LSU's
Buzzy Haydel didn't lead the nation in homeruns like his
teammate Matt Clark, and he didn't make ESPN highlight reel
catches like Leon Landry to propel the Tigers into the postseason
either. However, despite compiling just 16 at bats in 26
games this season the amiable infielder was one of the most
integral players on the team. With his winning attitude
and gregarious personality the junior from Gonzales, Louisiana
kept the Tigers loose during their run to Omaha, leading
rallies from the dugout and shaking and waking player's
bats to jumpstart them when they were mired in a slump (catch
a glimpse of him on an ESPN spot here).
After the Tigers came back to end the Rice
Owl's season in the College World Series, the unreserved
infielder took some time to answer questions from Ping!Baseball:
PING!: The
Tigers put together an amazing win streak and second half
of the season to rally back to Omaha despite being at the
bottom of the SEC at the midway point of the season. For
what do you attribute the amazing turnaround?
Haydel: We were like 6-11
in the league and had just got beaten by Georgia, two out
of three games and actually tied the last game so we didn’t
even get a win in the ordeal. We were at the bottom of the
barrel and it knew what we had to do because we didn’t
want to stay there. We looked at each other in the face
and said we’re gonna pick this thing up and get this
thing going and win and here we are.
PING!: I’m
assuming “Buzzy” isn’t your Christian
name. Where did your nickname come from?
Haydel: I’m actually
named after my dad who is Marty Hydell Sr., so I’m
Martin Hydell Jr., but I go by Buzzy. The way it developed
was my dad’s nickname was “Buzzard”. When
he was a little kid he was one of ten children and never
got enough to eat growing up because his parents could only
feed the kids so much with a family that big. So after everyone
finished eating he’d circle the table looking for
everybody else’s scraps or leftovers and he was circling
it like a buzzard circles a carcass. His brother nicknamed
him Buzzard and that stuck with him and they just got “Little
Buzz” and “Buzzy” from that.
PING!: On
the Tiger’s website you have a daily blog about your
experiences at the Series. How did that develop?
Haydel: They wanted to
go to a guy with a little more personality and my name caught
them too so that lured them in a bit. The name of it is
“The
Buzz From Omaha”. It’s fun. I’ve been
blogging each day and doing some video deals and giving
the fans a player’s perspective of what we go though
on a daily basis and giving them the inside scoop so to
speak.
PING!: We’re
you a blogger before this with a MySpace account?
Haydel: No, this is a
one time deal. Bill Martin came to me and asked if I’d
like to do it because one of the football players did it
for the national championship week when they won it. I felt
like it could be fun to keep the fans up to date on how
and what we’re doing and it has been fun.
PING!: Not
that Omaha is a big tourist destination, but have you had
an opportunity to do much site seeing while in town during
your days off?
Haydel: Honestly it’s
been all business. Friday we had the ceremonies and practices,
but we really haven’t got to experience much. We did
eat at Sullivan’s the other night and hopefully if
and when we keep winning we’ve have a couple more
off days and visit the zoo and do some different things.
PING!: You’re
more of a role player for LSU, but could have gone to another
school and got more playing time and cracked a starting
lineup. Are you glad you made the decision to play for the
Tigers?
Haydel: I could have went
other places and probably played right away and definitely
been starting by my junior or senior year, but then you
don’t experience stuff like this. Obviously the others
could still get here, I’m not knocking those schools,
but we’re playing at the highest level right now and
we’re in Omaha playing for the national championship.
What I have traded it or done anything differently? No shot.
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