Name: Clay Tichota
Age: 22
Date of Birth: 11/26/81
Height: 6’4 Weight: 215
Bats: R Throws: R
Position: RHP
Team: Vancouver Canadians (Short Season A, Oakland A’s)
2004 West Division Champions–Northwest League

1) Clay, you played for two years in Mankato and the Northwoods League, do you feel it really prepared you for the jump to the minors?

"Yeah, of everything I think it did the best job overall. From everything from the speed of play, the bus rides, playing in the smaller markets, it all helped. One of the recognizable differences is the size of the markets. It’s tougher to get the true fans like we had in Mankato, but the fan support was still really good."

2) Based on your two years of experience here, what do you think it takes to win the Northwoods League?

"When I think of winning there, I think of St. Cloud. I mean there pitching was phenomenal, with (Thomas) Diamond and (J.P.) Martinez, those guys were just horses. I had a chance to play with Wes Long (St. Cloud River Bats) and he was the same way. I guess I would say it’s a combination of dominate pitching and good hitting and usually its younger pitchers a
nd veteran hitters that succeed. You don’t see a lot of young guys do what (Aaron) Grant did in his first year. (Andrew)Wishy and (Ben) Pattee both come to my mind when I think of older hitters that really got the job done well."

3) How did you first find out about the Northwoods League? Was it what you expected it to be?

"It actually came to be a lot more. A buddy of mine from Minnetonka told me about the league and the great competition it had. I ended up calling the President of the League and he told me there were a few spots still available and Mankato was the first one he told me. So I called and talked to Joe (Schwei, Team Owner) and that got the ball rolling.”

4) How does the Northwoods League compare to Vancouver and the Northwest League both from a fan standpoint and competitively?

"From a fan standpoint we draw about 4,000 fans a night and some of the bigger places like Spokane draw 5,000. I guess it would be sort of like Madison.

Competitively I would say this is a step up from the NWL. It seems like there is a few more hitters in each line up, guys are a little sharper and just have a few more tools than they did in the Northwoods League.

5) You were drafted in the 17th round of the 2004 Amateur Draft by the Oakland A’s. Where were you when you got the call?

"To tell you the truth I was sitting on my couch in the basement listening to the online broadcast of the draft and my Dad was upstairs and then I heard my name called. About 10 seconds later I got a call from my scout saying the A’s had taken me."

Have you ever met the draft-genius, and A’s General Manager Billy Beane?

"I haven’t got to yet, but I have heard rumors we may get to meet him in Spring Training.”

6) Many times pitchers are converted fielders, is this true in your case or have you always been a pitcher?

"You know, I hardly even pitched in high school. I was spotted as a right fielder and I was in a couple of those high school showcases and was always in right field. That’s when Dan McDermott (Regis University coach) spotted me and thought I would have a good chance if I was a pitcher. So I went to Regis because it was close and it ended up being a great opportunity for me."

7) O.K., it s the bottom of the 9th, bases loaded, 2 out and your up by 1. What pitch do you throw?
"I’m always gonna go to my fastball, (2 or 4 seem?) 4 seem all the way. I’m working on a 2-seemer but for now it’s the 4."

8) On the mound what do you think is your greatest strength? What about weakness?

"I think overall my greatest strength is my ability to locate my fastball and get ahead of hitters to set them up for what I want to do next. I go out there with a mindset that no one can beat me.”
As for weakness, they always say pitchers shouldn’t think, just throw. But pitchers have to think, I’m always thinking two pitches ahead, or trying to anyway. Ya know but sometimes I get into a rhythm and just listen to what my catcher says and throw that rather than what my gut tells me. Hitters always go back and look to see how a pitcher threw them the last time up so I think it important to try and know what you did to them at the same time. In our instruct league, they told us to keep a journal and write down what hitters we had trouble with or what guys we knew we could get out and how. So I guess my weakness is sometimes not thinking, even though I should be, but really not.”

9) What major league pitcher would you most compare your style to?

"I would love to say Roger Clemens because of the mindset but I can’t do some of the things he can. He’ll go up and in tight on a guy and just bull them out of the way. I can’t do that. But I like Schilling a lot as well, I just need to work on a cutter to get to that level. "

10) Looking at the numbers from the Northwest League, no pitcher threw a complete game or a shutout in 2004, why do you think that is?

"I think because this league is mainly fresh new prospects. Guys come off of big college years where they threw a ton of innings so your not gonna got out and have them throw another 100+ innings. I think teams really monitor the pitch counts and they are trying to protect their investments.”

11) Over the past three season, your numbers have in the K/BB ratio have only gone up. To what do you credit this new found command?

"My first year at Regis I walked the world and when you walk guys it makes it so much harder to pitch. You can’t only focus on the hitter because of the guy you put on base.
After that I just started telling myself and believing I’m not going to walk anyone. It’s my biggest pet peeve and even more so up at this level it seems like everyone you walk, scores. I think the first 6 guys I walked up here all scored. It’s just easier if you put the pressure on the hitter and not you."

12) Who from teams past do you still talk to?

"Quite a few actually, ah Ryan Hamilton (2003 MoonDogs) and I still talk at least once a week. During the season we had a friendly bet going on who would get the most wins, strikeouts, least runs, least walks, etc with the loser having to fly to where ever the winner was. Needless to say, I’m buying a plane ticket to go to Arkansas cuz he put up video game numbers this year.
But I also talk to Kevin Crowley(02), Jeremy Hall(02), Jeff Spicer(02), he’s living in Florida now and of course Craig Marquez (MoonDogs Coach 2003-04, Regis Coach 04)"

13) How was Thomas Diamond when in was playing for Spokane?

"Actually my roommate Ryan Ford and I handed Diamond his first professional loss here in Vancouver, so that’s kind of fun. But he didn’t last long up here, only about 2 weeks or so before he was promoted to the Midwest League."