A Quick Chat with Mets RHP Dillon Gee

Click below to listen to an interview with Mets pitcher Dillon Gee. Gee and I talked about his chances of making the team, the health of his shoulder, his thoughts on the Mets new bench coach Ken Oberkfell and more!

Click past the break for the transcript of the interview.

Rob: So, how’s camp been going so far?

Gee: It’s been great. I couldn’t ask for more right now. I think everybody’s getting ready to go.

Rob: This is not your first camp, right?

Gee: No, I was in camp in ’08 too.

Rob: So is it kind of a different feeling now that there is actually a chance you might make that back end of the rotation?

Gee: Yeah there is. I mean to get a call up in September and coming to camp on the roster and have a chance to maybe fill a spot is a lot different. The first time I was here, there were pretty much no expectations for me, just to get my feet wet.

Rob: Now, seeing how things go, if you do end up back in Buffalo are you just going to keep plugging away, or how is that going to feel?

Gee: Yeah, that’s the name of the game. Just stay healthy and keep playing and you’ll get your opportunity if you’re pitching well. So, I just come into camp trying to do the best that I can this year and if I go back to Buffalo, so be it. I’ll work my butt off down there and try to get back up to the big leagues.

Rob: Now last year a lot of people had forgotten that you were coming off the shoulder injury and you had a pretty good year. Are you feeling even better now or have you kind of hit that plateau where you’re just back?

Gee: I feel better this year at this point than I did last year at this point. Coming off the injury last year was still pretty tough for me to throw, even in spring training last year. But this year I’m off to a full-bore, a hundred percent. So, hopefully everything falls into place for me.

Rob: Now as far as your season last year, you racked up a whole bunch of strikeouts and the big thing that people like to say about you is that you don’t throw all that hard, but you actually led the International League in strikeouts. How do you think you did that? 

Gee: Just a little bit of having a good year and a little bit of luck probably. I’ve never gotten a ton of strikeouts, but I get my share. I think last year I was just pitching well and it was just falling into place for me. Off speed was working well and I was getting a lot of swing and misses. I don’t necessarily go out there for that, but it was just happening last year.

Rob: Now the only problem you may have had was the home run ball a little bit. Is that something that you’re kind of looking forward to coming to Citi Field, obviously, with the big, spacious confines?

Gee: I gave up a lot of homeruns last year, but I think because last year I was coming back from the injury. I used about the first half of the season to just pretty much prove that I was healthy and had my arm strength back. I wasn’t as much concerned about the result at the time. I was just concerned about getting back to a hundred percent. So, I think I was around the zone maybe a little too much more than I should have been. It was all about proving I was healthy and getting my arm strength back. It wasn’t really a fact that I was worried about at the time. But it’s definitely going to be nice if I get to pitch in Citi Field, it’s a big park so it definitely suits my game well.

Rob: One more. Obviously you’re manager in Buffalo last year was Ken Oberkfell, who is going to be the bench coach this year up at Citi Field. What can you tell us about him, his style, kind of the way he handles players?

Gee: Style is laid back, he just lets you do your thing. He’s there if you need him, but more he just kind of wants you to get your work done by yourself, be a man about your business, and go out there and play hard.

Rob: Thanks very much. Good luck going forward.