Minnesota Twins shortstop Nick Gordon is the real deal.
The fifth overall pick in the 2014 MLB Draft, he comes from a lineage of baseball players.
He’s the son of Tom Gordon, brother of Dee Gordon and nephew of Anthony Gordon.
I picked up the phone and called Gordon. We discussed everything from Ken Griffey, Jr., Alex Rodriguez, Drake and Derek Jeter.
We also discussed his music. Going by the stage name Flash G, the Orlando, Florida native dropped his new single, Bistro.
Check out our Q&A below:
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: How beneficial was it for you to have your dad play, have your family be base ballers, and now yo carry on that tradition as the short-stop for the Minnesota Twins?
Nick Gordon: It’s been very beneficial, not just for my family, but for myself as well, and my little one. The things you love in baseball, they apply to anything; my life, hobbies, anything I want to do, it’s the life lessons you learn in the game. My pops taught us that early, the game taught us that early, and I’m still learning things today from he game.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: Your dad played for the Yankees from 2004-2005?
Nick Gordon: No, I think it was longer than that. Either 03-05 or 04-06, one or the other. But I know he was in there for two years.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: He also won a World Weries with the Phillies in 2008?
Nick Gordon: He did.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: How clearly do you remember that off series between the Yankees and the Phillies?
Nick Gordon: Actually, I think it was the Rays and the Phillies, and it was crazy because I was in Philly when they want it. Me, my bother and my mom were there outside in the freezing cold, and when they won it was so crazy, everybody erupted and went nuts. I was thinking: ‘man my pops been working for this forever!,’ even as a young kid I understood the significance.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: What do you remember about Philadelphia Phillies fans?
Nick Gordon: Man, the fans were definitely FANS, they bleed red. They love Philadelphia Phillies baseball, expect the best out of their players, as fans do. As players, you expect the best out of their fans, and they give you that every game, so they’re expecting the same from you.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: Were you a Yankees fan growing up? Who was your squad?
Nick Gordon: I never had a favorite team, it was always my dad and whatever team he was playing on. So, honestly, when he got to New York, I really did like the Yankees a lot. He was my favorite player. But when he left, I’m like: ‘The Yankees can’t beat my dad.’
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: How hard is that transition from shortstop to third base?
Nick Gordon: I never had to do it myself, so I can’t tell you exactly how it is. I mean for A-Rod to do it for so many years and to be one of the best in the game to ever do it, I don’t think it’s easy to do. There hasn’t been that many to do it, so it’s a difficult thing to do. But I also think if you can play short stop, you can play anything and anywhere, so I’d say it’s possible.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: Is load management something that should be talked about in locker rooms and is something worth examining in Major League Baseball?
Nick Gordon: We don’t really use load management in baseball. We might play 160 games. You just gotta pace yourself for the season, you want to play every game, you know. It’s different for pitchers, who will get put on rest once a week, you could throw everyday that week, you’re still gonna need your rest. Guys like position players, like me, will play six to seven days a week and get a day off. During the season you’ll suit up for 140-150 games, and will probably sit out 20 of them. The days come in handy tho, you’ll get a day off and feel like you won’t need another one in another 30 days. So, those days come in handy, it really is just letting your body tell you how you feel and when it needs rest.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: I’m fascinated with families who were cool with each other in the league. I look at the Griffey’s and the Ripken’s. What’s a family that was like yours that you grew up with and that bond has translated into Major League Baseball now?
Nick Gordon: All of them. But it’s interesting you bring up the Griffey’s. They’re almost our cousins. We’re always with Trey and ‘em. Mr. Larkin trained us in the off season and we know his family well. All of us have grown up in the same area and now we workout together. Baseball definitely brings you into a different community, we got to the baseball field and get dinner together. It brings you closer. I was grateful to grow up in an area with families whose fathers played baseball. Even Gary Sheffield, him and my dad were close friends, his son and I workout together. It’s crazy, really all of them, it’s a small community.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: Growing up, how cool was Griffin off the field?
SECAUCUS, NJ – JUNE 5: Commissioner Allan H. Bud Selig poses with the fifth overall pick of Nick Gordon by the Minnesota Twins during the MLB First-Year Player Draft at the MLB Network Studio on June 5, 2014 in Secacucus, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
Nick Gordon: He was awesome, still is. I saw him in the UPS store the other day, he goes, “her boy, w hat you doing?”. He’s really like family, sounds like one of my uncles. They all wanted the best for us, from the first time I met Mr. Larkin and Mr. Griffey, and that’s all you could ask for.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: Did you witness his work ethic? Like what stood out to you?
Nick Gordon: To be honest, I was younger when I was around him. I wasn’t really around the field that much, and when I was, I was with my dad. I knew him, but we didn’t really have a relationship til I got older and I was actually about to understand who he was. To me, he was always Mr. Griffey. But as a kid, it’s hard to grasp who he was. Now I understand that and knowing now the kind of work ethic he put in was crazy. All those guys who you see that’s a Major League Baseball players; and it takes a while to get that spot, have an incredible work ethic.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: You were injured this season, BUT, how special was it to see your manager, Rocco Baldelli being named American League “Manager of the Year?”
Nick Gordon: I ended up getting hurt this year, so I don’t know him all that well, but I‘m looking forward to getting back out there. But I can tell that going back for Spring Training was like a clubhouse or family day or something. Everyone was united and not to say this or that. Guys got a lot better and it shows.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: Aside from winning the World Series with your team, what are your individual goals for 2020?
Nick Gordon: No different than before, just to stay healthy and keep getting better as well as myself better. And as a team, it’s the same thing keeping ourselves up and getting better together.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: You dropped a new single called Rolling Stone. Tell me more about it.
Nick Gordon: I made the song a few months ago. It was all feeling. I was in the studio with one of my best friends and we just started messing around with the beat. The melody really caught us and it’s really just some different types of vibes on it. I finished the song in one day, but I came back to it and added some things here and there. It all just kind of pieced itself together. That’s probably one of my favorites that I recorded myself.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: Who are some of your musical inspirations?
Nick Gordon: Drake is dope, definitely Travis, Playboy Carti is also dope too. I take music for what it is, I like the beat and I understand that not every song is gonna have the best lyrics. So for me it’s more about howI’m feeling. I get inspired by something at that time and I’ll just make a song about what I’m going through. It all just helps me make a deep connection with the music.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: How do you as an athlete balance the music and the sports? Do you feel as though you have to make a choice?
Nick Gordon: I don’t feel like I have to make a choice, I feel that it’s on me. NO one can’t tell you that you can’t balance something out or do something. If they’re telling you that, they probably feel like they can’t do it. I’m the type of guy where I’m not easily persuaded by words. If I think I can do something, I’m going to try. When you love something, you’ll find time to get that thing done. And I think that’s where people get confused. When you’re doing something that you don’t really love or to just get by or to get to the next things, it’ll be tough to grind that out because you don’t really want to do it. But when you love it, you will.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: Who in baseball was your favorite other than your dad?
Nick Gordon: A-Rod and Derek Jeter. They were probably my favorites. I like Nomar Garciaparra too. Manny Ramirez was fire, David Ortiz, all those guys.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: What was it like the first time you met Derek Jeter?
Nick Gordon: Honestly, I didn’t understand it. I knew he was Derek Jeter, but he was also just another guy on my dad’s team. I knew one day I’d see him, but as a kid, and being around the clubhouse all the time, you really don’t understand what’s going on. At my house there’s a picture of Muhammad Ali holding me as a baby at an All Star Game. As a kid, I had no clue who he was. He came in and my dad look liked he had tears in his eyes. Now looking at it, I’m like: ‘yo, that’s Muhammad Ali!’ It’s crazy, man.
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MLB: Nick Gordon Reveals What Drake, Alex Rodriguez Have in Common