PHOENIX -- The holidays are filled with family time for D-backs third baseman Jake Lamb, who spends the offseason in his hometown of Seattle, and this year, his time there will include a heavy dose of University of Washington football.
While it was a good year on the field for Lamb, it was even better for his Huskies, who finished the regular season ranked No. 4 and will play Alabama on New Year's Eve in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, with the winner playing in the National Championship Game.
Lamb took a break from his workouts recently to talk to MLB.com about the holidays.
MLB.com: Does your family open its presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?
Lamb: We've always opened one present on Christmas Eve and the rest Christmas morning.
MLB.com: What's the best Christmas gift you've ever gotten?
Lamb: It wasn't life-size, but it was a big Buzz Lightyear action figure. You pressed a button and the wings popped out. It had the laser. I can't remember, I think I was 19 or 20 years old when I got it (laughs). No, I was a kid, and I just remembered that I loved the "Toy Story" movies, and I got Buzz Lightyear and my older brother got Woody. And I just remember being super pumped. That was up there as one of my favorites.
MLB.com: Is Christmas a big deal in the Lamb house?
Lamb: Yeah, with us, it's all about family coming together. That's the big reason I come home to Seattle every offseason. Christmas Eve, we'll have a bunch of people over to the house -- some extended family, friends -- so it's a big gathering. We go to Christmas Eve Mass before and then have dinner and celebrate at our house. Christmas morning, we open our gifts with the immediate family. This year we're going to go to my aunt's house for dinner. Family everywhere, friends -- all that stuff. Just a lot of people and good times. That's really what it's all about.
MLB.com: Any New Year's resolutions for you?
Lamb: No, not really. I know that sounds kind of lame. I have goals for the New Year, but I don't know that I would count them as resolutions.
MLB.com: How do you celebrate New Year's?
Lamb: Me and my friends usually watch the football games on New Year's Eve. This year, I've got a big game to watch on New Year's Eve. So I'll be on the couch with the game on -- volume extremely high -- watching my Huskies take on Alabama.
MLB.com: It's been a big year for the Huskies.
Lamb: It's been fun to watch. Coach Pete [Chris Petersen] has really turned that program around. Definitely a little different than when I was there. My freshman year they were coming off an 0-12 season.
MLB.com: One baseball question. How are your offseason workouts going?
Lamb: Body feels great, swing is feeling great, arm feels good. I feel like I'm in pretty good shape, so I'm ready to get going.