I'm quite often tempted to blow things off. I can usually convince myself that, in the grand scheme of things, whether or not I hand in a paper really doesn't matter. I usually remain convinced until about 12 hours before an assignment's due, at which point I seat myself in front of a computer, and, savoring the soul-crushing blend of panic and resignation, pound out the page requirement. I thought to myself earlier this week, however, what if I had a excuse for blowing things off? What if I had a plan for my life after college that didn't revolve around my convincing someone in a well-tailored suit that I'm far more capable than my resume leads them to believe? So, I decided to talk with New York Mets prospect Will Bashelor '07 to find out what that might be like.
The D: So, what'd you do last summer?
WB: I spent the majority of my time hitting grand slams and stealing dozens of bases for the New York Mets minor league team in Kingsport, Tenn.
The D: Cool. Just for my own curiosity, how easy is it to pick up girls with that as the answer to "what'd you do last summer?"
WB: In Tennessee it wasn't as helpful as having all of my upper teeth.
The D: Back to baseball for a bit, how'd this summer go?
WB: The summer went okay. It was pretty up and down. I had a great July, then followed it up with a terrible August. When I report to spring training in March I will be playing for an outfield spot on the Mets A-ball team. It's all a pretty long process.
The D: Anything in particular that you need to improve on to move up?
WB: I need to prove I can hit quality pitching. The Mets like my speed, but as an outfielder if you can't put up solid numbers offensively, you can't play in the majors.
The D: What was it like making the decision to turn professional and forgo your senior season , and what was the reaction from the team and coaches?
WB: It was difficult in some respects, but once I was told that I would not miss my whole senior year the decision got a lot easier. The Mets offered to pay for my senior year of tuition and I'm going to graduate only about six months after the rest of my friends. I think anyone can look at that objectively and say it's a great deal. Plus I'm having the opportunity to play professionally with a whole new level of competition and coaching.
The D: I'd imagine your educational background is somewhat different than that of your minor league teammates. Any interesting miscommunications?
WB: Well a lot of team members speak Spanish and I don't, so that can lead to some interesting conversations where neither one of us has a clue what the other one is saying. I'm 95 percent sure they're talking about how good I am, but there's a slight chance they could be talking about empanadas from the Dominican Republic or how fat our first baseman Junior Contreras is.
The D: Finally, I've been wondering about your study habits. How much has the thought, "Screw this, I play for the f*cking Mets," hurt your GPA? Ever handed in five copies of your offer sheet instead of a five-page paper?
WB: Well, I don't quite play for the Mets yet. But to answer your question, I mean I guess it can be kind of tough taking my professors seriously, especially the ones with the PhDs. I mean I have my own Topps baseball card now -- everything else is just pretty insignificant.
