Matt CARPENTER
Yankees infielder Matt Carpenter, signed as a free agent in May, takes a swing at some Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby.
Q: Why does a mustache make Matt Carpenter a cult hero in New York?
A: (Laugh) I’m not really sure. Maybe it’s my inner Don Mattingly that’s coming out.
Q: How old were you when you first grew a mustache?
A: This is my first mustache ever. From a beard standpoint, I’ve had facial hair pretty much ever since college. I’ve got a 6-year-old daughter who’s never seen me clean-shaven until like a couple of weeks ago.
Q: What does your wife think of it?
A: She’s a fan of it . ... Even outside of Yankee fans, like family and friends back home, it’s been received pretty well.
Q: So you’ll keep it?
A: There’s a chance that I keep it, for sure.
Q: How do you rate Nestor Cortes’ mustache?
A: Very good. It’s a very highquality mustache. And there’s a lot of wins in that mustache (chuckle).
Q: How do you grade a mustache?
A: First it starts with shape. Have you done a good job shaving it? Then, one of the things that’s kind of out of your control, is how well you grow hair there.
Q: Describe the New York Yankees Way.
A: I would say that it’s a commitment to excellence. You could feel it the day that you walked in this clubhouse for the first time that winning is prioritized here. The team comes before the individual here. At the end of the day, when you sign up to put on this jersey, you’re expected to carry yourself in a certain way and you’re expected to compete for a World Series. As we all know, definitely not every organization in Major League Baseball truly goes into every season expecting to win a World Series, and the New York Yankees certainly do.
Q: What do you think of the Bleacher Creatures’ roll call?
A: I think it’s one of the coolest things in sports. That’s something everybody, even someone who’s never been in Yankee Stadium, can tell you that they know about it, they’ve heard about it and they would love to see it in
person.
Q: Describe the first time you played at Yankee Stadium.
A: 2017 [while with the Cardinals]. Such a thrill. I can remember the feeling of coming to the Stadium for the first time, stepping into the box for the first time, and now I’m seeing it firsthand being in the pinstripes and watching other players come in. It’s such an advantage for the New York Yankees to just be who they are and what they’re about and having other teams come in. There’s an awe factor. Especially with younger players. You got younger players having to pitch for the first time in Yankee Stadium and that’s a big deal. And a lot of times it ends up being a major factor in performance as far as swaying it towards the Yankee side. It’s a huge advantage to have guys come in and get kind of star-struck and caught up in the lights of New York City, and that home-field advantage shows up every night.
Q: Is it fair to say that Aaron Judge is the unofficial captain of the Yankees?
A: I think that is a more than fair assessment. There’s certain people, players, personalities that it just doesn’t take long to figure out that they’re the alpha male or they’re the guy who’s kind of running the ship, so to speak. Aaron does it in a way that is very unique, not only with the performance on the field, the kind of player he is, the stature of him physically, the intimidating presence as big and strong as that guy is, I don’t think I’ve ever been around a baseball player of his size ever. But probably most importantly, the way he goes about his business, the way he handles himself in the media, the way he works, the way he treats his teammates, the way he goes out of his way to be a great respectful teammate and person to staff members and treating clubhouse attendants, just literally the way he treats everybody ... he’s just special to watch. We all lean on him.
Q: Have you delivered your salsa yet to your new clubhouse?
A: (Laugh) No, not yet, but I have had some conversations about it, so it might make an appearance at some point this summer.
Q: What’s special about your salsa?
A: I wouldn’t say there’s anything necessarily special about it, I just try to make it really fresh. I don’t do it all the time, but when I have the time, I’ll roast and or smoke the vegetables, the tomatoes, the jalapenos, all that stuff to kind of give it that smoky, roasted flavor.
Q: In 2011, you were not on the playoff roster when the Cardinals won the World Series.
A: I did get a World Series ring. I made my major league debut that season and was in spring training with ’em. Just being a part of that 2011 group, even though it was a small part, I think that that year really kind of laid the foundation for my career and kind of got my feet wet, showed me what winning looks like and what a winning team looks like, so
it was a good experience.
Q: That wasn’t too many years after you signed for $1,000.
A: After taxes, that looks a lot like about $600.
Q: What was that moment like?
A: Honestly a lot like getting that phone call from the Yankees. Equally as much of a thrill. The expectation was so low. I didn’t know if I was gonna get drafted at all. I had had very little if any conversations with scouts. I had no agent. I was a fifth-year senior. Old relative to the age of most people who were gonna get drafted in the major leagues that year. To get that phone call, and know that I have not played my last baseball game, which when I walked off the field off my last college game, I thought that there was a pretty good chance that it could have been my last one. For it to not be and then get that opportunity, it was a huge thrill.
Q: How often have you bunted against the shift?
A: I would not be able to answer accurately exactly. I’m a guy that if it’s there I’ll take it. I will bunt every single time that they give it to me as long as it’s not with two strikes. I think I even had one in my career on a 3-0 count.
Q: What was happening in your life in college when you ballooned to 240 pounds?
A: I kind of got wrapped up in going out and having a good time with friends and staying up late and eating poorly and not taking care of my body. My priorities were not necessarily in line with a guy who was trying to become the best student-athlete that he should be. And it took an injury in college [Tommy John surgery] to kind of like open my eyes to the missteps, so to speak, that I was taking. Q: Three dinner guests? A: Michael Jordan, Babe Ruth, Jerry Seinfeld.
Q: How would Babe Ruth look in a mustache?
A: I think he’d look great . ... I think we’d look great together. Q: Favorite movie? A: “Field of Dreams.” Q: Favorite actor? A: Tom Hanks. Q: Favorite actress? A: Jennifer Aniston. Q: Favorite singer/entertainer? A: George Strait. Q: Favorite meal? A: Mexican food.
Q: Would anything less than a World Series be acceptable?
A: I don’t think so. I think that’s the standard. I think that’s the expectation. And I think that every man in that clubhouse would be extremely disappointed if they don’t walk out of this year as the last team standing.