University of Tennessee Athletics
FORMER VOL SPOTLIGHT: MICHAEL RIVERA
June 13, 2007 | Baseball
June 13, 2007
Just one year removed from the completion of his four-year career at Tennessee, former Vol baseball standout Michael Rivera (2003-06) was recently called up to the Triple-A ranks within the Los Angeles Dodgers minor-league system. A 17th-round draft pick last June and UT's all-time leader in games played (219), Rivera spent the beginning of this season with the Great Lakes Loons (Class-A) and the Inland Empire 66ers (Class-A Advanced) before a recent promotion to the Las Vegas 51s (Class-AAA).
UTsports.com caught up with Rivera on Wednesday during one of his team's road trips and asked him some questions about his first year in professional baseball.
Q: Talk about the transition from Tennessee to pro ball and how your time at UT prepared you for the next level.
A: "I think the biggest factor was just being away from home for four years during college. That was something that really helped. If I would have signed professionally out of high school, it would have been a tough transition.
"Another thing is the character issue. With college, our coaches expected greatness from us. You gave it 100 percent in practice and in games each day. And once I signed a contract and played on the rookie level, everything was so much more laid back. I was sort of amazed by that. I figured, `These guys are getting paid to play. They should give it 100 percent all the time.' But I understand now that you're playing every day and you really have to take care of your body. I think going to college was a great idea. It was a great choice for me and helped me out a whole lot.
"As far as the transition (from college to pro ball), you can get away with a lot more things with an aluminum bat as opposed to wood. You see a lot more fastballs in professional baseball than you do in college. But I was glad I played in the best conference (the SEC) in baseball in college. That was a great help."
Q: What were the circumstances surrounding your call up to Triple-A, and what has the experience been like?
A: "I'll tell you what ... it was three o'clock in the morning in California and I was in bed. I get a phone call and they tell me, `Hey, you've got to get over to the stadium and pack your bags. You're headed to Vegas tomorrow.'
"I hadn't been playing all that much in Class A. I was switching on and off in the lineup with a couple other guys. I didn't have the luxury of playing multiple games in a row. And when I got the call, I took it for what it was. I figured someone had gotten hurt or someone got called up to the big leagues.
"But it's a chance. It's something I've got to try to take advantage of. I'm learning lots of new things. The hitting coach has shown me little details about my swing that I need to work on ... some things that nobody else has ever noticed. It's just part of being around older guys who know how to play the game. I've been asking a lot of questions.
"The food is great. And travel ... those 13-hour bus rides are no longer a factor here. Now we just hop on a plane and fly. It's a great all-around experience and so much fun. I get to play in Vegas. I'm in Arizona right now and heading over to Sacramento tomorrow. And just knowing that I don't have to ride on a bus for 15 hours makes it a whole lot easier."
Q: What are your living arrangements in Las Vegas?
A: "You're responsible to (find your living arrangements) on your own. With the Dodgers, what they do after they give you your call-up, is they give you three nights at a hotel. After those three days you need to find your own place to live. You either have to ask around to your teammates to see if they have a place to stay, or just call around and see what you can find in a motel or something.
"I got lucky by knowing Ryan Castellanos and Chris Siewert (who are both Las Vegas natives who played at Tennessee in 2006). I called them and asked, `Hey, if I need a place to sleep do you mind if I just find a little corner at your place?' And they're all for it. So that was another advantage of my time at Tennessee, getting to meet those guys from Vegas.
"When I got to Vegas, I took a cab to the stadium and the manager said, `Get ready and get your uniform, you're starting today.' And the next day we were on the road, so I only had the luxury of staying on The Strip for one night. So when we get back to Las Vegas after this road trip, I'll have two more nights. I was expecting to stay at a Quality Inn or a Days Inn, but they actually put me up at the Luxor ... the pyramid-looking hotel. I was so tired when I first arrived. I showed up and played after barely sleeping, but I realized `Hey, I have to take advantage of seeing Vegas.' So I walked around The Strip, took pictures and had a great time."
Q: Playing in the Los Angeles Dodgers system and now playing in Las Vegas, have you had the chance to meet any famous people?
A: "Well I had the chance to meet Tommy Lasorda at the Tennessee Leadoff Banquet last year. In spring training I got to see a lot of big league guys. I'm actually playing with Marlon Anderson (whose played with the Dodgers) right now. My manager in Low-A was Lance Parrish, a former all-star with the Detroit Tigers. (Former major-leaguer Bill Robinson is our hitting coach. I got to see (Hall of Famer) Ryne Sandberg from the Cubs in Peoria.
"I'm learning a lot from Marlon Anderson. He was drafted out of college from South Alabama, and I've gotten to talk to him a little bit. You meet a lot of great guys, and you've got to try and learn a little bit from every one of them about the game. You never stop learning in baseball. There's always room for improvement."
Q: What are your thoughts on three Vols - J.P. Arencibia, Julio Borbon and James Adkins - all being drafted in the first round this year?
A: "As soon as they showed up at Tennessee their freshman year (in 2005), we knew they were special. They helped us out a whole lot that year. They were a huge component of us making it to the College World Series that season.
"Julio, of course, with his blazing speed. He got better each and every year. J.P. is one of those guys who has a lot of power and is a great leader. James is just a hard worker. He learned a whole lot from Luke (Hochevar), which helped him out.
"You know, I was really excited. I tuned in to the draft. J.P. was the first one off the board, and he deserved it. All those guys do. They all work really hard. I'm happy that James was drafted by the Dodgers. Hopefully I'll get a chance to play with him sometime soon. I called all of them to give them a congratulations. It's just another step towards their ultimate goal, which is to play in the big leagues."
Q: Have you had a chance in pro ball to play against any former Tennessee teammates?
A: "Last night I saw Augie Ojeda. He wasn't my teammate, but he's an ex-Volunteer. I got to talk to him a little bit. When I was in High-A, I played against Derek Tharpe. He came in to pitch after I hit and I didn't face him, but we were playing in the same game. I saw Josh Alley a couple days ago. And if I would have stayed in High-A, I would have played against Chris Kemp. It's always nice to see those guys. We'll try and catch some lunch and share the memories that we all had at Tennessee. It's great."
