Down on the Farm with Cubs 3B Prospect Dustin Geiger

This morning I had the pleasure to interview Chicago Cubs 3B prospect, Dustin Geiger, on my radio show in Chicago called The Wake up Call which airs on www.sporstownchicago.com.

Dustin and I got in touch via Twitter about a week ago, and since then found him to be very engaging and appreciative of his fans and equally gracious.  In fact, Dustin gave away an autographed bat to one of his lucky followers.

Talk about being a class act.

To get the ball rolling I asked him the poll question for the show the day which was what his favorite sports themed movie was.  Not to my surprise he replied with Bull Durham. A movie following the minor league Durham Bulls and the exploits the players find themselves in as many are trying to make it to “The Show” while some are just trying to hang on a little bit longer.

Our conversation shifted to his childhood idols in baseball were and he picked a couple of winners and excellent role models and successful ball players as well as he rattled off the names of Yankee Captain Derek Jeter, from his favorite team, and Cal Ripken, Jr.

Geiger originally was a shortstop when he started out in little league, but shifted to third base as he entered high school.  Making the same move over to the right that his childhood here Cal Ripken made in the Major Leagues.  A move that Geiger said he relishes.  He welcomed the challenge with an open mind and a positive attitude, knowing it was in the best interest of the team.

Talk about being a team player.

Prior to the interview the one question that I was really curious to know the answer to, because it was one that I will never be in a position myself to have to make a decision with the same kind of profound impact on my life that Dustin had to make as a high school senior.

When I was a high school senior my toughest decisions revolved around where I was going to spend my Friday and Saturday nights.  The question facing Dustin as a high school senior I was so interested in discovering was his thought process in his decision to sign with the Cubs rather than playing college baseball for the next three years.

Major League Baseball requires college players to be three years removed from their high school graduation before they are draft eligible again.

This decision was not an easy one as Dustin recalled.  In fact the Florida native was ready to attend the University of Central Florida before ultimately making his lifelong dream come true and sign the dotted line and become a member of the Chicago Cubs organization.

Currently Dustin is on the disabled list recuperating from a broken hook hamate bone.  The bright side is that he is almost ready to resume swinging and get back into game action.

If you would like to listen to the entire podcast with Dustin on “The Wake up Call” with host Patrick Schmidt, you can listen here.  And you can follow Dustin on Twitter @D_Geiger.

Make sure you do follow him, because he is giving away another autographed bat at 1,000 followers.

A classy, engaging, humble, team player who is easy to root for, and I wish him a speedy recovery and hope he can climb the ladder in the minor league system and get to Wrigley real soon.

Follow me on Twitter @PatrickASchmidt

Patrick is a diehard sports fan and former football player from Chicago, the greatest city in the world. The home of deep dish pizza, the greatest skyline in the world, and the best sports fans in America.  Patrick has been a fan of the Cubs, Bears, Bulls, and Blackhawks since birth and is an avid college football fan, particularly the SEC.  Patrick is the host of “The Wake Up Call”, a weekly sports show on Sportstownchicago.com every Wednesday morning from 8-10.  View his show’s website here.