Padre Catcher Nick Hundley talks about his preparation and Grandal Suspension

Nick Hundley Interview with Darren Smith (MP3)

• Hundley and Will Venable went to Europe for 19 days together. They brought their wives too. London, Paris, Switzerland and Rome.
• Hundley is in good health. He's never felt better going into Spring Training. He's changed his diet and the way he works out. "A lot of functional stuff. Not worried about trying to look good with my shirt off." He says "I don't want to be a lifter, I want to be a baseball player."
  
• Hundley hurt his knee in April and had knee surgery at the end of August. His rehab went good but it was more severe than he thought. He tried to play as long as he could with the injury. "You play through whatever you can."
• He doesn't think we've seen the real Nick Hundley. He doesn't think he's scratched the surface of what he can do.
• Hundley admits he had a terrible year last year but there's a lot he can learn from it. He wasn't focused on Yasmani Grandal he was focused on his work. "That's all I can control." He won't say if he thought he was being replaced by Grandal permanently, "that's above my pay grade".
  
• Grandal's PED suspension opens the door for Nick Hundley's return. He wants to make sure he's ready. "We're going to make a run at it. I know no one's really worried about us."
• Hundley wants to make sure that Grandal's suspension isn't a distraction. "We're not going to let it affect us at all in the clubhouse." Hundley isn't mad at Grandal, "it's not my place to judge". Hundley isn't sure how Grandal will be treated by others, "your guess is as good as mine".
"I'm happy to be a Padre. I signed a contract extension to be a Padre. I love San Diego."


• Hundley wasn't surprised by Chase Headley's standout year. "You weren't there with me in AA and AAA when he was launching balls." Headley is held to a different standard, people expect more from him.
• On the Petco Park fence changes. "I just want to make sure we still have an advantage playing at home." He thinks the team has done a better job of not letting the Park be an excuse.