Interview with Chicago Dogs All-Stars James Reeves and Paul Schwendel
"It's a kind of philosophy of my own life, to create the energy enough to keep on going," said Ernie Banks. This philosophy can apply to the athletes who will participate in the long-awaited American Association All-Star Game. It will be hosted for the first time by the Chicago Dogs at award-winning Impact Field in Rosemont on July 11 and July 12.
The game will feature squads composed from the East and West Divisions. The Chicago Dogs are currently in 1st place in the East Division. The East Division will be represented by the Chicago Dogs, Cleburne Railroaders, Gary SouthShore RailCats, Kane County Cougars, Lake County DockHounds, and Milwaukee Milkmen. The West Division will be represented by the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, Kansas City Monarchs, Lincoln Saltdogs, Sioux City Explorers, Sioux Falls Canaries, and Winnipeg Goldeyes.
There will be seven Chicago Dogs players on the East team including: Ryan Clark (Pitcher), Ryan Lidge (Catcher), KC Hobson (Infielder), Grant Kay (Infielder), James Reeves (Pitcher), Paul Schwendel (Pitcher) and Danny Mars (Outfielder).
Two of the players, pitcher James Reeves and pitcher Paul Schwendel, found time in their busy schedule to answer some questions over the phone in expectation of the All-Star Game. We are happy to share with you their answers.
Q. How does it feel to be selected for the 2022 American Association All-Star Game?
Paul: It feels great. There are a lot of good players and good pitchers in this league, so to be chosen among the best is definitely an honor.
James: It's a good feeling. I think anytime you are putting together a pretty good season and that gets recognized, that's always a good feeling as an athlete, or I am sure really in any profession.
Q. Are you happy that the All-Star Game will be played at your home ballpark?
Paul: Oh yea, definitely. I think in Rosemont we have the nicest stadium in the American Association and I think the best fans as well. I think all the All-Star selections will be really happy to get to play there. It's going to be a great environment for an All-Star Game.
James: Yea, that's really awesome that it's going to be in Rosemont, at Impact Field. The All-Star break can be a nice time if you don't make the team to get those 3 days off just kind of be at home, so it's kind of the best of two worlds in terms of getting to play in the game but also not having to travel somewhere. We have a great stadium, Impact. So, that's going to be a really cool experience to play at home.
Q. Are you excited that Butch Hobson, the Chicago Dogs manager, will manage the East team?
Paul: Oh, yea, Butch is awesome. I mean, anybody who plays for Butch, would run through a brick wall for him. I think having our coaching staff coaching the All-Star Game is really exciting for the guys on the Dogs and I think the other guys from around the league are going to love it, too.
James: I am excited, it has been fun playing for Butch. So, it will be a cool experience, you know, to meet some players from other teams, but also have that comfortability with the coaching staff for the All-Star break, that will be a really cool experience in that setting.
Q. You guys are currently in 1st place in your division. What has made this season so good for the team?
Paul: I think we just have a lot of really good players, Butch has put together a really good team. It's a really good atmosphere in the clubhouse, guys get along and push each other. And I think we have a really good set up at home - obviously, a beautiful stadium, really good fans, good ownership group that takes good care of us. It's just a really solid team, we have good starting pitching, good relief pitching. Then, Lidge, the catcher, he is a really good catcher for the pitching staff and is obviously swinging the bat really well. And then we have guys up and down in the lineup who can drive in runs, some of the guys that are in the All-Star Game - Grant Kay, KC Hobson, Danny Mars. I think we are just a really balanced solid team overall.
James: Yea, I think just the guys that we have in the clubhouse. I just feel like it is a well-balanced roster with a lot of good guys. We kind of pick each other up in terms of we win baseball games in a lot of different ways. We pitch very well, we play good defense, and then the offense has been really good at putting certain runs across, just supporting, scoring a lot of runs and winning a lot of ballgames in different ways.
Q. Do you feel ready for the game? Are you going to be the starting pitcher?
Paul: I don't think that I will be starting, I am a reliever. So, I am not sure who will start, but yea, I am definitely ready for the game, I am excited. I think there will be a big crowd there, a great setting. It's my first All-Star Game as a professional, so it's really exciting for me.
James: I probably will come in relief. I have been a reliever all year. So, I think I probably will just throw one inning or maybe less, depending how many pitchers are on the roster.
Q. What do you expect from this game?
Paul: A lot of good players. I think people will see how loaded this league is with good talent all the way around the league, and I know those guys from Kansas City, that team is really good. And we are leading the East division. I think people will just see talent from each lineup and coming out of the bullpen. So, it's going to be an exciting showcase for us.
James: I have only played in one other All-Star Game before and it was just really a fun experience. You know, you are still competing, you still want to do well, obviously, but at the same time, it's a good time to meet other people, and just kind of enjoy the overall experience.
Q. At the All-Star Game you and your team members are going to play with the members of other teams from the East Division. How do you feel about it? Do you think it will be hard? How well do you know the other players in your league?
Paul: I have been around this league for a couple of years now, and some of the guys on our team have been in this league for a couple of years, so I think we have gotten to know a lot of players from around the league when we've played with them on teams before or just playing against them through the years. There are a lot of good relationships that we have with players from around the league. We are excited, it will be fun to get a lot of talented players together on the field and getting to hang out in the clubhouse, learn from them and talk to them. So, yea, we are excited about it.
James: This is my first year in the American Association, so I don't know a ton of guys. I actually played college baseball with Mason Davis who will be the starting shortstop for the East team. So, that's something I am really looking forward to, because me and him are really good friends from college. But, at the end of the day, there are a lot of baseball players, there are a lot of dudes across baseball, a lot of good people, so I am excited to meet some guys from around the league and start building relationships with them as well.
Q. Being a team member means establishing trust. How do you establish trust with the players from other teams?
Paul: I think we all know that if we get on the All-Star team we are all there for a reason. So, we all go out trusting the other guys there, they are playing their hardest and getting after it. I think it's going to be a great time, we know there is a lot of talent around the league. I am excited to see it firsthand.
James: It's tough. I feel like building trust with players from other teams takes time. Baseball is a long season, we play a lot of games. So, I think the All-Star Game is more usually just kind of trusting everybody's abilities and understanding they are there for a reason. They are going to do the best they can, and they expect the best out of you, too. So, I think for that one game it's more about just coming together and trying to put a good game in the books.
Talking about the statistics, here is what Paul and James shared with us.
Q. Paul, during your all-star first half, you have had opposing batters struggling to get hits. Batters have been hitting a dreadful .208 against you this season. Back when you came to the Dogs in 2020, opposing batters hit .302 off you. What have you done to lower the batting average against you by nearly 100 points?
Paul: I think just keeping guys off balance, especially early in the count. I think a big trend in baseball right now is going toward throwing off speed pitches early in the count, because hitters typically like to hit fastballs. In 0:0 counts, I think just learning the pitch more than just be out there to throw and just get in the habit. You know, when I was younger when I'd throw a baseball I'd get in the habit of just piping fastballs over and over again. But then you learn, especially if you ever hear a hitter come back to the dugout after seeing three sliders in a row, they don't like that very much. So, I always tell younger pitchers like, if the hitters don't like it, you should probably be throwing it, because hitters like to hit fastballs.
Q. Additionally, you have had a combined 2.77 ERA in your last 2 seasons in your time with the Dogs, after having a 5.81 ERA in 2020 with the Dogs. What adjustments have you made to achieve this all-star level of pitching?
Paul: Yea, I think my first year coming back with the Dogs, I hadn't played in five years, I took five years off from baseball, so I was kind of learning. I had good stuff, but I was kind of learning how to get professional hitters out again. And the last couple of years I have kind of refined my stuff, learned how to pitch a little bit better, and just gotten more reps and gotten better as I've gone along.
Q. James, you have been having a great season on the mound, with a 2.17 ERA. In your previous season, 2021, your ERA in the minor leagues sat at 5.65. What adjustments have you made to come from an average season to an all-star season?
James: Yea, I mean, I faced a lot of good competition last year, I learned a lot from that. And I think just making better pitches; it has been an adjustment. I can't really point to one thing, other than you just got to keep pitching, and there is also a lot of luck involved in the game of baseball, a lot of hits that I have given up, luckily there has been somebody standing there to catch it, instead of it finding the green grass. So, yea, less home runs, too.
Q. Additionally, this season you have been keeping the ball in the ballpark. In the minors in 2021, you allowed 1.41 home runs per 9 innings, and this season you have dropped that number under .5 home runs per 9 innings. Have you made any adjustments to decrease the number of homers you give up?
James: I think just making better quality pitches and trying to keep the ball off the barrel, and seeing what happens from there. I can't really point to one thing, I pitched in some very offensive friendly ballparks last year as well, so it's been good to kind of eliminate some of those home run balls this year.
Q. Are you ready to celebrate in case the East team wins?
Paul: Oh yea, definitely! If the East team wins, I would definitely be celebrating that.
James: Yea! It will a cool experience if we pull off the victory against the West this coming week. I am definitely excited to compete and hopefully we will put a good game together, and win one for the East division.
Q. Thank for your time! Good luck to you and to the East division team in the All-Star Game! Also, good luck to the Chicago Dogs, you have a great second half of the season and a great postseason!
Tickets for the All-Star Game, starting at $9, are currently available at TheChicagoDogs.com/Allstar or by calling (847) 636-5450. Premium seating opportunities are available at Impact Field's luxury suites and Rivers Stadium Club. The Rivers Stadium Club includes access to an all-inclusive premium buffet provided by Levy Restaurants as well as beer, wine and soda. Tickets can be purchased in advance for the Rivers Stadium Club or a luxury suite by calling the box office.
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