On how he’d describe Cory Keylor the baseball player: “I like to think of myself as a guy who gives 100 percent and plays the game right. Baseball is a game where you’re going to have a lot of ups and downs, so I try to stay as even-keeled as possible. Another thing is that baseball is just a game, and you have to recognize that. You also have to stay within yourself. You can’t try to be a superhero out there.”
On his approach at the plate: “I mostly try to stay up the middle. I used to be more of a pull-guy and tried to launch balls, but a couple of years ago I learned to use the whole field better. I want my timing to be for fastballs and from there I adjust to offspeed pitches. I don’t look for specific pitches. I’m what you’d call a “see it and hit it” guy. I try to keep it as simple as possible.”
On coming to the Red Sox organization: “The trade really came out of left field. I was in the middle of a game in spring training when someone told me I’d been traded to Boston. It was a shocker. Not in a bad way, but I had never been traded before so it kind of threw me. Ironically, we were playing the Orioles the next day. Mike Hazen told me I didn’t have suit up for that one, although I did end up getting a few at-bats in an A-ball game against (the Orioles).”
On being welcomed to the team: “Everybody was really nice. Baseball guys are baseball guys, and that’s something that doesn’t change. A few of the guys I kind of already knew from having played against them; guys like Zink and Smitty (Chris Smith). Eric Crozier grew up in Columbus (OH), so I knew him from there. Randy Beam and I worked at the same camp in the offseason. So there were some familiar faces.”
On the best pitchers he has faced in the Eastern League: “Matt Garza last year had a pretty good arm and good stuff. Smitty in the All-Star game was good. I was actually pretty impressed with the righty who threw for Trenton the other nigh, Alan Horne. He was sitting between 93 and 96 with a little two-seam run to his ball.”
On the team he rooted for growing up: “I was a huge Pirates fan. We moved to near Columbus when I was in the eighth grade, but before that we were in the eastern part of the state, in the Ohio Valley. That’s Pirates, Steelers and Penguins territory. I was at the right age, around twelve or thirteen, when the Pirates were good. I had my heart broken three times, though; twice by Atlanta.”
On how he’d describe Cory Keylor the person: “I’m pretty laid back. I’ve played the guitar for about 10 years, although I’m nothing special. My brother plays in a band and is a lot better. Other than that, I’m a big family guy. You know, home for the holidays and stuff like that. I have great family. They've made me what I am.”