An Interview with St. Louis Cardinals prospect Chase Reid

Chase Reid, a pitcher for the Palm Beach Cardinals (A+, Florida State League), recently joined Redbird Rants for an interview.

Daniel Solzman:

Chase, thanks for joining Redbird Rants today. How are things treating you in Palm Beach?

Chase Reid: Palm Beach is definitely a great place to play baseball for sure.

Daniel Solzman: First things first, how about the SEC this past year? Your Commodores beat my Cats in the SEC Basketball Tournament down in New Orleans this year. But seriously though, what was it like facing all the SEC hitting during your Vandy years?

Chase Reid: Kentucky had a great season and I’m always happy to see a SEC team at the top at the end of the year. When people try to argue that the SEC isn’t the best conference, I just ask them who is the reigning champion in basketball, baseball, and football. That usually ends the conversation…Honestly, playing the SEC was an absolutely incredible experience and I am so thankful that Vanderbilt gave me to opportunity to play for them. As a freshman, I faced a lot of hitters who were in the big leagues, and having success, before I was even through my junior year. That gave me a lot of confidence entering pro ball.

Daniel Solzman: How did playing for Coach Tom Corbin prepare you for professional baseball?

Chase Reid: Coach Corbin not only helped prepare me for college and professional baseball, he helped prepare me for life. Every student athlete that goes to Vanderbilt has to realize the importance of time management very early or it will get overwhelming in a hurry. Coach Corbin really emphasizes the development his players on and off the field.

Daniel Solzman: What’s Johnny Rodriguez like as a manager?

Chase Reid: He’s a fun coach to play under because you know he cares. Not just about winning the game, which he does, but also about your performance as an individual. He is always trying to give you all the information that he can to help you out.

Daniel Solzman: How has Pitching Coach Dennis Martinez helped with your pitching these past two seasons?

Chase Reid: Prez has a ton of experience for sure and he has lots of stories to share with us. I just try and learn all that I can from them. He is an emotional motivator and if you hear someone yelling for you out of the dugout, it’s a good chance it is him.

Daniel Solzman: What’s a day in the life like during the season?

Chase Reid: My season goes completely day to day. Most of the time I don’t even know we are heading on a road trip until the day before we leave. I check what time we have to be at the field the next day. I go home with my roommates and cook. Then I read, sleep, and play video games until we leave for the field the next day. I have a very selective short term memory too when it comes to pitching which is a good think, especially as a reliever where it is possible that you could be pitching in less than 24 hours. After a bad outing, I try my best to not leave the shower until I get rid of all negative emotions. Unfortunately, this method well tend to lead to very long showers from time to time. Haha.

Daniel Solzman: Thanks again for joining us. Any final words for the best fans in baseball?

Chase Reid: It was no problem at all. Thank you to all the fans that have supported me through my career. I’m so thankful to play in the Cardinals organization. The passion runs deep with our fans and I hope that I will be able to contribute at the highest level someday. GO CARDS!