McCarthy Tatum, infielder
Anchorage Bucs
Fresno State
Tatum, of Clovis, California, stole five bases in nine attempts for Fresno State this season and has been successful in all three of his stolen-base attempts this summer for the Bucs.
What is something you try to emulate from a Major League player?
"You watch a whole bunch of different guys and you kind of pick up little things from each guy. It's not too many specifics, it's more mental (things), because I'm a tall infielder and they've been telling me my whole life, 'You're gonna have to move to the outfield because you're too tall.' Then I see Troy Tulowitzki (Blue Jays) and he's 6-3 and he's playing shortstop, so I'm just like, 'There's hope for that.' "
What is a bad habit you need to break?
"I just want to hit the ball so bad sometimes that I swing at bad pitches. You get too eager and you just want to get a hit, so maybe you'll swing at a ball in the dirt every now and then and just feel like an idiot after."
Do you have any baseball superstitions?
"I like using the same bat. If I'm doing well with a bat, I'll keep using it. If not, I'll try another bat and see how that goes. I know it's not the bat at all, but it's just (mental)."
Are there any challenges switching from aluminum bats to wood bats?
"Here, you kind of have to earn it more. You have to hit it more on the barrel with the wood bats, 'cause in season you could get jammed or something and it will fall for a base hit. Now, you'll break your bat in half and have to get a new one."
Gum, sunflower seeds or chew?
"I don't really chew anything, but if anything, I guess I'd go gum."
Jared Huber, catcher
Peninsula Oilers
Texas State
Huber, of Spring, Texas, made the Sun Belt Conference all-academic team this season for Texas State.
What is your first impression of Alaska?
"This is my very first time in Alaska. I don't know if I'm going to go home. I love it."
"We've gone to the beach and made a fire, fished on the river and stuff, it's awesome. I really like to be outdoors. You can be outdoors 24 hours a day here — it's awesome."
What's something you want to work on most while in the ABL?
"The biggest thing probably is to get stronger, and then other than that, I guess fine-tune and polish myself as a catcher. I'm a real defensive guy. And then at the plate, just get better — really get better."
Do you have any baseball superstitions?
"Sometimes. Obviously if you're rolling good with a certain bat, you stay with that, or with your 'walk-up' song — if you go on a 0 for 12 skid or something, you gotta switch it up. But I'm not as superstitious as some are."
What is a bad habit you need to break?
"I spit a lot."
Gum, seeds or chew?
"Gum and seeds. I'm not a chew guy."