Quarantine Q&A #10 With Hancock Alumni and Pro Pitcher Mickey Jannis
Jannis is a Nevada native and Arroyo Grande High School Graduate who has entered his 12th year as a pro. Jannis attended Hancock his sophomore year of college in 2008 and was named to the All-Southern California team and the Western State Conference North first team in 2008. He was also the WSCN Relief Pitcher of the Year, had a 3.20 ERA with 78 strikeouts in 68 innings of work (11.95 strikeouts per 9 innings), as well as recorded seven saves. He was named Allan Hancock’s 2008 Pitcher of the Year.
Q: What was your most memorable moment as an AHC Bulldog?
A: My most memorable moment as a bulldog was coming out of the bullpen one game and throwing 7+ innings against Oxnard College. I came in about the 6th inning and pitched into the 14th inning I believe. The game kept going back and forth. But the way we were able to battle through the entire game, comeback a few different times, and come out on top!
Q: How has your life been since your time playing baseball for Allan Hancock College?
A: My life has been great since leaving AHC. I am happily married with a one year old daughter now. My baseball career has been full of ups and downs. But I have been through so much adversity through it all. I went on to play division 1 baseball for Cal State Bakersfield as a brand new program, literally building the program from the ground up (we laid the grass for the baseball field ourselves), getting drafted then released, Playing independent baseball, getting signed by the New York Mets, being a free agent signing for the Baltimore Orioles, not playing with the pandemic last year and resigning with the Orioles going into next year. Persevering through it all with the support of my family.
Q: What was it like when you found out you were being selected in the MLB draft?
A: When I got drafted it was mostly just a relief. I knew I was good enough and played well my senior year of college but I didn’t know if I would get the chance to play professional baseball. No scouts really talked to me so I didn’t know what to expect. Just a huge relief once I heard my name called in the 44th, a round that doesn’t even exist anymore.
Q: If you could go back in time, to your junior college days, what is one thing you’d tell yourself?
A: Get in the weight room! I never followed a restricted workout program until about my 3-4th year of pro ball. Especially nowadays, you’re almost an outlier if you don’t workout. I would want my younger self to start lifting and getting stronger earlier in my career.
Q: Who would you say was a major influence on your pitching success?
A: I’ve had so many different people that have had an influence during my career. I’ve taken bits and pieces from them that I felt worked best for me. But the person that has had the biggest influence is my dad. He was a coach in many different sports for almost 50 years. He’s always there to talk about my games before and after. Breaking down each game to make sure I’m prepared for the next outing, if I’m doing something wrong helping me correct that so I don’t make the same mistakes again, keeping me level headed throughout our long seasons.
Q: You’ve thrown a knuckleball throughout your life, at what point did you realize it was a pitch you could use as a professional baseball player to get batters out?
A: Once I got released by the Tampa bay rays is really when I felt like I needed to change something to get another chance at affiliated baseball. Growing up throwing a knuckleball I always had it in the back of my mind just in case I needed it. I knew it was a good one. I asked every coach I had whether or not I can use it in a game and not one was really for it. But when I got released I knew that was the time I needed to turn to it to keep my career going.
Q: Who’s the best athlete you’ve ever played with, professionally or in college?
A: This will be my 12th pro season. I’ve been able to play with and against so many great athletes it’s hard to choose just one. Coming up with the Mets playing with guys like Jeff McNeil (my former roommate in the minors and Nipomo HS grad), Pete Alonso, Dominic Smith, Andres Gimenez. Watching how they go about the game everyday. As far as playing against. One hitter stands out above the rest as the best one i faced. Rafael Devers, 3rd baseman for the Boston Red Sox. He never swung and missed. And he hit everything I threw. Whether it be a knuckleball, fastball, slider, cut fastball. He was always able to get the barrel to the ball and hit everything hard.
Q: Thus far, what has been your favorite ballpark to play in?
A: My favorite ballpark I think is the Portland Sea Dogs in Maine, AA for the Red Sox. I love the old school parks. Always a great atmosphere with the fans there, whether it’s snowing which we’ve played through before, or 90 degrees. They always show up. It also has a “green monster” in left field so you get that Fenway park type feel.
Q: At the end of your career would you ever think of going into coaching?
A: I love coaching and teaching younger kids about the game. However, even more I would love to help put a winning team on the field. I would rather be a general manager than a coach. The strategy of putting all the right puzzle pieces together to build a winning team is a lot more fun to me.
Q: As of today, what has been your favorite career moment?
A: I think my favorite career moment is getting the call after I was drafted. As well as the phone call to sign with the Mets organization out of independent baseball and signing with the Orioles as a free agent. Just because for me there was so much doubt surrounding those times as a player for me. I never knew if I’d get the chance to play pro ball and then getting the chance with a few different teams now has been special.
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