St. John's University Athletics
Twenty Questions With Blake Hershelman
4/1/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 1, 2005
Blake Hershelman is one of three fourth-year seniors on the St. John's baseball team, joined by Jim Martin and Jim Wladyka. Hershelman came to St. John's in 2001 as a catcher and played that position and in the outfield as a sophomore before moving to the field full-time last season. The move came at a time when he had the best year of his career to date, batting .315 with a team-high 10 home runs and 48 RBI. He's been one of the team's top run-producers over the last two years - with 78 RBI in 101 games - and ranks fifth all-time in home runs at St. John's. Blake sat down with RedStormSports.com to answer some questions.
1.How did you first get started playing baseball?
"I first started playing baseball in tee ball when I was about five. I always would get mad because girls played with the boys and they got in the way."
2. What was the first sport you played?
"Teeball."
3. What sport did you like most?
"I actually liked football and baseball about the same."
4. What was the biggest transition for you when came to New York City?
"I would have to say the pace of life and the people around me. I am a laid back guy I'm not into rushing around."
5. What's your favorite part of New York City?
"My favorite part would probably be the food. Everywhere you look there's great places to eat. And I can eat with the best of them, especially more than P.J. (Antoniato)."
6. What is your favorite meal to prepare?
"My favorite meal is pasta with ground beef and tomato sauce. I've got to have mozzarella and garlic bread too. I cook that about once a week and it's serious."
7. What do you miss most about home?
"My dogs and, of course, my family."
8. You've worn the number 29 all four years, Is there any significance to your number?
"I used to wear number 19 but obviously Coach (Mike) Hampton has that, so it's off limits. I wore 29 on my AAU team so I figured I'd just go with that."
9. Day games or night games?
"Probably day games, when the sun's out on a nice warm day, that's baseball to me."
10. How you want to be remembered when you leave St. John's?
"I want to be respected as a player and a person when I leave."
11. Your parents have come to a lot of games. How important is it for you to see them at games?
"It's great to see them at games. I don't think they've ever missed a game of mine even since I was a young buck. I remember my freshman summer my mom would drive three hours from Delaware to Virginia to watch my
game and drive three hours back that night. That's love baby."
12. If you could have dinner with three people, who would it be?
"Michael Jordan cause he's the best athlete I've ever seen, Jessica Simpson cause she's Jessica Simpson, and probably Jennifer Aniston because she's Jennifer Aniston."
13. What is your dream job outside of playing baseball?
"Owning any sports team."
14. What is the walls of your room?
"Some pictures of me and my friends, some posters, and some wood paneling because my house is sooooooo old."
15. Do you have any phobias?
"Snakes freak me out but I don't know if that qualifies as a full-blown phobia?"
16. What is your favorite television show?
"Seinfeld or Baseball Tonight."
17. What's your biggest interest outside of baseball?
"Just hanging out with my boys and having a good time."
18. If you could eat one food, what would it be?
"Grotto's Pizza, it's back home and that place is serious."
19. If you could trade places with one person, who would it be and why?
"I'd like to be Shaquille O'Neal for a day. Just to see what it's like to look down at your opponents every day and dominate them"
20. Where do you want to be 10 years from now?
"Living the good life with a nice salary and some little Blake-pieces running around."
