Jeff Clement

USC Catcher

How much heat do you take for being a country music fan?

Haha.  I get a little heat from some other players here and there.  However it's not too bad.  I think everyone, whether willing to admit it or not, is a country music fan. I think anyone who really gives it a chance winds up liking it.  I'm not into the "twangy" country, I'm more for the newer stuff (Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Toby Keith, Garth Brooks, Phil Vasser, etc-- I could go on and on).

 

Being a Cubs fan is every bit as painful as it looks.  I tell myself not to care as much, but that never works.  Don't worry though, "next year" is here.

 

FEW people in this world are blessed with a physique similar to Josh Fogel.  Who doesn't envy his physique?  I prefer not to get into arguments regarding minor league baseball teams.

 

The movie Elf has no explanation.  I probably would have really liked it about 15 years ago though.  I regret to say I spent money to watch it in the theater.  However it must be said that only Will Ferrell can make that movie viewable.

I don't put much stock into draft expectations.  I was pretty disappointed in the way the draft went in 2002 when I was picked in the 12th round by the Minnesota Twins.  Looking back, I'm happy that things turned out the way they did.  I've grown a lot as a person and as a baseball player in the three years I've been at USC.  I only care about winning.  I look at each game as an opportunity to help the team win.  Everything else has a way of working itself out.

 

The transition from small town Iowa to Los Angeles was easier than what you might think.  I lived on campus my freshman year, so USC was kind of it's own town in a big city.  I've been far too busy with school and baseball for the culture shock to affect me too much. About two months ago I would have said that the weather was what I'd miss most about California.  Now that monsoon season has begun, I might have to rethink that answer.

 

The best pitcher I've ever faced was the Cuban pitcher who beat us (Team USA) 3-1 in the Pan American Games of 2003.  He had control of a two-seam fastball, four-seam fastball, curveball, slider, and change up.  He was as close to unhittable that I've seen.

 

My family has always been the most important to me.  I certainly wouldn't have been able to accomplish what I have to this point if it weren't for the support of my family.  When I think about athletes that I admire and who serve(d) as an inspiration to me, Michael Jordan comes to mind first.  You can't find a person more competitive than he was.  He's simply the best.  The next closest that I can think of now is Brett Favre.  I love the way he plays.  Nobody has more fun playing than him, and nobody wants to win more.

Nothing replaces hard work.  It's all about putting in more time than the next guy and out-working everyone else.  My high school coach always told us, the one thing we all have equal is time . . . it's what we do with that time that makes the difference.

 

I have a lot of great baseball memories, but three come to mind as my favorites.  The first is from 1996 when our Little League team beat Team Michigan to advance to the Little League World Series in Williamsport.  Next is from my senior year in High School when we won the State Championship 9-6 after losing in the championship game the previous two seasons.  The most recent memory was hitting a grand slam for Team USA to help us win the semi-final game against Chinese Taipei 5-2 last summer.  We went on to win the gold medal the following night by beating Japan.

 

Favorite movie: Good Will Hunting.  Favorite Food: it's hard to beat good lasagna.  Favorite musical group: depends on the day.  Favorite actress: I'm a big fan of Jessica Simpson (how dumb she acts on Newlyweds has to be an act).  Plus I can't wait to see her in those shorts as Daisy Duke.

 

If you could invite any three people in the history of the world over for dinner, who would they be?

Jesus Christ, Babe Ruth, and Abraham Lincoln.