Happ reflects on 2010 trade, trip back to minor leagues
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| Houston Astros pitcher J.A. Happ found out how much big leaguers are looked up to when he met 8-year-old Osker Flodstrom during the recent St. Bede Hall of Fame Induction ceremony. Osker is the stepson of St. Bede Rich Cummings (center). Happ is a 2001 graduate of the Academy and former BCR Athlete of the Year. (BCR photo/Kevin Hieronymus ) |
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Editor’s note: J.A. Happ recently returned to St. Bede Academy for his 10th-year reunion and to be honored for induction into the Academy Athletic Hall of Fame. He will report to spring camp in February to begin his third season with the Houston Astros, becoming salary arbitration eligible for the first time. The 2001 BCR Athlete of the Year took a timeout to chat with BCR Sports Editor Kevin Hieronymus about his 2010 trade from the Phillies to the Astros and his 2011 season that had some ups and downs.
BCR: What does this honor mean to you today at St. Bede?
Happ: They do such a nice job and coach (Bernie) Moore does a great job presenting it. It really is touching and hard just to think what to say and stuff. When you’re 15-18, it’s really an important time of your life growing up. This was a special place for me; the more I look back, the more I realize that.
BCR: You came to Houston in a trade for Philadelphia in 2010 for Astros’ ace Roy Oswalt. What was that experience like to be traded from the team that you came up with?
Happ: I was fortunate to be a part of those teams that went to the World Series. Obviously those are memories I’ll never forget. After getting a taste of that, hopefully, we can work and do whatever we can down in Houston ... At first it was interesting, just because obviously I’d never gone through it. To develop the kind of friends I felt I did, it was tough to leave there. But the more you go through it and talk to people and still catch up, you realize that’s just part of it. It’s kind of over; it’s a good memory for me, good friendships that still remain, but different uniform.”
BCR: You got off to a slow start this year and wound up being returned to the minor leagues. You pitched very well down there and when you came back with the Astros. Did you need that little jump-start to get you back where you were?
Happ: “It was obviously a tough thing to swallow. You never prepare for that, and you never want that to happen. But from the first day I got down there, I’ve had a lot of times where you feel are at turning points in your career, and you could go one way or the other. I wanted to get back, and I decided from the first day down there, whatever it was gong to take, whether it was trying to get my head right and all and just kind of flush everything and started everything new and work a little bit on my mechanics. I think a combination of those helped. I just threw the ball with more conviction and was able to get back and have some success and hopefully re-establish myself as somebody they want around.”
BCR: And it had to reinforce in your mind, “Hey, I belong here.”
Happ: “I never felt like I lost that. I felt like I was close all year to be where I needed to be, but I wasn’t able to find a way. I guess maybe it took going back to Triple A a few weeks to get myself right. Hopefully, I’m going to learn from that and never let it happen again. I’m going to try to use it as a learning experience.”
BCR: What did you think about that final day of the regular season when both Wild Card races were determined, including the N.L. Central with the Astros playing the Cardinals.
Happ: “Oh my gosh, it was unbelievable. I mean if you’re not a baseball fan and you were somehow paying attention to that, I don’t know how you’re not a baseball fan. It was about as exciting as it gets. Crazy things that happened. That’s the great thing about sports and the game of baseball; it’s just you never know. It was awesome.”
BCR: I got to tell you, I was glad you weren’t scheduled to pitch the final day of the season against the Cardinals. I would have had a hard time rooting for you in that one.
Happ: (Laughing) “I was actually scheduled to pitch that game until Brett Myers left to go on leave to have another baby. Our pitching got a little jumbled, and he fell on that last day. The next day would have been my fifth day, so I went down in the bullpen just in case a situation came up there.”
BCR: Did you have a feeling if they Cardinals got into the playoffs, they could win the World Series?
Happ: “If anything we learn about playoff baseball, you get the right team that’s hot and anything can happen. They’re playing the Phillies who won 100 games this year and probably regarded as the best team in baseball. They beat a good team in Milwaukee and now are matched up against a good team in the Rangers.”
BCR: The Astros are up for sale. Where’s that situation stand?
Happ: “It’s kind of a (long) process, I guess; I don’t know exactly what will go down. Apparently in a couple of weeks and we’ll see what will happen after that. I don’t know what kind of moves they’ll make, if they shake things up or let them play out. We’ll see.”
BCR: Where do you see yourself fitting in the Astros rotation next year?
Happ: “We’ll have to see again in the off-season here if they’re going to be actively pursuing or what they’re going to do to set up our rotation. But, in my mind, I see myself being right in there again and kind of starting off where I finished. Get on a roll from the get-go and just pitch. Not worrying about winning and losing, just go out there and give ourselves a chance to win.
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