Marty Popham has to be close to leaving Youngstown and his Mahoning Valley Scrappers team for good reasons.  Going into the month of August, Popham is 3-1 with a 2.05 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 44 innings pitched.  He has flirted with perfection and leads a pretty solid Scrapper staff loaded with potential.

Popham will be celebrating a birthday, his 22nd, on Tuesday.  The 235-pound rightie took a moment to grant me an interview which proved to me that he can handle success without losing his focus or acting bigger than the team.  He is a classy guy who always has a smile on his face whether he is charting pitches, running, or just talking with the fans.

Paneech:  Talk about the transition you are making from reliever to starter.

Popham:  Well, I had been a starter all throughout my high school and college career.  The first year going into professional baseball as a reliever was just about trying to get my feet wet at the profesional level.  Now I am starting again like I was in college where I had all of that success.

Paneech:  The day after you pitch, how much running do you do?

Popham:  The day after we pitch is usually our long distance day.  The strength and conditioning coach will change it up throughout the week just to keep our bodies guessing as to what type of running we will do.

Paneech:  After you are pulled out of a game, you disappear back to the locker room.  What is the postgame ritual?

Popham:  After the game when I come back to the locker room and I do twenty minutes on the bike, and then I’ll get some ice on my shoulder for about fifteen minutes.  I usually don’t get to watch the rest of the game because I have more work to do in the locker room and keep my body fresh.

Paneech:  Tell me when you realized you were good enough to do this.

Popham:  I guess it would have been when I was in college.  I went to a smaller school [Union] and had a lot of attention on me because I was having a lot of success at that level.  I never really thought about playing professional baseball until they started sending me letters, and after that I just kept working.  I worked my butt off, and it has paid off so far.

Paneech:  Talk about a host family and what it is like living with one.

Popham:  This is my third host family that I have been a part of.  Fortunately for me, I have paired up with some really good people.  My host family here, they are about fifteen minutes away, so we aren’t too close to the field but we are in Youngstown by Youngstown State University.  They treat me really nice.  They’ve got everything that you need, we got a pool and a hot tub, everything possible.  It’s just a blessing to be with such nice host parents.

Paneech:  Is it weird to be interviewed and have people solicit for autographs after games?

Popham:  It’s not weird at all.  I love it.  If I wasn’t being asked for an autograph or an interview, I wouldn’t be doing my job.  I’m here to compete, I’m here to put on a show for people and it’s a good feeling for people to want to know your name and for them to want to talk about you.

Paneech:  How did it feel to be named New York Penn League pitcher of the week?

Popham:  I really didn’t even know until the trainer told me a couple of days after.  It’s a good feeling.  It makes me feel like the work I have put in on the field and the work I have put in off of the field are paying off.  It’s getting me places where I want to go.

Paneech:  Talk about Coach Fryman and the direction he is taking this team.

Popham:  Fryman, he is a great coach, great guy on and off of the field.  He really listens to his players and tries to help everyone out and gives everyone equal opportunity to succeed on the field.  He’s a manager, he’s well respected for paying his dues in the Major Leagues.  He’s one of the better managers I can say I ever had.

One Word Answers

Paneech:  Favorite Meal                      Popham:  Breakfast

Paneech:  Favorite Music                    Popham:  Little of everything, Lil’ Wayne

Paneech:  Watching on TV                  Popham:  That 70’s Show

Paneech:  Video Games                      Popham:  Tiger Woods Golf

Paneech:  Favorite Athlete                 Popham:  Josh Beckett

Paneech:  Favorite Vegetable             Popham:  Celery

Paneech:  Closest Friend On Team    Popham:  Don’t have one favorite, like ’em all

Paneech:  Favorite Holiday                Popham:  Christmas

Paneech:  Favorite Area Restaurant    Popham:  BW3

Popham is enjoying his time in Youngstown.  He respects all of his coaches as well as fellow players.  He enjoys digging deep to make himself better and works hard to attain his success.  I look for Popham to rise through the organization, he is really proving himself as a worthy prospect.  The birthday he will celebrate Tuesday will definitely not be his last in a baseball uniform.

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