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Jimmy Scott's High & Tight: The Eddie Taubensee Interview

Not everyone can be Superman. Not everyone can be a big league ballplayer. And not everyone can, or has a great personality. There are boring people, mean people, angry people... Which means there's only one Eddie Taubensee, a man who is not angry, is not mean, and is a far cry from boring.

In the Jimmy Scott's High & Tight Interview with Rene Taubensee, Eddie's wife, Rene had said Eddie was funny and outgoing. He hadn't always been that way, but he was a character worthy of anyone's time. As you listen, you'll quickly understand why Eddie is a fun interview. Maybe it's the energy in his voice. Maybe it's the positive spirit with which he brings his thoughts. Or maybe it's something else.

PART I

Eddie was signed as a 17-year old in 1986. Between '86 and '95, there was one Eddie who played baseball. From '96 on, there was a different Eddie. What personal change took place after the 1995 season? Rene dragged him to a Pro Athletes Outreach (PAO) conference. His life would change forever after that. In Part I, Eddie talks about his change, how he found a new relationship to God, and the way his teammates reacted the following season.

PART II 16:30

Here's a thought: As people get older, say from their 20s to 30s, they mature. They grow and change naturally and learn more about themselves and the world around them. Eddie explains how, in baseball, the opposite is true. As a player gets older, the money gets increasingly better. The more money a guy gets, the more influence it has on his life. The money and the lifestyle associated can control the guy and his actions more than age and life experience. He explains the interesting contradiction in Part II and also talks about his reaction to being traded from the Indians to the Astros for former superstar Kenny Lofton.

PART III 28:30

Every baseball player's career on the field ends sometime. The transition from active player to anything else can be a tough one. Eddie talks about his transition and how what he learned in the PAO helped guide him through the transition period.

PART IV 38:30

We all know the stereotype of the "Born Again" baseball player (or born again person in general): They constantly push God and the Bible and their religious attitude on everyone and anyone in their path. Did Eddie do that? Did he push his views onto others when he saw them doing the wrong thing? In Part IV, Eddie tells us about that part of his life. He also talks about his future; his love for baseball and conflicting desires to be with his kids and family vs. coaching on the field.

We end with some laughter. Why? You'll need to listen and hopefully smile or laugh too. You don't get this much energy from many people being interviewed, not just here but anywhere. We talk about coaching, but maybe Eddie should put his mind to getting on the radio and TV and spreading the energy to the baseball masses. If he were my team's #2 man in the booth or talking catching on the MLB Network, I'd listen. Maybe you would too.