Catching up with Cole Gillespie

For our second edition of our “Catching Up With” series, we tracked down Aces and D-backs outfielder Cole Gillespie.

Gillespie came to the D-backs organization in a 2009 trade with Milwaukee, and has split time between Reno and Arizona since then. In parts of three seasons with the Aces, he hit a combined .297 with 25 home runs and 155 RBIs. He also set a D-backs Triple-A record with 16 triples in 2011.

In 50 games with the D-backs in the 2010 and 2011 seasons, Gillespie hit a respectable .236 with three homers and 16 RBIs. He capped his 2011 big-league stint with a ninth-inning grand slam against the Dodgers on Sept. 28 at Chase Field.

We caught up with Cole and asked him about the fans in Reno, his time in the Mexican winter league, and his plans for this offseason.

Not Just Baseball…Aceball: You’ve spent parts of three seasons here. How do the fans in Reno compare with other minor league towns?

Cole Gillespie: The fans in Reno are great. You can see their enthusiasm and excitement throughout the games. We’re lucky to have their support  and I would put them right up there with the top fans around the league.

Gillespie drove in 155 runs over parts of three seasons with the Aces (2009-11).

NJBA: Who’s the nastiest big league pitcher you’ve faced? How about the nastiest single pitch?

CG:I would put Clayton Kershaw right up there at the top. His curveball is nasty.

NJBA: You hit a grand slam in your final at-bat with the D-backs this year. How did that feel?

CG: Unreal. I wish it would have given us the lead or helped clinch homefield in the playoffs, but it was still very special and something I’ll remember forever. Hopefully there’ll be more to come.

NJBA: What was your reaction to being named to the Rawlings Gold Glove team for all of the minor leagues? Is your defense something you work on throughout the season?

CG: I was shocked at first. I didn’t even know Rawlings offered that award at the minor league level. But to be one of three outfielders in all the minors chosen for this award is quite an honor.

NJBA: Tell the fans a little about what it was like to play in Mexico this winter.

CG: My experience in Mexico was a lot of fun. Every game felt like a playoff type atmoshpere. I remember walking up to the plate in the bottom of the ninth with the winning run at third and the whole stadium chanting,”USA, USA.” I didnt want to let them down so I battled 0-2 to hit the always-exciting walk-off sac-fly.

NJBA: What else do you have planned for the offseason (baseball or non-baseball)?

CG: Since returning home from Mexico I took some time off around Thanksgiving to hang out with family and friends. I’m still trying to find my golf swing that I had so polished at a younger age. (2nd place trophy in a tournament when I was about 12). Other then that I’ve been training at Gonzalez Sports Acadamy in Chula Vista with a bunch of guys.

NJBA: You and Brandon Allen were both traded to the D-backs around the same time in 2009, and spent a lot of time together in Reno. Do you still keep in touch with BA?

CG: Yeah, we still stay in touch. Sometimes it’s tough to avoid him when I always see him online playing Call of Duty. Step your game up BA!

NJBA: What is your favorite PCL city to travel to and why?

CG: Nashville. Although I haven’t actually traveled there as a Reno Ace, I played there in ’09 before being traded to the D-backs and always thought Nashville was a fun city. The ballpark itself isn’t the greatest but the city makes up for it. From what I hear of course…

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