, there were a fair amount of NL Central questions. I still included 5 bonus Q&As. As always, click on the link to read the entire chat.

The link to the entire chat can be found here: https://live.jotcast.com/chat/live-chat ... 15374.html

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Ryan thanks for chatting with us! Who was your favorite pitcher to catch in your career?

Ryan Lavarnway
I have a lot of favorites over the years. This is a loaded question for me because I never know if I say, "most successful pitcher", because that is Jon Lester for sure. But a pitcher that became my best friend? Josh Zeid.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
My wife and I want to wish you a super retirement. Is "the big game" you had with the Cincinnati Reds a highlight of your career? We still remember your and Scooter Gennett's games as major highlights of a bad rebuild.

Ryan Lavarnway
That was definitely the best game I ever played! And it was super meaningful to me because of everything I had to do to get there. Many people don't know that I had been in AAA with the Yankees that year, torn my oblique, and then released by them the day before that game!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Congratulations on retirement! What ballpark did you enjoy playing in the most?

Ryan Lavarnway
I mean Fenway and Wrigley are in a class of their own. Beyond that, I also love Cincy, Baltimore and Seattle.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Who is the best pitcher you’ve ever faced? And who is the best you’ve had the pleasure of catching?

Ryan Lavarnway
My Kryptonite was Justin Masterson. At one point when we were facing him that day, our hitting coach even asked if they should just bench me that day lol.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Favorite team you've played for?

Ryan Lavarnway
Pirates
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I was at the game you made your Reds debut and what a night you had there! Pretty sure your 6 RBI is a Reds record for a player in their first game with Cincinnati.

Ryan Lavarnway
That was a fun game.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Did you have any conversation with Octavio Dotel or Edwin Jackson as you continued to add franchises to the back of the baseball card?

Ryan Lavarnway
Hahaha, no. But I played with Edwin on 2 or maybe even 3 different teams and he is an awesome guy.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Great job on your perseverance! Thanks for doing this chat. I hope you enjoyed your brief time in Cincinnati. Any memories of being in town?

Ryan Lavarnway
Thank you! I loved my short stint in Cincy. I wish it had been longer. That stadium there is really nice! And there's a sneaky food scene there too.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I believe I recall one night you hit 3 HR with the Reds shortly after joining them. That was wild to see. Had you caught any of the opposing pitchers previously? Anything else that might have given you an edge that night? Thanks! Best!

Ryan Lavarnway
No secret there. The stars just aligned!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Hello Ryan! Congrats on 15 years in MLB! Who was the best teammate you ever had…if you had to pick one out.

Ryan Lavarnway
Ryan Dempster was great in the locker room. He gave the best inspirational talk I've ever heard.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Cincinnati style chili - are you a fan?

Ryan Lavarnway
I'm a fan of "When in Rome, do as the Romans do"... so when I'm in Cincy, I will eat it like a local!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Do people talk trash about you in every visiting city? What are some things they say?

Ryan Lavarnway
I love it when people get creative with trash talk. "You suck" is so unoriginal. My favorite is when they can make me laugh. Have you ever tried to hit when you're laughing? It's impossible.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
What would say is the biggest takeaway from your professional career?

Ryan Lavarnway
Biggest takeaway, treat people the right way.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
What advice would you give to young catchers who are still pretty new to the position (age 9-12)?

Ryan Lavarnway
At that age the most important thing is to keep the ball in front of you. How many times in little league games does someone get on first and then three passed balls later they score and everyone sighs. Just have fun, and keep the ball in front!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Any thoughts of getting into coaching post-career? Give it a spin: what coaching/advice would you give to a high school pitcher?

Ryan Lavarnway
To a high school pitcher, throw strikes, challenge hitters, and learn what makes YOU your best. There are 100 different ways to pitch and get guys out. Figure out what works best for you, don't try to just emulate someone else.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Was there ever a baserunner you were afraid of when they were on first?

Ryan Lavarnway
I was catching Steven Wright's knuckleballs with Billy Hamilton on base. That was stressful.
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Tags:

User avatar
heyzeus
Everday Unicorn
Posts: 41332
Joined: April 21 06, 10:14 am
Location: Austin, TX
Contact:

Re: Ryan Lavarnway's NL Central comments

Post by heyzeus »

5,000 years of beautiful tradition, from Moses to Ryan Lavarnway.

Post Reply