Speaker 1: Joining us now on bench Banter is Pirate's first round
Speaker 1: draft pick, Derek Curry Out.
Speaker 2: Derek, welcome to the show man.
Speaker 3: Thank you, I appreciate it.
Speaker 1: How's the weekend been so far? Probably a whirl win,
Speaker 1: a lot of moving pieces. But what's the first experience
Speaker 1: with Pittsburgh?
Speaker 3: Like, it's been great. The atmosphere has been great. Been
Speaker 3: here for a couple of games, pretty cool to see
Speaker 3: how everyone showed up, but for that Cub series and
Speaker 3: you know they got a big one tonight, So excited
Speaker 3: to watch some good baseball. Derek, Welcome to Pittsburgh.
Speaker 4: Man. What was it like hearing your name called pick
Speaker 4: number five? And also did you know the Pirates had
Speaker 4: any interest in you?
Speaker 3: Yeah, dream come true, something I've me and my family
Speaker 3: I've worked for for many years. And I mean that's
Speaker 3: why we do it. You know, they're the commissioner. I'll
Speaker 3: call your name. And then now there's a new, new,
Speaker 3: new mountain of climb to make it here. So it's
Speaker 3: been great and we're just.
Speaker 2: Very happy looking back on it.
Speaker 1: I've read some stuff and we've heard you talk over
Speaker 1: the past couple of days about taking two hundred swings
Speaker 1: a day and trying to emulate that game after Pete rose,
Speaker 1: going back to all the days that you work with
Speaker 1: your dad or your brother. What's it like now reflecting
Speaker 1: looking out to the skyline, taking deep on the field,
Speaker 1: what's that moment like.
Speaker 3: It's been great. It's been great. I mean since I
Speaker 3: was a little kid, been taking a ton of swings
Speaker 3: in my backyard. As I grown up, learned more about myself,
Speaker 3: learn sometimes you gotta pull it back, Sometimes you gotta
Speaker 3: kind of show and go. Sometimes you gotta do what
Speaker 3: the game calls for. So I've been learning that and
Speaker 3: to be around these pro guys. It's been pretty cool
Speaker 3: because everyone has different routines. Some guys like to take
Speaker 3: a lot of swings, some guys like to take it minimal.
Speaker 3: But it's great. And then now I get to see
Speaker 3: the skyline, it's been beautiful.
Speaker 4: A couple of years ago, you were one of the
Speaker 4: highest rated high school players in the country.
Speaker 3: You chose to go to LSU.
Speaker 4: How difficult was that decision and also what did you
Speaker 4: learn the most at your time with your time at LSU.
Speaker 3: Wasn't difficult at all. I mean I kind of knew
Speaker 3: I wasn't gonna go where I wanted to. I was
Speaker 3: a pretty pretty highly tired guy throughout my high school career.
Speaker 3: Senior year when I counted didn't perform great, I knew
Speaker 3: there was some things that still needed to develop, my body,
Speaker 3: change a couple of things in my swing. I trusted
Speaker 3: coach Johnson, I saw the Dylan Cruise path and Paul Schemes.
Speaker 3: I mean, they had a great team, so made it
Speaker 3: easy for my decision to go over there and trust
Speaker 3: the coaches. And then when I got there, made some
Speaker 3: adjustments and kind of hit the ground running from there.
Speaker 3: Gave my body time to develop. So just in God's timing.
Speaker 1: You think that was essential for your development and also
Speaker 1: just experiencing that winning culture. Obviously, get a national championship
Speaker 1: under your belt, get that experience. Do you think that
Speaker 1: helped propel you to the next level?
Speaker 3: Absolutely being around winners. I mean my first year, I
Speaker 3: have Kid Anderson, Anthony I and San Jared Jones like
Speaker 3: guys on my team who helped elevate my game. And
Speaker 3: I learned a lot within two months of fall ball
Speaker 3: and kind of hit the ground running from there and
Speaker 3: earned my spot in the team. And I was happy
Speaker 3: I was able to do what I what I did
Speaker 3: for LSU and there forever a part of me.
Speaker 4: You got to pick one part of your game that
Speaker 4: you think improved the most at LSU. Which part of
Speaker 4: your game do you think that is?
Speaker 3: Honestly my preparation, I feel like I have a better
Speaker 3: routine now. In high school being Southern California, well it
Speaker 3: was always great, Like it was just straight baseball for
Speaker 3: me all the time, kind of just roll the balls
Speaker 3: out and go compete, which is a good mentality to have,
Speaker 3: but you gotta know why doing it and what gets
Speaker 3: you going because a lot of games, you know, back
Speaker 3: to back to back, So learned a great routine through
Speaker 3: the coaches, hitting, warming up my arm, warming up my body.
Speaker 3: And I mean I played every single game ls You
Speaker 3: didn't miss miss one game. So I think it's a
Speaker 3: testament to how hard I worked in the weight room,
Speaker 3: taking care of my body, the stuff I eat, Like
Speaker 3: I learned a lot.
Speaker 2: A lot mentally.
Speaker 1: I mean that's tolling as well, between school and baseball
Speaker 1: and everything that you just mentioned. What's the mental approach?
Speaker 1: Obviously baseball is the hardest game out there. You're going
Speaker 1: to go through slumps, difficult times. How do you keep
Speaker 1: yourself even keeled.
Speaker 3: Yeah, just keeping the outside noise outside noise, and the
Speaker 3: focusing on what's important and to me, it's my family,
Speaker 3: my faith and this this is all I want to do.
Speaker 3: This is all I ever wanted to do. So I'm
Speaker 3: not taking that for granted. And I'm I'm eliminating, eliminating
Speaker 3: the outside noise, outside distractions. Uh, I'm fully focused on
Speaker 3: what I want to do and where I want to be.
Speaker 4: Jrek, you already have a relationship with Connor Griffin from
Speaker 4: the Team US. Say what's it like seeing his quick
Speaker 4: transition to Pro Bowl and also joining the organization that
Speaker 4: he's a part of.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I've said a lot of times. I mean if
Speaker 3: you told me he was going to do this back
Speaker 3: when we were in high school in the USA team together,
Speaker 3: I would have one hundred percent believed you. I mean,
Speaker 3: he's a freaking know, freak athlete, freak human being, comes
Speaker 3: from a great family and he is a great head
Speaker 3: on his shoulder. So to be friends with him and
Speaker 3: then teammates previously and now teammates again means a lot.
Speaker 3: He's taught me a lot these past couple of days
Speaker 3: and just telling me how much he loves the people
Speaker 3: here and loves this city and the Bruins something up
Speaker 3: pretty special here in Pittsburgh, So I'm excited.
Speaker 1: What's it like just getting to know some of the
Speaker 1: guys in the clubhouse right off the bat this week
Speaker 1: and talking to the front office and getting that experience
Speaker 1: just being around PNC Park.
Speaker 3: I love how focused these guys are. Like it's honestly,
Speaker 3: it's attracted to me, you know, like I want to
Speaker 3: be around these guys. This is all they care about,
Speaker 3: literally everything in there, just talking baseball, how they can
Speaker 3: get better. The coaches just I was in their hitters meeting,
Speaker 3: just very detail oriented and it's just super cool to
Speaker 3: see how guys go about their business. And I can't
Speaker 3: wait to be up here and Iron Starbrom's Iron. So
Speaker 3: these guys are gonna get me better.
Speaker 4: Derek, You've been a lot of for your outfield defense
Speaker 4: of playing up the middle. What part of your defensive
Speaker 4: game do you take pride in the most?
Speaker 3: Just going out there and hawking one down for my team,
Speaker 3: for my pitcher, saving some runs. You know. I love
Speaker 3: making the diving plays, but also the routine, the routine ones.
Speaker 3: I love reading the ball off the bat, and just
Speaker 3: getting to help the team in any way I can.
Speaker 1: You just mentioned being in the hitters meeting. Obviously, LSU
Speaker 1: sec ball is very competitive nowadays.
Speaker 2: You guys have a lot of resources.
Speaker 1: Available, analytics and also just having a feel for the game.
Speaker 1: Are you a guy that dives deep into the video
Speaker 1: proach and analytics every single game every single at that
Speaker 1: orre you more of a field guy, go with the
Speaker 1: flow of the game.
Speaker 2: We're both.
Speaker 3: I feel like I'm a good mix of both. Pregame,
Speaker 3: definitely want to consume as much information as I can
Speaker 3: about the opposing picture because I feel very confident in
Speaker 3: my plan. So now I just want to know what
Speaker 3: he's trying to do to me, and then as soon
Speaker 3: as it's between the lines, then I'm not thinking about
Speaker 3: any of that. I mean, it's time to compete, but
Speaker 3: before the game, is just good to know those little
Speaker 3: things just to keep in the back of your mind,
Speaker 3: you know, So just filtering it in the way I
Speaker 3: want to do it, and some other guys do it
Speaker 3: differently and it works for everyone else. So pretty cool.
Speaker 5: Jack.
Speaker 3: You're gonna be heading down to the Florida here soon.
Speaker 4: What are some of your initial goals heading into your
Speaker 4: first summer of pro ball, learn.
Speaker 3: As much as I possibly can. I'm gonna I'm gonna
Speaker 3: be around professionals, professional coaches, so to just learn from everyone.
Speaker 3: They're obviously there for a reason. The organization trust them,
Speaker 3: and I trust the organizations. So I mean, if those
Speaker 3: guys are there, they have a lot of accountability and
Speaker 3: they're obviously have done their job great. So just learning.
Speaker 2: Have they mapped out a plan for you?
Speaker 1: Obviously you're going down to the complex soon, but has
Speaker 1: there been any talk about what games you're gonna play
Speaker 1: in or what the.
Speaker 2: Strategy is moving forward for at least this year.
Speaker 3: I haven't heard anything yet. I mean, I don't want
Speaker 3: to play, want to play. I've been kind of on
Speaker 3: the sideline for two months. Our season ended pretty early
Speaker 3: this year, sadly, So I mean, I've just been waiting
Speaker 3: for the drafts and haven't played in two months. My
Speaker 3: body feels fresh. I'm ready excited to go. So whoever
Speaker 3: they choose to send me, I'm excited.
Speaker 4: We all have role models, players that we look up.
Speaker 3: Towing up. Who's someone that you looked up?
Speaker 4: Duru had a lot of impact on your game as
Speaker 4: a young player.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean there's two. I mean, growing up sounds
Speaker 3: a baby. My Dad's always instilled in me, like the
Speaker 3: Pete Rose mentality and how he went about the game.
Speaker 3: That's my dad's favorite favorite player. We have a Pete
Speaker 3: Rose jersey with number fourteen reds, but it says Curry
Speaker 3: l all the top in the back, so he signed
Speaker 3: it for my dad and all that stuff. So I've
Speaker 3: always watched his videos, but more recently Christian Yelich. I
Speaker 3: really like him. He's a southern California guy, obviously got
Speaker 3: drafted to Miami. He used to go to his camps
Speaker 3: growing up at west Lake High School. So he's been
Speaker 3: really cool to watch and I like him laying my
Speaker 3: game after him.
Speaker 1: I was gonna say the swing's a little bit similar
Speaker 1: in terms of like the hand placement. Is that something
Speaker 1: that's noticeable for you or that was intentional?
Speaker 3: For sure? Yeah, I kind of like how he moves
Speaker 3: in the box. It's pretty calm but also pretty violent.
Speaker 3: He's obviously kind of a lenkier guy like me, and
Speaker 3: I mean, I love the way he plays a game.
Speaker 3: He's MVP one couple of gold gloves. He could really
Speaker 3: swing it so great.
Speaker 1: Dude, talking about the swing mechanics, like your hands keep
Speaker 1: him a little bit out in front of your face, right,
Speaker 1: and then the load it's not much of like an
Speaker 1: extensive load, but when your leg goes up you get
Speaker 1: into that slot pretty nicely when everything gets in motion.
Speaker 1: Talk us through like your approach and the mechanics and
Speaker 1: how you got to where you're at today.
Speaker 3: Yeah, for me, mainly, my leg lift is just it's
Speaker 3: just a timing thing that's not really to generate power
Speaker 3: like some guys will kind of coil into it. For me,
Speaker 3: I'm just lifting my leg off the ground because it
Speaker 3: helps me get my foot down on time. And I
Speaker 3: honestly don't even try to lift my leg like it
Speaker 3: kind of just happens naturally. And then I'm just focused
Speaker 3: on hitting the ball, like I feel like I've been
Speaker 3: really blessed that my body kind of works for me.
Speaker 3: But yeah, just it's more of a timing mechanism.
Speaker 1: Okay, so when that leg gets up, it feels like
Speaker 1: your hips already kind of precoiled a piny bit. Is
Speaker 1: that help you generate that power since that you know,
Speaker 1: like I mentioned, your arms aren't going like that far back,
Speaker 1: it really gets into that slot quickly. So is that
Speaker 1: where the power is coming from in terms of the
Speaker 1: core and the legs.
Speaker 3: Absolutely, I always like to say, I mean from the
Speaker 3: ground up. So I like to make sure my feet
Speaker 3: are where they're supposed to be, then my hips are
Speaker 3: where they supposed to be, and the kind of have
Speaker 3: my hands in that slot because from there, as soon
Speaker 3: as my foots down, I couldn't fire at any moment,
Speaker 3: kind of like you said. So that's kind of the
Speaker 3: reason I did that because in high school I was
Speaker 3: more here, more horizontal rather than vertical, and kind of
Speaker 3: couldn't get to inside pitches. But now with my hands
Speaker 3: being out here, I have this space. I don't need
Speaker 3: to create it with the load or my hands. So
Speaker 3: the space is already there, and as soon as I land,
Speaker 3: I can swing at anytime.
Speaker 4: Derek, you're known to have excellent bat to ball skills.
Speaker 4: What is something in you're swinging? What is a key
Speaker 4: to you get to making contact so consistently?
Speaker 3: Yeah, just getting my pitch and not the pitcher's pitch.
Speaker 3: Coach Johnson instilled that at us at LSU, like make
Speaker 3: sure he throws three really good pitches to get you out.
Speaker 3: So just making sure I'm getting my pitch, and I'm
Speaker 3: very comfortable with him with two strikes. So the more
Speaker 3: pitches I see, honestly, the better and I get to
Speaker 3: kind of see as all arsenal. So just make sure
Speaker 3: I'm getting my pitch and I trust myself and all counts.
Speaker 2: Is it thinking middle away and then reacting in absolutely?
Speaker 3: Yeah. I like to hit the ball hard and load
Speaker 3: through the middle of the field. I like to let
Speaker 3: the fastball get deep, but then obviously when it's inside
Speaker 3: you can kind of just react to it. So for me,
Speaker 3: just to make sure I'm not rolling over on balls
Speaker 3: or flaring balls. Kind of want to stay low and
Speaker 3: hard through the middle of the field, let the ball
Speaker 3: travel deeply, and then anything in especially soft like you
Speaker 3: can react, you know.
Speaker 4: Derek, last question for me, I feel like we can
Speaker 4: talk hitting all day here. For Pirates fans that are
Speaker 4: just getting to know you, what type of player are
Speaker 4: they getting with Derek Curryell.
Speaker 3: Yeah, hard nose player, player who loves the game and
Speaker 3: loves to win. I've been a lot of I've been
Speaker 3: a part of a lot of winning cultures, and I'm
Speaker 3: excited to do that here in Pittsburgh. Too. Fully focused
Speaker 3: on developing and eventually winning a World Series here. So
Speaker 3: I'm excited and play the game hard. I'll bun, I'll
Speaker 3: drag Bond, hit and run whatever the team needs, you know,
Speaker 3: take the extra base, divn't play anything.
Speaker 1: Pirates fans that want to know you a little bit
Speaker 1: more than baseball. What's the walkout songs over the past
Speaker 1: couple of years and what are some of the hobbies off.
Speaker 2: The field that keep you occupied it outside of baseball.
Speaker 3: Yeah, my walkout song my years at lsu as God
Speaker 3: is by Kanye West. Love that song. Just kind of peaceful,
Speaker 3: peaceful walking up to the play and knowing why I'm
Speaker 3: doing it. Just a good reminder and then ass the field.
Speaker 3: I mean, like I said, I'm really focused on baseball
Speaker 3: and my family. Uh. I like relationships rather than doing things.
Speaker 3: So for me, it's a lot of quality time spent
Speaker 3: with my family rather than doing certain things. But we
Speaker 3: have three dogs too, so most of my time is
Speaker 3: spent with them. I'm sure you guys will get to
Speaker 3: know Bo. Yeah, he's pretty famous around Baton Rouge, so yeah,
Speaker 3: I mean that's kind of me. Dog is Bo Golden
Speaker 3: t Yeah, two Golden and one Labordoddle.
Speaker 2: I love that. Man.
Speaker 1: Well, hey, congratulations, enjoy the moment, but we're excited to
Speaker 1: see you in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 2: Man, so that's a lot.
Speaker 5: Thank you all best seats as the parents getting Let
Speaker 5: me run the base. Yeah, my time is like my
Speaker 5: money because I can't afford to waste. Oh whyee? Is
Speaker 5: alloyer my date to my dates? Or the stick by
Speaker 5: the plate City