Interview With Jason Phitlips

Dr. Dixon
Pennsylvania History

By: Brian
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I interviewed Jason PhilIips a minor league pitcher in
the Pittsburgh Pirate organization. Jason and I grew up together
playing baseball together in the town of Hughesville
Pennsylvania. Although we won a lot of tournaments and games,
Jason was the only one of the many outstanding young ball players
to get drafted. Itrs a very special feeling knowing that you've
played with and against a future Professional baseball player.
Jason has played two years in the pirate organization. This
spring he is scheduled to play with the highest division of
single A baII.
O. I know that every kid that has ever played Iittle league
baseball, dreams of someday playing pro ball. When you were
growing up when did you first realize that your dreams could
reality?
Jason. Growing up, like you say it's every kids dream
to play pro baIl. I've always wanted to play. Hughesville
is a pretty small town, but we had some good teams. I
didn't really realize it until high school (that I had
a shot of making pro ball). I fared pretty well against
competition in Hughesville and in the surrounding areas.
When we were twelve, wj-nning districts,
then when we were
15, winning districts again. But we had very good teams.
It wasn't really until my sophmore year when I got picked
to play for the East at the United States Olympic Festival,
and went to Los Angeles for a month. Being from a small

become

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town (Hughesville) and going to a much bigger town (Los
Angeles), f got exposed, to scouts and some colleges and
things of that nature. My junior year is when I really
Lo."a
play pro ball ) I got
started to feel it ( that he cold
invited to pro camps and things of that nature. I started
getting recruiting letters from Miami, Stanford, Oklahoma
State, and a lot of the big baseball schools. Then I went
to a camp in North Carolina, in Raleigh, at North Carolina
State University. They (N.C. State) took an interest in
me and followed my career and came up to Hughesville,
scouted me and watched me pitch. Then in my senior year
they offered me a scholarship. Basically that was about
the time that I knew I probably had a chance to play pro
baII. I played on the Jr. Olympic team in my senior year
but that was after I got drafted so I signed after that.
That was about the only time that I really knew that I
had a chance to play pro baII. Brianr ds you know
Hughesville is about two thousand people and a lot of people
don't get out of it. It was the only time that I really
realized it when f started getting invited to camps and
getting recruited.
O. Jason I was just wandering how you felt about the strike,
being a ball player especially a minor leaguer, what is the
differences between you and a major league baseball player?
f wanted some thoughts about that.
Jason. What do I think about the stri-ke?

Me. Yeah, how do you feel?

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Jason. First of all, I get asked this a lot.

the strike
in aII effects has an effect on me in any sense. It's
at the big league level, between the coaches, owners, and
players. Recently, I've been hearing that if there thinking
about, if they don't resolve it, that they are thinking
about bringing minor leaguers up. What I think about that
is good. Because in this business you have to think about
yourself first.
But, the reason that their on strike is
the big leaguers now are saying now that their trying to
take care of the minor leaguers later. So its kind of
hard to go to Pittsburgh, it would be tough to cross the
picket line because they are trying to help you out. Plus
the big leaguers are going to black ball your their going
to gi-ve you a hard time. In all sense I would go because
I'm looking out for myself. But, I'm looking for the strike
being resolved probably by Christmas Jim Leyland (manager
of the Pirates) was in the locker room the other day and
we were talking to him, he was saying that "both sj-des
are starting to crack and they probably will have it
resolved by Christmas. My opinion is that the owners cut
their own throats because a couple of years ago in the
last strike they had, Irm not sure what year, in the
eighties, but the owners aloud arbritration. What
arbritration is, that each player is up for free agency
and what they do is go into negotiations about what the
players think their worth is. That's were the Jack
McDowers' , and arl those guys get all their money, that's

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a big thing. PIus, they (the owners) want a salary cap.
The players want to continue with arbritration because
that's where their getting aII their money. The players
don't want a salary cap like in football. In my opinion
the owners cut their own throats, their the ones paying
the contracts, the players are aski-ng for them and getting
them. In aII sense it's a lot of the owners fault.
Because, their paying the salaries, and letting it get
out of hand. I do support the players because they are
Iooking out for my future. In all sense though I would
cross the picket line because I do have to look out for
myself.