CHICO — As a sports journalist you talk to some high profile names. In my career those have included San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch when the 49ers donated towards the Camp Fire recovery; New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers when his high school quarterbacks/baseball coach Ron Souza was inducted to the Chico Sports Hall of Fame; and San Francisco Giants fan favorites Hunter Pence and Bruce Bochy at the Chico Nuts Spring Fever events.
A journalist’s job is often to ask questions about their interviewee’s accomplishments, but not often do you just get to sit and talk about life. At Friday night’s Chico Nuts Spring Fever event, when former Giants pitcher Jake Peavy was the guest speaker, I got the chance to sit and talk about life with Peavy.
At past events the guest speaker has sat next to the podium several spots away from the reporter’s seat, but after our interview before dinner, Peavy sat to my left and we had genuine conversations throughout the night.
As a self-described “social creature” person, and me being one myself, following our interview we talked throughout dinner about stories living in the Bay Area. I grew up in the Bay Area as a baseball player, and we talked about different places we knew of and stories of our times throughout Peavy’s time as a Giant from 2014-16.
Peavy shared an abundance of stories with the crowd and me, and at the end of the night I went home to all my friends who were Giants fans and shared some great memories. Not all fit in the initial recap of the night, so here we are — story time with Jake Peavy.
After sharing that I grew up in the East Bay near Walnut Creek, Peavy shared that when he was a Giant he lived off Second Street, roughly a mile from Oracle Park. He said he loved being so close to the Giants fans and the ballpark.
As true life-long A’s fan, we talked about how sad it is that the Battle of the Bay will soon be coming to an end. Peavy said it is disappointing how poorly Major League Baseball is handling the situation, and how he too is sad the rivalry of two teams less than 30 minutes away is coming to an end. That was a bittersweet moment to share.
Peavy mentioned how he was teammates with current A’s manager Mark Kotsay on several occasions throughout his career, and how difficult his position must be due to talent level and with the possible relocation of the team.
Peavy shared stories about his new venture with MLB Network as a broadcaster, but was firm in saying he has no desire to coach and travel, whether that be at the youth or professional level. He enjoys spending time with his kids playing catch in the backyard in Alabama, but loves being a dad.
After Peavy finished at the Spring Fever event, he was headed to the Padres’ spring training facility in Peoria, Arizona. Despite not wanting to coach, he still remains a part of the game.
As a sports journalist, it was interesting to hear how he’s learned from professionals and how much he is enjoying it.
At the event a fan mentioned how Peavy looked like former Metallica bass player Jason Newsted. Peavy, who said he was a big Metallica fan himself, said with a laugh that he wish he played with Metallica. He talked about how he learned guitar from former Giants third base coach Tim Flannery.
When Peavy won the World Series in 2013 with the Red Sox, it was memorable. His grandma was his “rock,” and the two talked every five days before he pitched. She always told him that his team was going to win the World Series. His grandma passed early in 2013, and he made his Red Sox debut on his grandma’s birthday on Aug. 3, 2013. The Red Sox would go on to win the World Series that year, a special moment for Peavy.
After his first World Series in 2013 with the Red Sox, in 2014 he got a text from Bochy and Flannery. The Red Sox were struggling a season after winning the World Series, and the two Giants coaches texted Peavy and said, “You’re coming back, we’re going to run this.” They challenged Peavy to lead a young Giants team, to light a fire in the youth, and to show them what it takes to win a World Series.
Peavy was traded to the Giants July 26, 2014, and one day after the Royals defeated the Giants 10-0 in Game 6, the Giants defeated the Royals 3-2 in Game 7 on Oct. 29, 2014 to win Peavy’s second straight World Series.
Peavy shared that former Giants’ closer Santiago Casilla wanted to share a message with the team prior to Game 7, and Peavy and other captains were hesitant due to Casilla’s struggles with the English language. Bochy gave the confirmation that the message needed to come from the players, and with the help of teammate Angel Pagan translating, Casilla shared that he had a dream the Giants would win a World Series in spring training that year, and he had the same dream after Game 6.
When Peavy won the World Series in Boston, he bought a Duck Boat so that he could have more than seven tickets for his family. He was 12 years into his career before winning his first World Series, and wanted his family to be there with him. Two years later when he won it with the Giants, he bought a Cable Car for the same reason. Family first, which should be a lesson for all.
As someone who stresses the importance of having a mentor to any young journalist I speak to, I loved hearing when Peavy shared that his biggest mentor was Hall of Fame Padres closer Trevor Hoffman, who spoke at the Spring Fever event in 2012. Looking back at both players’ careers, I see the correlation. Peavy was a fiery pitcher on the mound, much like any closer needs when they enter into late clutch-time scenarios. Both Peavy and Hoffman are friendly outside of the baseball diamond, but on the field they both believe if you lose the edge on the other team you’re at a disadvantage.
Prior to Peavy’s speech, master of ceremonies Royal Courtain introduced Peavy and shared a fun fact that Peavy was the pitcher that gave up Barry Bonds’ 700th home run. When it was Peavy’s turn to speak, he said facing skillful hitters like Bonds was nothing new. His first start was against the New York Yankees, and Alfonso Soriano got a double in his first start (a loss).
Since that loss in his first start, his career turned out pretty well. 152 wins and 126 losses in 15 years in the Major Leagues, a career earned run average of 3.63, three All-Star Game appearances (2005, 2007, 2012), the 2007 NL Cy Young winner, the 2007 Pitching Triple Crown (wins, strikeouts, ERA), the 2012 AL Gold Glove, and two-time World Series Champion.
I may be an A’s fan, but a former Giant may be one of my favorites, and it is because he was truly his authentic self. Thank you Jake Peavy for a memorable night for all.
