I've got a real treat for the readers of OverTheMonster.com, as I interviewed Bombers' centerfielder Jeff Corsaletti. Corsaletti has been on a tear this season since being drafted out of the University of Florida in the sixth round of the 2005 draft. He has hit .357 as a Bomber, with four home runs, 26 RBI, and nine stolen bases in 59 games as the leadoff hitter in Greenville. He recently finished up the season with a 4-for-4, one home run, one double, one walk performance against the Rome Braves.
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OTM.com How is the skill level different from college ball to pro ball? Is there a large gap between the two?
Jeff Corsaletti: The competition I feel is very much the same. Of course you can tell which pitchers have pitched in college and which pitchers have just started pitching out of high school. Other than that, I feel that skill level will get tougher as I advance through the minor leagues, but for now I think that there isn't a big gap at all.
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OTM.com Has your approach to the game changed at all since being drafted?
Jeff Corsaletti: My approach hasn't changed one bit. As a leadoff hitter in college, all I tried to do was get on base and see a lot of pitches, and I feel that I have done a great job of that in Pro Ball.
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OTM.com You had one of the best seasons for a 2005 draft pick by the Red Sox. How important is it to get off to a good professional start?
Jeff Corsaletti: It is very important to get off to a great start in pro ball just for the fact that it opens a lot of people's eyes, especially in my situation with being a 6th round pick.
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OTM.com What has been your favorite moment so far as a pro?
Jeff Corsaletti: My favorite moment just has to be the fact that we get to play everyday. In college we played 4 games a week, so just the ability to get to play everyday is awesome.
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OTM.com What team were you a fan of growing up?
Jeff Corsaletti: Growing up I was a huge Red Sox fan. I got it from my Dad who attended UMass and was basically a stud on their football team. While he was playing there he grew to love the Sox, and just passed it on to me.
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OTM.com How was draft day for you? Did the Red Sox show a lot of interest in you pre-draft, or was it kind of a surprise?
Jeff Corsaletti: Draft day was an awesome day for me. Going into the draft I really didn't feel like any one particular team wanted me. I just felt that I could go with any team at any time. When my hot girlfriend told me that the Sox drafted me, I was definitely excited to be part of an organization as prominent as them.
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OTM.com Which would you rather do: throw out a runner at home to win the game, or hit a walk-off home run?
Jeff Corsaletti: That's a no-brainer. Hitting a walk-off home run is the single most exhilarating thing in all of sports. I still haven't got to do that yet in my career, but hopefully that day will come soon.
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OTM.com Describe yourself as a hitter. Do you see yourself as a leadoff hitter at the major league level?
Jeff Corsaletti: My basic approach is to see a lot of pitches and to get on base. With this same approach I can definitely see myself batting leadoff at the major league level. All the hard work that I have put into the game of baseball has brought me this far, and I will continue to do that for the rest of my career. Plus just the fact that throughout my career I have been doubted as a player in many circumstances motivates me to prove them wrong.