Steal Your Words -- Ryan Paul Interview

Shortly after posting the "Pro Ball Punk" feature on Giants prospect Ryan Paul, I got an e-mail from the man himself. This being such a small blog, I was surprised that he even found it but it was an honor to say the least. He even offered to field some questions so I sent a few basics to him. Enjoy.

When you were growing up, who was your favorite ballplayer?
I always liked the Seattle superstars, Ken Jr and the Big Unit. (I had a coach who called me the medium unit, brutal nickname, haha) But the first player I really got excited about watching was Scott Radinsky. Go figure! The best part was, during the time he was with the Dodger, I had no idea about the other side of him. Didn't know he was a local guy, I was singing Pulley tracks not knowing he was on vocals, and had no idea about the skateboard side either. Later on, when I discovered all of this, he pretty much became my idol. One of the biggest compliments I ever received was this high school coach, my pony ball coach at the time, telling me I reminded him of Scott Radinsky.

What was the best concert you've ever attended?
Well Strung Out always puts on a great show, the small local places are the best, it's always the same people in the crowd. That said, my favorite was None More Black. It just so happens, that it ties into baseball. In 2006 I was playing at CSUF at the time, and we had a series against Long Beach state. Originally the show was scheduled or mislabeled to be on a Sunday night. We play day games on Sunday, so I would have plenty of time to make it. Turns out the show was on Saturday night. I was crushed! NMB was playing on the west coast, 15 minutes from my apartment and I cant see them. Anyways, Saturday night comes and we are warming up for the game. About 30 minutes prior to the start a transformer blows up on one of the light poles. The game is delayed for sometime, and finally cancelled. I get all excited about making it to the show. Of course we hit traffic on the way back to Fullerton, and I'm thinking all is lost. To sum it up, I managed to change, pick up my bro, and drive to Chain Reaction (the club) in record time. We rolled in and NMB was just stepping up to the stage. I think we all know what happened after that. The whole day of events seemed like they were out of a movie. That was a very special show for me.

Do you have any music recommendations for my dozens of readers?
Obviously I recommend anything by Strung Out, Kid Dynamite and NMB, but that's boring, everyone knows those bands. I'll try to throw out a few people may have never heard of.

Shook Ones - Sixteen I'm pretty sure these guys are out of Washington. I was online somewhere searching for a Kid Dynamite replacement and found Shook Ones. Pretty fast, sloppy at times, and rough vocals. Perfect! The album is something like 16 songs and only 20 minutes long with "Crunch time in tooth town" being my favorite track.

Battleflask - Pledge Your Allegiance. Saw these guys open up for Strung Out in the San Fernando Valley. I have never seen this kind of energy from a lead singer. During the song "World Class Hero" Phillipe screams out "ARE YOU READY!? ARE YOU READY!?" While pointing at people in the crowd and staring them down. He pointed at me and I almost crapped myself. I was thinking "Dude, I dunno what he is talking about, but I'm sure as hell going to get ready for it." Anyways, "Pledge Your Allegiance" is only a couple song EP, but it's worth checking out. Go see them live!
Drunk in Public - Tapped Out This band is from Lompoc, Ca. That's all I got on these guys, they probably are not even around anymore. A friend dropped off the album a long time ago. It's punk with just a hint of twang mixed around. Dude, the album cover has astronauts hooked up to kegs, floating in space. What else do you need to know?

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If you haven't clicked on those band links, do so. Ryan has some great taste in music. Remember, Ryan pitches for the Augusta Green Jackets in the Class A South Atlantic League. If you are near Augusta or a team that plays in the league, be sure to go to a game to see him pitch. He's a reliever (mostly), so you never know when he'll get the call. But when he warms up in Augusta, his walk out song is "Drop the Pop" by None More Black.

I'll be sure to keep everyone posted on his progress over the season and beyond. Good luck, Ryan and thanks for the interview.

Photos courtesy of SJGiantsFan.org and Doug Pensinger/Getty Images.