Monday, May 6, 2013
Chris Myers, Director of Sports Programming at WQLR “The Fan”

Chris Myers radio introduction: Hey, Badgers fans!  Our guest this morning is Joel Swedlove, Kalamazoo’s second baseman and the recipient of this past week’s Sovereign League Player of the Week award.  He has been kind enough to take a few moments to give us a call from Palm Springs.

CM: Joel, how are you, and thanks very much for taking some time to speak with us.  I know you are getting ready for this afternoon’s game against the Codgers.

JS: My pleasure, Chris.  It has been quite a while since we last spoke.

CM: Not really that long ago.  In fact, it was last November, right after you signed your two-year contract extension with the Badgers.  I guess it has been awhile; almost six months.  Now you just batted .423, getting 11 hits in 26 at bats, going yard four times while driving in seven.  Not a bad week.  So Joel, how does it feel to be recognized with this award?

JS: I’ll admit that it does feel good to be acknowledged, but it would have been nicer had we won five games during last week.  Instead, we went 3-4.  But it felt good to be able to contribute and I certainly want ownership to feel like they made the right decision with my contract extension.

CM: Don’t feel too bad about the team record.  I mean, the Badgers are 5-5 over the last ten, and the club was not really forecast to even be a .500 team this year.

JS: (In a defensive tone) Hold on there, Myers; personal stats without the team actually winning really don’t amount to much!

CM: No disrespect intended; just reminding you of the pre-season prognostications.  You appear on several SL leaderboard categories, including fifth in batting average, fifth in OBP, third in slugging, third in OPS, third in total hits, tied for first in home runs, fourth in RBI,  and you are even eighth in stolen bases.  Oh, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the fact that you homered in four straight games, as well.  Quite the showing!  I think you earned your pay for the week!

JS: I appreciate your pointing this out, but I remind you, it is only May 6^th.  We have a long way to go and the competition will be fierce.  I just want to set an example for the young guys and try to set the stage for a winning season.

CM: I know this is no surprise to the knowledgeable fan, but I would also like to point out that you make it happen with the leather.  You are tied for the top spot for SL fielding percentage for second basemen at 1.000.  You’ve made no errors in 266 innings.  Outstanding!

JS: Yeah, there are two sides to this game.  I have been working hard at second.  As a matter of fact, Skip (Manager Martyn Steger) has been personally working with me on extra infield, things like the pivot when turning two and adjusting my fielding position based on count and the actual pitch.  Steger has quite the reputation for fielding know-how, and he has the ability to successfully coach it.

CM: How do you feel at second compared to third?  You have quite a bit of experience at the hot corner.  Do you prefer either position over the other?

JS: I came up as a third baseman, but over the past couple of years, there has been more emphasis on second for me.  We need to keep O’Halloran’s power in the lineup and he has a great glove at third, along with a cannon for an arm, so I have no problem with playing second.  Middle infield needs to be very tight for a winning club and I welcome the challenge and opportunity.

CM: 2013 will only be only your third full year at the big league level.  You know that there are some big-time expectations for your offensive production.  In terms of power production, you hit 32 and 30 home runs in 2011 and 2012, respectively.  Do you think you can match those numbers?

JS: I feel I am still learning how to be a big league hitter.  I am fortunate enough to be able to work with (Badgers hitting coach) Ed Johnson, one of the best in the business.  He has me doing extra work off the tee, as well as pitch recognition drills.  I am learning to remain more patient at the plate.  I need to really cut back on my strikeout totals.  We won’t go over those numbers from the past couple of years (programming note: Swedlove fanned 133 times in 2011 and 164 times in 2012), but to answer your question, if I continue to make quality contact, the power will come.  I am not consciously approaching each at bat with the expectation that I am going to drive one out.

CM: Well Joel, you are only 25 years old, you have a guaranteed contract and you are extremely popular here in Kalamazoo.  What more could a young guy ask for?

JS: More than anything, I want to be able to help the Badgers get back to winning games.  Our last winning season was way back in 2009.  That was only my second year in pro ball.  This town deserves a winner and, frankly speaking, Mr. Bell will accept nothing less.  I am confident that this club is on the right track.

CM: You guys are now sitting at 13-18 and getting ready for a three-game set in Palm Springs.  How does the club feel here at the beginning of May?

JS: We feel good, Chris.  Unfortunately, we lost Jason Jackson for six months due to a torn UCL, but other than that, the rest of the team remains healthy.  If we can stay that way, I think we will surprise some people with our performance.  But we still have five months to go; I hope the Badgers faithful stay tuned.

CM: I know you are on your way to the pre-game meeting there at Elderberry Field.  I want to thank you for your time.  Good luck today!

JS: It was my pleasure, Chris.  Thanks for the opportunity and I look forward to our next interview.