He only has pitched a dozen MLB innings, but there’s already something that screams “big leaguer” about Jesús Luzardo.
The smooth-throwing left-hander made his debut for the A's back in September. By October he was the lone pitching highlight in Oakland's loss to the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL Wild Card Game -- tossing three innings of one-hit baseball.
[RELATED: How A's Montas learned valuable lesson during suspension]
As much as A’s fans are about to get the full exposure to Luzardo’s prowess on the mound, it seems they might also enjoy his personality just as much.
NBC Sports Bay Area: Teammate you would trust most to babysit your child?
Luzardo: Oof, I’d have to think about it. Probably [Yusmiero] Petit. He’s probably the most serious guy around.
How many times can you wear the same jeans without washing them?
A lot. I don’t know, maybe 10? You can’t wash them all the time.
If you could clone yourself, what would you make that clone do?
Run, just all the not-fun stuff. Homework that I don’t want to do, you can go ahead and take care of that.
The glove you use, why did you choose it?
I have a gamer and a shagging glove. This year, I have three based on my performance on a game I’ll choose which one I go with. If I have a good outing I’ll keep it. If I have a bad outing I’ll switch it. I have a Nike glove now, used to have a Rawlings and that was my baby.
Were you named after anybody?
My dad and grandpa. I’m the third.
Best smell of baseball season?
Fresh cut grass. I like pine tar too, actually.
Can you still write in cursive?
I definitely could but I choose not to. It’s definitely not a thing anymore.
Teammate you would assume spends the most time personal grooming?
It’s definitely not [Sean] Manaea. It would have to be Lou Trivino or Daniel Gossett. Manaea is just a carefree guy. He goes out however he wakes up.
Only one breakfast for the rest of your life, what’s on that plate?
You’ve got to have eggs, bacon, probably hash browns -- the ones that are sliced up thin -- and probably a side of pancakes.
If you were a media member covering this A’s spring training what would your number one story be?
I would say how cool and tight we are, everyone has so much fun in the clubhouse. I don’t know how it is with other teams. I’m sure some are like that as well. Everyone comes here and says they love the vibe, the feeling here. We just all come out and have fun, mess with each other and have fun.
Amount of time on average you spend preparing for the opponent's hitters?
Throughout the week probably an hour per day. Then the day before I’ll spend the whole game if I’m watching them. I’ll be studying them the whole time. Probably seven to eight hours in total.
Can MLB players be friends with their coaches?
I think so. There’s obviously a fine line between friends and coach, but we kind of grow into a relationship and sometimes you see them more than family. So, they become family.
What MLB player would you be a fan of if you weren’t in baseball?
I’m a big fan of Felix Hernandez. I grew up watching him and being there for his last game last year was unreal.
Best way to split a lunch or dinner tab with a teammate?
That’s a tough question. You just have to go for it and say we’ll split it. You just throw your card out there. I kind of just wait to see what happens.
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