This story was excerpted from Adam McCalvy’s Brewers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
ST. LOUIS -- There was no cap and gown for this graduation, no speeches or ceremonies. When Brice Turang showed up at Busch Stadium on Monday having officially graduated from MLB Pipeline prospect status, it was another game day.
But it’s a good chance to hear from Turang about how he thinks about the game that has become his career. We asked him three big questions back in Spring Training.
Besides your parents, who has been the biggest influence on your career?
A lot of the guys here in the locker room have helped me out a lot. Just taking me under their wing and teaching me the ways. You don't realize how much you look up to guys until they're there, helping you. It's how to play the game and how to carry yourself in the locker room and on the field, the mental side of the game. Just stuff like that. Just asking questions and hearing them out; a lot of these guys are willing to answer the questions and help you.
At the beginning of my career, Yeli [Christian Yelich] was the one who kind of took me under his wing. The second I got here, he was always the one talking to me. We talk hitting, we talk about everything. And it was awesome. He would text me to see how it was going during the season, even when I was 19 years old. I've never said anything publicly about it. Nobody has ever really asked me. But yeah, he took me under his wing from the time I was 19 years old.
Why did you fall in love with baseball?
I just did. I don't know. I mean, I was watching my sisters play sports and I just loved it. At my sister's softball practices or games, I was in the dugouts all the time, so that just kind of helped me love the game and love the competing factor of it. I honestly wish I knew when I was that age of what made me interested in [baseball]. I honestly think it was because my sisters were playing sports.
I wasn’t born yet when my dad played in the big leagues but he did take me to a couple of Spring Training games when I was a kid. I met Ken Griffey Jr. and Raúl Ibañez, so that was awesome. I kind of got a little bit of the experience, just because he still knew some of the guys in the front office and some players from when he was there.
How do you stick with a sport that so often beats you down?
I mean, what helped me a lot is just knowing that I have people who care about me. Whether I play good or play bad, whether I'm playing baseball or not, they're going to care for and love me. At the end of the day, baseball is a game. I love the game. But it is a game and there's more to life than just the sport for me. So, I look at it that way. And yeah, there are times when you're frustrated and you're upset, but I try not to let it get to me because this is only a part of my life. You're always trying to move on from it and show up the next day and be ready to compete.
I like to keep things simple. I’m a simple guy. I put my focus into baseball and how I treat people, and that’s pretty much it.