Status: Pitcher for the Chicago White Sox. 2007 Cy Young Award winner.
Ht: 6-1 Wt: 195
DOB: May 31, 1981, in Mobile, Ala.
Baseball Inspirations: “Shoot, man, my dad (Danny) and my grandfather — as far as people I looked up to and most wanted to be like. As far as baseball players go — Nolan Ryan was always a guy I loved. I watched Roger Clemens a lot.”
Hobbies/Interests: “Love the outdoors, love to hunt and fish and do things that rednecks like to do [smiles].”
Nicknames: “Jake, Peav.”
Early Baseball Memory: “Some of the best memories in my life are just being at the park all day, along with the other kids, just hangin’ out there from 10 o’clock in the morning to the last game was played at night. Playing wall ball, then it was your time to play. Just the whole experience in general, nothing, not one incident stands out.”
Favorite Movie: “Top Gun.”
Musical Tastes: “Country, especially old country, Hank Williams.”
Favorite TV Shows: “I really don’t watch a lot of TV. Maybe SportsCenter during the season, a lot. The Outdoor Channel in the offseason. …”
Pregame Feeling/Mindset: “I just try to relax myself. I mean, nothing really anymore different that day … you’re a little bit focused on what you gotta do that day. I’m still rather relaxed, hang out with the family, go to the ballpark, get your game-face on. Go out there … it’s nothing that really much more of a different day other than a tad bit more excitement because you know you get to play as a starting pitcher. You sat around for four days, you know that one day is yours. So a little extra excitement in the air that specific day.”
Favorite Meal: “It’d be meat and potatoes — any steak and baked potato really.”
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Chocolate.”
First Job: “Was mowing lawns in the summer time when I was in high school.”
First Car: “1988 red Nissan Pathfinder.”
Greatest Sports Moment: “Probably my Major League debut in 2002 against the New York Yankees. Starting that game on national television … pretty awesome.” (How did it go?) “It went well. Threw six innings and gave up three hits and an earned run. And end up losing the game one-nothing.” [smiles].
Most Painful Moment: “If you can call it a baseball moment — probably in high school … I lost my grandfather (Blanche) I was telling you about. He was probably the heart and soul of my whole baseball childhood memories. That’s the reason I really care about and love the game as much as I do was because of him. And losing him directly affected my baseball. And that same day I made my Major League debut; it was the happiest but also one of the saddest days in my life. Because he wasn’t there.”
Closest Baseball Friends: “I’d have to say Scotty Linebrink, Brian Lawrence and Adam Eaton are obviously the three I’m probably closest to on the ballclub. And I’ve still got some great friends — Brian Reisinger. John Chesire — a guy I came up with, he’s out of the game now. (They) are all guys that feel like brothers to me.”
Funniest Players Encountered: “Brian Buchanan. Andy Ashby has got to be right there on that list as well.”
Toughest Competitors: “Fiercest competitors … that’s hard. I don’t know. It’s really hard to pull one name out of the hat there.”
Favorite Uniforms: “I like the San Diego Padres home white uniforms.”
Favorite Ballpark: “My favorite ballpark … my favorite place to play on the road would be St. Louis Busch Stadium.”
People Qualities Most Admired: “Just a humble and honest person. Just a person that is straight-forward. That’s the way I feel like I am. You know where you stand with somebody. Just a person that’s not all that prideful. A humble, giving-type person. We’ve got a lot of them around here …”
Favorite Vacation Spot: “Maybe a cabin up on the Alabama River.”
Funny Baseball Memory: “I did kind of a somersault off the mound where I turned my ankle. It wasn’t funny at the time but now, I guess, everybody looks back on it. I really don’t have too many funny ones, I guess. Every day is a joke around here.”
Family: Wife, Katie; sons, Jacob, Wyatt, Judson.
Topics: Baseball Players, Chicago White Sox, Cy Young, Cy Young Award, Cy Young Award Winner, Game Face, Greatest Sports, Hobbies Interests, Jake Peavy, League Debut, Meat And Potatoes, Mowing Lawns, Musical Tastes, New York Yankees, Nissan Pathfinder, Nolan Ryan, O Clock, Roger Clemens, Sports Moment, Starting Pitcher
Biofile with Jake Peavy | 