Arizona Republic Features Mike Fetters
10/4/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
By Richard Obert, The Arizona Republic
October 2007
Reprinted with permission of the author
Age: 42.
Residence: Chandler.
Family: Wife, Tanya; children Bryant, 19; Micah, 16; Tyana, 15; and Breanna, 13.
Then: Spent parts of 16 seasons in the major leagues as a relief pitcher. Felt his best season was with the Brewers in 1992, when he was 5-1 with a 1.87 earned-run average in 50 appearances. Only playoff appearance was with the Diamondbacks in 2002. He finished his career in 2004 after a second stint with the Diamondbacks. He had 100 career saves.
Now: Dabbled in being a sports agent but is enjoying retirement by making up for lost time with his family. He helps coach basketball at Chandler Hamilton and helps out at the Arizona Premier Basketball Academy in Gilbert.
You wore your emotions on your sleeve, whether in the dugout or on the mound. Is that how you have to be to be an effective closer? "I think for a closer's role, you have to know yourself better than anyone. . . . You have to have a short memory. I don't think that's for everyone."
What do you think of Diamondbacks closer Jose Valverde's fiery mound antics? "I think he's doing a tremendous job. From my own perspective, I think he's the MVP, the most consistent guy on that ballclub. Those last three outs are hard to get. He's a fiery guy, and for the Diamondbacks that's something they need."
You grew up in Hawaii and went to college at Pepperdine. What was more fun, Hawaii or Malibu? "Nothing compares to the beaches in Hawaii, in my mind. But I got an education and got to play baseball (at Pepperdine for three years)."
What advice would you give high school baseball players who dream about being drafted by a major-league team? "Make sure you have a backup plan, because in three years you could be knocked out. . . . When you go away to college, you grow up and you're on your own and become an adult. Young kids in high school don't understand the minor-league grind. It's no fun. You stay in fleabag hotels. They do it for a reason - to bust your tail. But some of these kids aren't mentally ready for that."
What made you decide to pick baseball? "My dream was to be a basketball player my whole life. . . . I was leaning toward playing basketball in college, but I didn't see any NBA scouts knocking on my door. I thought if I really concentrated on just that one sport (baseball), I could be good at it."
