NoMaas.org

In our Stealth Bomber series, we talk to players in the farm system who aren't yet on the New York radar, but hope one day to be so.

Kevin was drafted in the 23rd round of the 2009 draft out of Canisius College, where he was the 2009 MAAC Player of the Year. Upon signing, he played in 57 games for the Gulf Coast Yankees.

Admiral Firmus Piett: What went through your mind on draft day when you found out that you were selected by the Yankees?

Kevin Mahoney: I was able to share my draft experience with my fiancee, her mother, my mother and my middle brother Ryan. My oldest brother Colin and my father were at work while we were listening to the draft over the internet. When my name was called we didn't hear which team it was. Then when they repeated it, we all went nuts because my family are huge Yankee fans and it was just an unbelievable experience. I was able to call my father while he was at work and I don't think a dad could be any more proud of their son.

AFP: You grew up on Long Island, correct? Were you a Yankees fan as a kid?

KM: Yes, I grew up in Long Island about 45 minutes away from Yankee Stadium which makes this experience all the more sweeter. However, I grew up a Mets fan, even though all my favorite players were Yankees. I guess I was more of a fan for the underdog team. But I can tell you now my heart has changed over to the pinstripes.

AFP: Who was your favorite ballplayer growing up?

KM: Growing up I didn't have just one favorite player so here are my top 5 favorite players. Tino Martinez, Paul O'Neill, Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada and Derek Jeter... funny how that works. It's unbelievable now that I watched these guys play on TV and pretended to be them in the back yard, and now I am a part of the same organization and seeing these guys face to face, it's another dream come true.

AFP: You came to the Yankees with the reputation of being a good defender. Is that something you've prided yourself on or has it just come naturally to you at the hot-corner?

KM: I love playing defense. I grew up always battling with my oldest brother in every sport and he was bigger, faster and stronger than I was. So he forced me to play defense at a higher level to even compete with him. With that said, I always wanted to play defense in football and basketball and try to shut down the other teams best player. This carried over to baseball and I still love taking ground balls and pop-ups on my days off. Defense is one of those aspects to baseball that can be overlooked sometimes, even though it is a huge part of someone becoming a big leaguer. Nothing gets me more pumped up when I make a nice play and the pitcher points at me in approval, it's such a great feeling so I pride myself on my defense.

AFP: How did you like your first taste of professional ball? Was there anything about it that surprised you?

KM: My first taste of pro ball was not at all what I expected. I thought there would be tons of fans and an awesome stadium to play in. Unfortunately I was put into rookie ball and we didn't play in stadiums and nor were there many fans, if any. But that's fine with me, I love to play baseball and even more so wearing the pinstripes and I would not want to trade my summer with my teammates and coaches for anything.

AFP: What do you view as your strengths and weakness coming off of your 2009 season?
KM: I think my strengths coming into the year are obviously my defense and also my abilities on the bases. I do not have blazing speed but I know how to run the bases well and get into a good position for someone to knock me in. I also have been working out here in Tampa since October on my swing making it shorter and more of a smooth, contact swing and it has come a long way since last summer. I am too excited to get going this year.

AFP: What are your expectations going in to your first spring training as a pro?

KM: I don't really know what to expect going into my first spring training. I hear from a lot of the guys that the first spring training is pretty cool, but it’s a lot of running and a lot of work, which are all good things. Seven days a week we will be playing so it should be interesting to see how my body responds to playing everyday for a month, since in college and in rookie ball we had at least one day off a week. I think it will be a great experience to meet all the other players and making some good friendships.

AFP: What are your goals for the 2010 season?

KM: I have a lot of goals, as well as expectations of myself in this upcoming year. Some of my goals are not just personal goals, as I want my team to win our respective championship and get a ring at the end of the year. I also expect that my contact and average both go up a lot from last year. I am excited to prove myself in this organization and prove that my past season lows are not me.

AFP: What specific areas of your game do your coaches emphasize for you to work on?

KM: Well I know there are always room for improvement, even if you are the best player in the game you can be better. However, the main emphasis for my offseason training was my bat. I had a really awkward hitch with my hands that apparently I have done forever and never knew, haha!

But this offseason I have worked very hard on fixing this hitch which has created a whole new swing, giving me more time to let the ball travel and see the ball better. I can't thank the coaches enough who have given up their own personal time with their families to help me become a better ballplayer, it means a lot to me.

AFP: What does your off-season conditioning program include?

KM: Conditioning is a huge part of my offseason training as I do it four to five times a week. There are a ton of different types of running drills I do daily, but most of it is sprint work. A LOT of sprint work. But it has helped me immensely with dropping the bad offseason weight and preparing for this season.

AFP: During the season, what does a typical day look like?

KM: A season day for me this past year was very similar day in and day out. I would wake up about a half an hour before I would get picked up by the bus at the hotel and shuttle over to the complex. When I arrived it was breakfast time where we were provided with an excellent spread of food varying from omelets and cereal to fruit and oatmeal. After breakfast, depending on the day, we had about an hour to shower, weigh in or do whatever it was to prepare for our morning workout. We would then go outside for some defensive work, team and individually, and some batting practice. Then it was lunch time and another hour to an hour and a half break until we had to go and stretch for our game or get on the bus to go to the away game.

After the game it was shower up, shave, change and head back to the hotel for dinner of our choice and catching up on some video games, movie watching, or hanging out playing cards with other players. Much needed rest as well considering it our games were in the middle of the 100 degree Florida heat. Go to bed and do it all over again. Baseball players need their routines, whatever they are, and I followed this routine pretty much to the dime every day.

Big ups to Kevin for talking to NoMaas and we wish him the best of luck in the upcoming season.