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WE ASKED JOSH HADER, pitcher for the Brewers and two-time All-Star, how he’s coping right now. He’s catching up on quality time with his family and staying ready for baseball to start up again.
What have you been doing during your time at home?
I’ve been getting a lot of family time. At this time of the year, my wife and I are normally away from each other for quite a while with baseball going on, not really getting quality time to spend together. Right now, we’re able to do that, hang out with our dogs, and I’m still able to put in the work for baseball.
What kind of training are you doing right now?
I’m mostly training from home. I’m working out in the gym, lifting weights, and throwing into the net to keep my arm in shape. The team has calls every week to make sure everybody’s on the same page, making sure that we’re all feeling good, healthy and being optimistic about everything. There’s a lot more time, so I’m able to get things done that I probably wouldn’t be able to get done until the following off-season.
Where were you when you learned the season was going to be postponed?
I live in Arizona, where we do spring training, so I was still at home when they started to slow things down. We shut down spring training, but we were still able to go to the complex for I think a week or so, but then we weren’t able to go anymore. That was when we really started the stay-at-home orders.
What do you miss the most now that you can’t go out anymore?
Honestly, with the whole mask thing, I miss seeing someone’s face, seeing someone smile, just being able to talk and engage with people. We don’t get to see our teammates anymore. Everybody’s at home in different places. Not being able to get together with my boys and spend that time together. Even just talking to other people outside. You can’t really do that now.
If the season does start up later this year, do you think the Brewers are positioned to do well?
Absolutely. I think we’re in a good position. We’re really putting in the effort, making sure everybody’s on the same page, everybody’s doing the right things. If it does happen, it’s going to be a shorter season, less games. Personally, I think it’s actually not that bad. We get this extra time to get extra rest and put in more work. It’s like another off-season where you can build more strength, kind of master your body. It’s valuable, this extra time to better yourself.
