Catching up With Former Cyclones: Dillon Gee

March 28, 2008   ·   Patrick Hickey, Jr.   ·   Jump to comments

Last season, Dillon Gee was one of the Cyclones best pitchers, amassing a 3-1 record with a 2.47 ERA and only nine walks in 62 innings. Recently assigned to the Mets high-A affiliate in St. Lucie, Gee is climbing the organizational ladder and could find himself in the big leagues one day. Chatting over the phone from St. Lucie, Gee talked about his experience in Brooklyn last year and what to expect from him in the future.

Dem Brooklyn Bums: This was the first time you had to prepare for a year of professional baseball. Considering that you jumped right into action with the Cyclones last year after a long college season, how did this offseason go for you?

Dillon Gee: I don’t think I went about it any differently than I did in college. All I did was put on some weight and work on some fundamentals like I usually do. In a situation like that, all you can do is work hard and hope everything goes well for you. Right now I feel good and I’m ready to start the season.

DBB: What were your goals going into the offseason?

Gee: I was pretty worn out at the end of last season because of the college season and playing in Brooklyn, so my main goal was to put on some weight. I had to recharge my batteries and get some weight back. I feel great now. I always made sure I ate well and worked out a lot. You always want to get a little heavier during the offseason because you lose plenty of weight during Spring Training. They really work you hard down there. My biggest goal was to make a team out of Spring Training and they told me I’m going to high-A in St. Lucie, so I’m really happy about that. I just hope I can be as successful over here as I was in Brooklyn.

DBB: Considering how fast you were sent to Brooklyn after you were drafted, where you nervous at all last season?

Gee: I’m not going to lie and say I wasn’t. I was really nervous. I went from playing at a school where we got 10 fans a game to Brooklyn where they get 7,000. I was definitely nervous my first couple of outings, but after a while the crowd and the atmosphere helped me stay strong out there and play well under pressure.

DBB: Out of college, your numbers weren’t as good as some of the other players. Did you feel like you had something to prove? Were you happy with the way things turned out?

Gee: I definitely felt like I had something to prove, considering that I was drafted in the 21^st round and didn’t have great numbers in college. I wouldn’t say I was totally satisfied with how the season went because I don’t think anyone is ever totally satisfied, but I do think I had a good season.

DBB: Do you have any favorite games from last season that you still remember?

Gee: To be honest, my favorite games last year were the ones that I was on the bench for. I still remember when Matt Bouchard hit that walk-off home run; that was crazy. I remember when we were on top of the division and trying to secure a playoff spot and how much fun we had as a team. Those guys were so much fun to play with and fun to hang out with in the locker room. Those are the things I remember the most.

DBB: What was it like playing with those guys last season?

Gee: I have never come across a group of guys like that in my career. We all came from different states and different schools and we didn’t know each other from Adam, but when we got on the field it was like we knew each other and had played together our whole lives. It was the best team I’ve ever played on by far just because of the comradery we all had. It was awesome.

DBB: You wowed fans last season with your control. Is that something you’re going to try and do this season in St. Lucie? Have you been working on any new pitches?

Gee: When I’m out on the field, I like to get out of every inning throwing as few pitches as possible. I don’t like to be out on the field for a long period of time. I can throw strikes and that’s what I do. I want the hitter to take swings at my pitches and put the ball in play. There’s no reason to be fancy out there and just stand around. As far as any new pitches I’m working on, I’m still refining the pitches I have [fastball, changeup and slider] and trying to get better. Overall, I’m pretty happy with my repertoire.

DBB: Do you know of any other Cyclones from last year that are going to be in St. Lucie with you this year? Is that going to make things easier for you?

Gee: Matt Bouchard, Stephen Clyne, Will Morgan, Dylan Owen, Brant Rustich and Lucas Duda are all going to be there. I know I’m going to have to prove myself all over again there, but playing with guys that know my game and are comfortable around me is going to make things a little easier. I think it’s going to be fun having all of them around.

DBB: How has St. Lucie been treating you? Have you ever been there before?

Gee: I’ve only been here since Spring Training, so I really haven’t been here very long. I like it though; it’s a lot like Texas as far as the weather is concerned. It’s really easy to get loose and I’m really excited about getting started this year.

DBB: In a perfect world, what do you think your stats will look like this season?

Gee: It’s kind of hard to guess how many starts I’m going to get, but I think in a perfect world, I’d have a lot more wins than losses and keep my walks down. Also, I try to maintain a solid WHIP and strikeout to walk ratio. If I can do that, then I’ll be happy.

Photos by Jim Dolan and Daniel Wos