A buffed-up physique to build on body of work
Edited transcript of a conversation with Giants third baseman Matt Duffy:
Q: First, we’ve got to talk about the picture you sent out (on Instagram). Is that Photoshopped? You look like (Lou) Ferrigno or (Arnold) Schwarzenegger. A: No. I just had a good pump going. It wasn’t Photoshopped. My forearms are really the only thing that kind of makes me look big ... so I posted those ones. (George) Kontos gave me some crap and was like, “That was Photoshopped.” And I was like, “No it wasn’t, dude.” Q (from Giants CEO Larry Baer): I was with (Buster) Posey and he saw the picture, and guys are calling you now “Matt Buffy.” Did Posey e-mail you or tweet you or some- thing? He said he was going to give you some grief. A: He hasn’t yet, but there’s no shortage of grief coming from him. I’m sure he’ll give it to me once I see him. Q: That’s the thing about Buster. He plays it so stone-faced with the media, but once we leave, he’s the zing guy. He’s out there keeping things lively, huh? A: Yeah, I’d say him and (Brandon) Crawford are pretty far up there. Crawford only has one-liners coming out of his mouth, which is entertaining for me. He’s fun to be around. But, yeah, they definitely keep it cool with you guys, but then they keep it light. Q: Was your biggest goal this offseason to put on weight? That was the only thing people would say negatively about you is that maybe you’re too light and you need some more weight. Was that something you worked on or addressed, or no?
A: It wasn’t the main focus, but I guess you could say it was a side focus. The main thing was making sure that I was as healthy as possible. I felt like I bogged down toward the end of last season, definitely felt the effects of playing every day. So, that was the main thing was being able to withstand that health-wise, and I think I accomplished that this offseason. Q: Last year coming in, many of us and maybe you included, didn’t think you’d make the roster, and now you’re coming in as the starting third baseman for the Giants. So, can you talk about the mental difference from being a guy trying to make the team to the starting third baseman? A: It’s a good feeling. I know that I have a little more leeway getting ready for the season, whereas last year having to come out of the gate guns blazing because job security is only there as long as you’re doing your job well. I’m not going to get comfortable, and I’m still going to be pushing to do everything I can to help the team win. Q: How are the commercial shoots going? You in any of those? A: Yeah, I’m in a couple. So much more goes into it than I thought. The attention to detail is unbelievable. It’s pretty amazing. They’re so good at what they do, and it gives me more respect for movie stars because it’s so tedious.