A right-handed pitcher, the 23-year-old Beazley was drafted out of Randolph-Macon College where he set the school record for strikeouts and was named a Division III All-American. A two-way player at Randolph-Macon, the native of Beaverdam, Virginia also excelled with the bat, leading the team in hitting with a .378 average. Beazley made his professional debut with the Lowell Spinners, appearing in 14 games and posting a record of 3-2, 2.39 with a team-leading 59 strikeouts in 67 2/3 innings.
RSN: What is your history as a baseball fan?
TB: Even though I grew up in Virginia, I've always been a Red Sox fan. So has my dad. I'm sure it's not the same experience as growing up in New England, but they've always been our team. Winning the World Series in 2004 was definitely a big thrill, especially with all the heartbreak that preceded it. When I was younger, Roger Clemens and Mike Greenwell were two of my favorite players.
RSN: You were drafted out of Randolph-Macon, but actually went to Methodist College first. Tell us about that.
TB: I committed to Methodist when I was a senior in high school, but in legion ball got hit by a line drive in practice. It caught me on the side of the head, and I ended up in the hospital for a week with a concussion and a brain bleed. That was in late July. I wanted to play, but lost a little motor balance, and even a little of my speech, for about six months. So I transferred back home, and actually thought about just going to school and not playing baseball anymore.
RSN: What made you decide to keep playing?
TB: To a large extent, it was coaching. I was helping out my old high school team, and the AAU team, and that's really what got me back into it. I just enjoyed being on the field too much.
RSN: Along with pitching, you were a shortstop and a third baseman in college. Do you have any favorite big league infielders -- maybe ones that are similar in style to how you played?
TB: I'm a big David Eckstein fan. Guys like him, and Mark Lemke a few years back, aren't physical specimens, but they play the game right and get it done. Dustin Pedroia would be another good example. I have a real appreciation for players like that.
RSN: Was signing as a pitcher a no-brainer, or do you think the potential may have been there for you to make it as a position player?
TB: No, it was a no-brainer. I played the infield in high school, and originally went to college as an infielder, but I was very average. I was just a singles hitter, a gap hitter, but nothing special. While I as in college, the team needed pitching and liked my arm, so I gave it a try and ended up doing pretty well. Being realistic, that's clearly my best chance to make it in pro ball.
RSN: What are your repertoire and style on the mound?
TB: I'm pretty much fastball, curve, change, and I have confidence in all three. My fastball is usually in the upper 80s, and maybe I'll hit 91 once in awhile. I'm not going to light it up. My curveball is 12-to-6 and can be pretty effective. My change isn't too bad. Overall, I guess I'm more crafty than power. I can beat guys with my fastball, but that's primarily because I'm changing speeds and looks, mixing well.
RSN: You set the school record for strikeouts at Randolph-Macon. Did your approach toward strikeouts change when you went from college to pro ball?
TB: I think it did at the beginning, maybe because I didn't have a lot of confidence yet. I was looking at myself too much like a Division III guy who was facing guys from all over the world, and I didn't know what to expect. In college, I was probably top-3 velocity-wise in my conference, but I knew that wouldn't be the case anymore, so I kind of adjusted to being more of a ground ball guy. I also went through a stretch where I tried to be a little too fine, probably because I had recently given up a few home runs, and ended up hurting myself with walks. Later in the season I got back to my old mindset and started challenging hitters again, which is what I need to do to be successful. You have to trust your stuff, because confidence is a big part of pitching.
RSN: Along with being a low-round pick, you're a right-handed pitcher with a fairly standard repertoire and average velocity. Do you feel you'll need to add anything to what you bring to the table in order to make it to the big leagues?
TB: There's always room for adjustments, but I need to see how much success I'm having and what the organization thinks. If I'm getting hit hard, I'm certainly going to be open to making changes. My 2-seamer runs, but doesn't really sink, so maybe that's something I could work on. I do know that I'd like to be throwing a little harder next year. That would only be one or two miles an hour more, and velocity isn't the main thing, but it could only help. Ultimately, all I can do is work as hard as I can and hope that I'm given a fair shot.
RSN: You mentioned coaching earlier. Is that something you could see yourself doing some day?
TB: It is. Coming into the draft, I wasn't sure what was going to happen, so I had lined up going to VCU (Virginia Commonwealth University) for their Sports Management program. I have my degree in business and economics, but you need a Master's to coach college ball, and I may pursue that someday.
RSN: To close, what are some of your early memories of playing baseball?
TB: I'm not sure if you'd call it an early memory, but growing up, there were seven of us who were always playing together. I was the youngest. When I was 11, we finished second in the state and the team that beat us went to the Little League World Series. Then, in high school, we ended up losing in the state finals one year. Now, three of us are in pro ball. Looking back at when we were kids, it's what you dream about, so it's really kind of amazing.