by Bill Craig / A’s Farm Nashville Correspondent
Bay Area native BJ Boyd didn’t play high school baseball until his junior year at Palo Alto High. Some were a bit surprised when the A’s selected him with their 4th-round pick in the 2012 draft. There was some thought that Boyd might prefer to pursue the opportunity to play college football, but the 18-year-old chose to sign with the A’s and begin his baseball career with the Arizona League A’s in the summer of 2012.
Boyd slowly climbed his way through the A’s system step by step. And after spending two seasons in Stockton, he had a breakout year with Double-A Midland last year and is now spending his first full season with Triple-A Nashville. While mainly playing in left field this season, the 24-year-old has made appearances in all three outfield positions and has displayed his speed both in the outfield and on the base paths while slashing .271/.316/.352 for the Sounds.
Boyd took some time to sit down and talk with us last weekend just before the Sounds wrapped up their recent six-game homestand.
AF: What was it like for you being drafted straight out of high school and beginning your pro career as a teenager?
BB: It was crazy. My whole life I thought I would be drafted out of high school because my family did it. It was a blessing. I played a lot of travel ball. I didn’t play baseball till I was a junior in high school. It was a big deal.
AF: You spent a lot of time playing football in high school. Was there a lot to learn when you first started playing pro baseball at such a young age?
BB: Yeah, it was a lot to learn. Before, when I was younger, it was just having fun. Once you got to pro ball, it was still fun, but this is business now. This is your job, so you’ve got to learn every part of the game.
AF: You seemed to have a bit of a breakthrough year last season at Midland. What really came together and clicked for you last year?
BB: Basically, just to have fun and play the game. I had more motivation to play, and it was fun getting out and learning the game. I started at Stockton, close to home, and then got to Midland, and there was nothing else to do but study the game, learn the game and focus more.
AF: How are things different here in Triple-A from the competition you faced last year at Double-A?
BB: To me, the only thing that’s different is the jersey and the way they pitch. It’s a lot of backwards pitching and a lot of off-speed pitching. There’s no guys trying to challenge anybody. I haven’t seen that yet. Basically, you have to see your pitch, and you can’t miss that pitch.
AF: How do you approach your at-bats? When you go up to the plate, what’s in your mind and what are you looking to do?
BB: Trying not to be so aggressive at the plate, just to get on base, get a hit and try not to do more than I should be doing.
AF: What do you feel your greatest strength is as a player?
BB: Hitting.
AF: You’ve played all over the outfield. Is there a spot you enjoy most or feel most comfortable in?
BB: I feel most comfortable almost anywhere. I really enjoy center field ’cause I know I can run a little bit, and I enjoy running gap to gap to try to take away a hit from somebody.
AF: You seem to have a lot of speed on the base paths. Do you feel like you might be capable of being even more of a base-stealing threat in the future?
BB: Yeah, to me, it’s just getting comfortable about stealing a base and not worrying about getting picked off.
AF: Is there any other aspect of your game that you’re really focused on right now or any particular adjustments you’re trying to make?
BB: Right now, we are not stealing bases as a whole in the organization. I would love to steal more bases. We work on it all the time, and Rickey [Henderson] is here right now, so we are working on that a lot.
AF: A lot of people think of First Tennessee Park as a pitcher’s park. But how do you feel about hitting here?
BB: They are correct. I’ve hit a lot of balls I thought were out of here that went nowhere. I’ve had balls end up in peoples gloves when I thought they had a chance to get out of here.
AF: You’ve had a lot of guys with some big league experience come through here this season. What’s it like to have those guys around and is there anything that you’ve been able to learn from them?
BB: Yes, I ask them questions all the time. When they are in the box, I see how they swing and what’s their effort level. That’s a big thing for me. I see these guys in the big leagues taking these effortless swings and the ball is going way farther than I expected.
AF: Had you ever spent any time in Nashville before coming here this season? And what do you think of life in Nashville so far?
BB: I love it and it’s a great place to play. I feel like the Nashville Sounds is a big league team.
AF: When you were growing up in the Bay Area, were there any particular players you really admired or tried to model yourself after?
BB: There’s a lot but, for me, my top three are Kirby Puckett, Rickey Henderson and Tony Gwynn.
AF: Do you have any particular goals or anything you’d like to try to accomplish this season?
BB: Get home!
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