RSN: How would you describe your offensive game?
ZD: I'm kind of a power hitter, but at the same time I can hit for a good average. I consider plate discipline to be one of my strengths. Depending on the situation, I'm either looking for a pitch to drive up the middle or one that I can hit out of the park.
RSN: How would you describe your power?
ZD: Mostly gap-to-gap. Most of my home runs are to right-center, but I'll hit them to left-center, too. It's more of what you would call line drive power, although every once in a while I'll really get into one. Sometimes I'll upper-cut too much, and will need to work on getting more backspin to drive the ball. I need to stay down through it more…stay flatter through the ball.
RSN: How do you generate most of your power?
ZD: I'm more of a lower half guy. My load is on my back side. I also have a bit of a leg-kick, which is a timing-mechanism for me.
RSN: Are you more of a "see it and hit it" guy, or do you go up there with a specific plan?
ZD: I like to have a pretty good plan -- some idea of what the pitcher throws and his patterns. I try to look at charts, and the hitter's log they'll have us keep here is something I'll utilize. That said, I'm somewhat "see it and hit it," too. I know my plan when I go up to hit, but once I get in the box I'm reacting. At that point you're relying on your instincts.
RSN: Let’s say you're up with a runner on third and less than two out, and the count is full. If the pitch is just off the plate, do you want to try to put it in play to drive in the run, or take it for ball four?
ZD: I'd say that if it's just outside, but up, I'll swing, because I can probably drive it into the air. But if it's down around the knees, I'll probably take the walk.
RSN: With the infield back, a ground ball may still get the runner in from third. Do you buy the argument that a hitter is being selfish if he takes a walk rather than trying to drive in the run?
ZD: Not really. To me, you're not being selfish if you're giving up an RBI. Either way, it depends a lot on the situation.
RSN: You're listed at 6' 4" 225. How accurate is that, and what are your goals regarding strength and flexibility?
ZD: I'm closer to 220 now, and I think there's room for me to put on five or 10 pounds to help increase my power. As for overall conditioning, the club will let me know if I should be more focused on becoming quicker or stronger.
RSN: What do you consider your strengths defensively?
ZD: I think my main strength is my versatility, as I can play first base, third base, or the outfield. Right now I'd say I'm a better outfielder, but with work I believe I can be a good third baseman. My arm-strength is pretty good.
RSN: You've had Tommy John surgery. How has that affected you?
ZD: I did, in 2004, but I'm back to 100 percent now. It hurt me mostly in that I had to DH for a season, and didn't get much work in with the glove. Because of that, I've only had one full year playing third.
RSN: You're going to play your first professional game in just over an hour. What are you thinking?
ZD: I'm just excited to play. We've been practicing for a week, and we're all looking forward to getting started. Maybe I'm a little nervous, but once the game starts that will go away. As much as anything, I guess I'm thinking about how fortunate I am to be playing pro ball. At the moment, it's a little surreal, to be honest.
RSN: What is the most adrenaline, or nerves, you've had before a game?
ZD: When I was at Creighton, we played Nebraska at Rosenblatt Stadium, which is where the College World Series is held. With it being an in-state rivalry, in front of a crowd of 20,000, that made for a lot of adrenaline.
RSN: Is a lot of adrenaline good, or bad?
ZD: I need to find somewhere in-between. You want some adrenaline, but maybe I'm a little better when I'm relaxed, especially in the box.
RSN: How do you like to relax off the field?
ZD: I'm big on music. I play the electric guitar, although I don't have it with me yet because my amp is too heavy to have brought on the plane. The Red Hot Chili Peppers are probably my favorite band.
RSN: You won the Triple Crown in the Northwoods League last summer, playing for the Waterloo Bucks. What was it like playing in Waterloo, Iowa, and in Thunder Bay, Ontario, in 2004?
ZD: Those were good experiences. Waterloo was close to home, and I was coming off the injury when I played there. Thunder Bay was definitely interesting. I had a lot of fun up there, although the bus rides were pretty long. The shortest one was to Duluth, which was about four hours. There are going to be some long bus rides here, too, but that's okay. I've always wanted to play pro ball, and now I'm getting that opportunity. I'm going to make the most of it.