Interview Conducted on February 17, 2012 by David Saltzer, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer
Making the Major Leagues is the goal for every Minor League player in every organization. However, along the way, there are other opportunities to shine in ways that most of us will never experience. One of those opportunities is to represent your country in an international competition. That’s exactly what Matt Shoemaker did this winter. In the Pan Am Games, Shoemaker pitched 1 inning of relief in a combined shutout win giving up 1 hit and striking out 2. In the Baseball World Cup, Shoemaker had one rough outing (earning a loss against the Dutch National Team) but bounced back strong to earn a win on 5 shutout innings, giving up 2 hits, 1 walk, and striking out 4.
Named as the Los Angeles Angels Pitcher of the Year for 2011, Shoemaker ranked #7 on the AngelsWin.com Top-50 Prospect List. This spring, Shoemaker earned his first Major League Camp invitation to Spring Training. AngelsWin.com caught up with Shoemaker on the eve of his departure for Spring Training to find out what his winter was like and how he plans to approach the 2012 season. Listen below to our interview with him. Hopefully we can continue the conversation with him at our Spring Training Fanfest to get the true insights into all the inner-workings of Major League Camp.