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Hiram takes a ride with his daughter Aliyah.               

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Boca's new sports bar in Bayamon - El Balcon.

Interview with outfielder Hiram Bocachica
May - 2004
Interview conducted by: Mark Abbott

MARK:
You've made a quick impression on fans in less than a month from being called up from Tacoma. Why do you think you are already so popular with the Mariner fans? There are other new players but you seem to have established a solid fan base.

HIRAM:
A lot of fans know abut me from Spring Training. But I am surprised because I've never been in this position before. Maybe it is the way I play the game. I have faith in my playing abilities and I know that I can make something good happen and that's what has happened right now. Every extra effort I made in spring training is paying off right now. So it is a blessing to have support for me. My family is in Puerto Rico but I have the fan club and it is like having family here to support me and it feels good.

MARK:
Is there anyone on the Mariner team that you have played with before in professional baseball?

HIRAM:
I played with (Ramon) Santiago in Detroit. I've played with Jolbert Cabrera back in the minor leagues with the Expos. I played with Jolbert and his brother [who plays for the Expos now] in Double A in Orlando.


MARK:
Who's your best friend on the Mariner team?

HIRAM:
I am closest to Ramon (Santiago) on the Mariners and we know each other pretty well. All the guys on the team (the Mariners), I'm telling you, they treat me well and I like them a lot. It's been weird being on a new team where they (the Mariners) are all very accepting. It's not always like that on other teams. There is always someone who does'nt like you or they have an attitude. But I don't see that on the Mariners. I just see guys that want to win games.


MARK:
Who was your favorite baseball player growing up?

HIRAM:
I have a few. I used to watch the Cubs a lot growing up. We had cable TV back home in Puerto Rico and the only channel that showed games was WGN (of Chicago). WGN showed the Cubbies. My favorite players were Andre Dawson and Shawn Dunston. Shawn Dunston was my idol. I used to play shortstop too (in high school) and the way Shawn threw the ball from short, as hard as he can, all of the time�Et made a big impression on me to see a guy like that play like that. It was funny, when I played short I tried to do the same thing most of the time. They were telling me don't throw the ball so hard,�Ebut I thought this one guy did it and I wanted to do it too.

MARK:
Who has helped out your baseball skill development and career the most?

HIRAM:
There was this guy named Rick Sofield (now field coordinator for the Yankees) who was one of my first coaches in the minors. He taught me so much about being disciplined and how to go about my work. If I didn't hustle, he would take me out of the ballgame. I was a first round draft pick so I had the attitude that I could do whatever I wanted to. He did not care. He would take me out of the game in the 1st inning �Eif I did something wrong, he would take me out and I would ask him "What are you doing?�EHe would be on me for anything I did wrong. Other people don't appreciate that, but now I see what he was trying to teach me. I think that's why I am the kind of player that I am �Egiving 100% all of the time. That guy was on me so bad �Efor like 3 or 4 years straight. But that guy, Rick Sofield, he taught me a lot of lessons.

MARK:
Who is your agent?

HIRAM:
A guy by the name of Jeff Moorad from California. He represents other players like Manny Ramirez, Eric Karros and Raul Mondesi.


MARK:
You were the top hitter for the Mariners in Spring Training this year (2004). Obviously it was very disappointing (and bewildering to many) to not make the Seattle team at the end of spring training. How does a player like yourself stay motivated playing in Tacoma when you feel like you have proven yourself?


HIRAM:
The thing was I knew my situation in Spring Training to begin with. And (Bob) Melvin didn't tell me anything but I knew that I wanted to give a good impression to the Mariner staff since they didn't know me that well. It was a new team to me. I just wanted to have a good Spring Training and show them what I could do.


MARK:
What sports did you play in high school?

HIRAM:
They called me "Sport Billy�E�Eit was a cartoon character that played every sport. I played volleyball, basketball as well as track & field. My first sport was volleyball. I used to play volleyball every day. It was like a hobby.


MARK:
What position did you play in high school baseball?


HIRAM:
Shortstop.


MARK:
How did you get hooked up with the Mariners? Did any of the coaches know you from before?


HIRAM:
Bavasi called my agent to find out what I was doing. Also we had Coach Cruz (Tommy Cruz �EPeoria Rookie League coach). He was my first base coach for winter ball back home in Puerto Rico. He works for the M's They asked him how I was doing.


MARK:
What positions have you played in the field as a professional baseball player?


HIRAM:
I've played everything except catcher and pitcher.


MARK:
What are your impressions of Seattle?


HIRAM:
I have no words to describe it. The feedback I am getting from fans and the stadium atmosphere, the electricity that is here...you can feel it. It's like something I've never felt before. The fans are great. It's like a dream come true. They appreciate what you do and all of your effort. I'm really glad that I'm here in Seattle!


MARK:
You look pretty fast on the base paths. Do you always get a green light to steal?

HIRAM:
Not always, but I've stolen several bases on my own so far.

MARK:
What advice to you have for young players trying to make it into the big leagues?


HIRAM:
The secret to success is hard work. You have to set priorities. Sometimes when you are young, you just want to play but then later you realize it is also work. There are times that you can go have fun and then there are times to work. You've got to have your priorities straight. Sometimes players will only have one chance to prove themselves and they have to take advantage of that chance.


MARK:
You hit one of the longest balls out of Dodger Stadium off of Randy Johnson when you were a Dodger. Do you consider yourself a long ball hitter?


HIRAM:
No, not necessarily. A lot of power hitters say they are going to hit it out and they hit it out. I don't even think about it. I just have to let it happen. The ball jumps off of my bat pretty good but most people say it is because of my bat speed. A lot of power hitters are strong. I just try to hit the ball hard but I don't consider myself a power hitter.


MARK:
What do you consider your greatest asset as a player; your arm �Eyour bat �Eor your speed?


HIRAM:
I'd like to think that I have a mixture of all of those tools. I used to think of myself of a hitter and I used to concentrate on that- but now I concentrate on everything.


MARK:
What player is next to your locker in the clubhouse?

HIRAM:
Jolbert Cabrera

MARK:
Has Eddie Guardado played any tricks on you yet?


HIRAM:
Not yet. He's a funny guy making a lot of jokes. He makes your day go a little bit easier �Emaking jokes and saying slangs that you don't understand.


MARK:
What is the hardest thing about coming to Safeco Field from Tacoma?

HIRAM:
There isn't anything hard about it. It is a little intimidating at first but you get used to it.. You end up concentrating so hard that you forget that there are so many people looking at you. I end up focusing on what I am doing so much that I don't even hear anything.