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The Winner & Leader In Training: 10 Good Minutes With Elvis Andrus

Magical. I’m beginning to think that the guy on the right is actually the lost son of the guy on the left. The energy he brings to the field every day. The fun. The electric smile. The sense that he’s just going to win. Somehow. Just because that’s what he does.

Make the jump to spend a few minutes visiting with the Rangers’ Human Highlight Reel, bottle of energy and leader in training.

It doesn’t take long for Elvis Andrus to leave a big impression on people. The first time I saw him in March of 2008, I wrote: “Elvis Andrus makes everything different on the backside of camp. He’s a huge personality. You’d never believe how excited someone could become over a Micah Furtado BP session. He’s a catalyst.”

And then last fall after spending the summer watching him at Frisco, I wrote the following:

He’s clearly the sort of shortstop that is so frequently found on winning ball clubs and — I’m not exactly sure how to put this — isn’t likely to be found in a losing clubhouse. He just has the aura of a winner. Those of you who have seen him quite a bit know what I’m talking about and those who haven’t won’t get it until you do.

Now the rest of you have seen it, and you know.

Moments after Chris Davis slammed a walkoff homer last Thursday, giving the Rangers their fourth straight victory, I sat down with Andrus to briefly discuss his past, his present and his future.

Q: Are you surprising yourself with how smoothly your transition to the big leagues has gone so far?

Andrus: Well, I’ve been working my whole life for this opportunity and I’ve done everything I could do to be ready for it, so not really.

Q: What have you learned about the game since arriving in Surprise as the Rangers new starting shortstop?

Andrus: That you can never stop working hard and you have to be tough. You have to want to get better at every part of the game every single day. That’s what Michael does. He’s an example for everybody.

Q: What were your expectations coming into this year?

Andrus: To win.

Q: For yourself, I mean.

Andrus: Just win. Do anything I have to do, the little things, whatever. Just help the team win games.

Q: Even though you are a 20 year old rookie, do you see yourself as a kind of a leader on this club?

Andrus: I always want to be a leader somehow. Whether in the long future or close future or now I think there are ways for me to be a leader in some way even if it’s just working hard.

Q: Do you stay in touch with your buddies in the minors?

Andrus: Yes. I talk to Julio [Borbon] every day. He’s my best friend. I talk to Engel [Beltre] every day. I try to stay in touch with Jose [Vallejo]. He’s in Triple-A now and doing a great job.

Q: I know you once told Scott Servais and Jon Daniels that Derek Jeter was your favorite player because he was a winner and a leader, who are some of your other inspirations?

Andrus: Well, I love to watch [soccer star] Ronaldinho. I love Kobe [Bryant]. And Michael [Young] is a big inspiration. Mentally, he’s so tough. He takes the game and this team so seriously in preparing and playing.

Q: Speaking of Ronaldinho, let’s talk about some of the circus plays you’ve made this year. Talk about what goes through your mind on a play like last night when you got to the ball behind second base, wheeled and threw to first.

Andrus: During the play, not much goes through my mind. It’s mostly just reaction or instinct, I guess. But you have to practice so much so that you feel like you can make any play. I love tough plays. You have to want that chance to make those plays.

Q: What’s been the best part of your major league experience so far?

Andrus: Winning. I love winning. I’d do anything to win.