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Live Chat With Former MLB Pitcher Christian Bergman
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Ellis
11:50
Hey Christian, we've all heard stories of what minor leaguers have to go through just to even be considered. I imagine the effort and energy off the field in day to day life is exhausting. Is the mental health of players a big issue in the minors? What resources does the MLB/MiLB provide for players' mental health?
Christian Bergman
11:54
A minor league season can definitely wear on you.  Travel, food, etc. isn't the best to consistently perform at your best over the course of 5 months with about 7 off days, which tend to be travel days.  Teams do provide players with resources if they need help.  I think it affects performance more than people realize, and just because we're playing a game doesn't mean it's all sunshine and rainbows.
Prison Mike
11:55
Is there a stadium you didn’t get to play in, and wish you could have?
Christian Bergman
11:55
Yankee Stadium for sure
Terrance Gore
11:56
How did it feel to get your first big league hit? How would you compare it to your pitching achievements?
Christian Bergman
11:57
Definitely surprised!  That day was all kind of a blur.  I believe I got my first hit before I gave up my first hit so kind of a fun fact and didn't expect that.  I remember when I came up for my next at bat, Gattis said from behind his mask, "Hey look at that, you're hitting 1.000 in the show!"  I said "Yea I better enjoy it because it's about to be .500."
Mariners fan
11:57
What were your favorite places to eat out in Seattle?
Christian Bergman
11:58
Not technically in Seattle, but Duke's Chowder House in Tacoma was my spot.  I went at least once a week.  Great chowder and they make an awesome old fashioned
Ro
11:59
Which pitcher do you admire all time? And which hitter do you most want to face all time?
Christian Bergman
12:00
My favorite pitchers were Tim Hudson and AJ Burnett.  I got to face off against Hudson in 2016 and it was definitely a surreal moment because I loved watching him with the A's.
I think Barry Bonds would be a cool one
Darren
12:00
Tell everyone who your favorite clubhouse manager was in the minor leagues! We know it was your time in the California League!
Christian Bergman
12:00
Little little! Gomey says hi
Carter
12:01
Congrats on a solid career, what is the most interesting part of multi family real estate and how has that transition been for you?
Christian Bergman
12:02
Thank you!  I'm really passionate about real estate investing and made the transition from single family to multifamily after I retired.  I was investing in single family while i was playing, but once I discovered multifamily partnerships I knew what I wanted to do.  After 10 years of being kind of subject to someone else's decisions/opinions, it's nice being the one in charge.
At Bat
12:03
As a pitcher, how do you feel about the universal DH?
Christian Bergman
12:04
Indifferent.  The whole reason there's no DH in the national league is kind of a quirky story and worth reading about.  Hitting is fun but I think it probably makes sense to have the same set of rules for both leagues
Mcfly
12:05
Griffey or trout as your CF?
Christian Bergman
12:05
Oh man, I'd have to go with The Kid though
Billiam
12:05
Christian, just saw you were a former Rockie- my old co-worker Josh Guterman from the Casper days says hi. Best trainer in the Pioneer League.
Christian Bergman
12:05
hey gutey!
Pat H
12:05
Thanks for chatting. Ever miss playing? And all the stuff that goes with it?
Christian Bergman
12:07
I definitely miss pitching, being with my teammates, baseball in general.  Unfortunately there's the business side I don't  miss at all
Alex Verdugoat
12:07
What was it like pitching in front of a screaming crowd?
Christian Bergman
12:08
I preferred a loud, big crowd because it all just turns into white noise and is almost easier to concentrate.  Natural adrenaline rush.  The hardest games were when there were 23 fans and you could hear every word they said
Mcfly
12:08
Which was a better pitch for you, 2 seam or 4 seam?
Christian Bergman
12:10
Through all the new technology, I learned that it didn't really matter how I held it because they moved pretty much the same.  There is a difference in what the hitter sees though, so I would think about that.  If I was going to throw a change up before or after, I would throw a 4 seam because the spin looks the same and is harder to pick up the difference.
Professor Chaos
12:10
Sounds like you were wronged by a front office a decent amount of times. Besides the take back of a coaching job offer, what else don't you like about the business side of things?
Christian Bergman
12:14
Like I said, it wasn't just me.  I still have lots of friends who are still playing that deal with it year in and year out.  On the minor league free agent side, one tactic I see all the time is offering the salary and terms on a minor league contract that you'd be foolish not to take to get you to sign.  Then they offer the same contract to 15 other players just like you knowing they're only going to keep one or two.  There's no downside for the team because they just release everyone without paying them a dime
Bob
12:14
How much cheating did you observe when you played?
Christian Bergman
12:15
more specific?
The Ghost of Nuke LaLoosh
12:15
Back when you were a free agent and considering a new contract or contract extension, can you tell us what were the top 3 elements you'd prioritize? I'm referring to things like AAV, overall $ amount, contract length, city/state, home ball park, division, manager, league, proximity to family (or not), etc.
Christian Bergman
12:16
I never got to the extension phase, but for minor league free agent contract I was only looking for the best opportunity to play in the big leagues
Bob
12:16
Cheating- steroids or use of grip enhancers?
12:17
Cheating - or perhaps drug use? Given the horrible tragedy about Tyler Scaggs, how about pain pills? Was that common?
Christian Bergman
12:19
zero steroids.  yes pitchers use stuff for grip, open for interpretation if that's cheating.  Skaggs was a horrible tragedy, but can't say I saw anything like that.  Pain is definitely something you deal with throughout the season but never saw anything out of the ordinary
Bob
12:19
What do you think about all of the data they throw at pitchers? Information overload or very useful?
Christian Bergman
12:20
Information overload, you can't possibly use all of it.  It's up to the player though to filter out what they don't think is important, so better to have lots of information and only use a little than vice versa
Wily Coyote
12:21
Interested in your thoughts on the financial challenges MiLB players face, possible solutions and why there is no MiLB players Union?
Christian Bergman
12:25
Milb players need to be paid a livable wage and provided with tools and resources to succeed, mainly food.  I would have run out of money if I had to spend one more month in Colorado Springs. Trust me, I wasn't eating $100 steak dinners every night.  I was bringing food home from the clubhouse.  If you have a family to support, forget it.  Unfortunately the solution so far has been to cut minor league teams, which is a loss to those communities.  An Milb union would be incredibly hard to organize, I know that
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