December 5, 2011
Major League Q&A: Gomes gets his shot with Tampa Bay
by David Laurila/
Brandon Gomes (Fall River, Mass.) made his Major League debut in May with Tampa Bay. (photo: Getty Images)
Brandon Gomes quietly had one of the best seasons of any New England product playing professional baseball in 2011.
The 27-year-old right-hander from Fall River, Mass., made his big-league debut in May with the Tampa Bay Rays and went on to finish his rookie campaign with a record of 2-1 and 2.92 ERA in 40 relief appearances.
Honored as the 2002 Gatorade Massachusetts Player of the Year, Gomes was drafted by the Padres in 2007 and came to Tampa in a trade last winter.
New England Baseball Journal: What is your baseball background?
Brandon Gomes: “I grew up in Fall River (Mass.) and went to Durfee High School, and not only did I get a lot of good coaching, there was a lot of talent in the area. When I was in Triple A this year, Craig Albernaz, who went to Somerset, was one of our catchers. Those teams, from a very small area, had a bunch of good players.
“Growing up, I really wanted to play college baseball and get my degree. I was also hoping that I’d get a chance to play professional baseball someday. I kind of went down a strange path, but I ultimately got here.
“I expected to be drafted out of high school and wasn’t. I went down to Tulane, and to be honest, I struggled. I had Tommy John surgery as a sophomore and in my redshirt junior year didn’t pitch very well. I didn’t really have a good year until my fifth year there, and when you’re drafted as a fifth-year senior, the odds are stacked against you. I’ve been very fortunate to get opportunities, including when I got traded here from San Diego. Everything has kind of just fallen into place.”
NEBJ: How did a kid from Fall River end up at Tulane?
Gomes: “I went to a couple of showcases, including ones in Arizona and North Carolina, and (Tulane baseball recruiters) were at both of them. I pitched well at both places, went on a visit, and absolutely loved New Orleans. I liked the coaching staff and the players were a bunch of really good guys. It was a combination of a good baseball program and very good academics.”
NEBJ: What did you study at Tulane?
Gomes: “I got my degree, double-majoring in finance and legal studies. Academics were huge for me. I had an opportunity to go to some other schools, but I really wanted Tulane because of its reputation for elite academics. That was important, because I knew that when I got into pro ball, it wasn’t the end-all and be-all. If it didn’t work out, I had something to fall back on and would be OK in the working world.”
NEBJ: I understand that you have a good story about guitars and Hurricane Katrina.
Gomes: “My dad builds guitars as a hobby — he’s been doing it for a long time — and he built me one. During Katrina … my roommates and I had just moved our stuff into our apartment a few days earlier. The next morning, our coaches called and said we had to evacuate, because a hurricane was coming. We had done that three or four times in previous years, but nothing had ever come of it, so we kind of left a lot of stuff behind. My guitar is one of the things I didn’t end up taking, although my dad built me another one this year.
“The hurricane was scary. You see all these places that you’ve been to and they’re seven, eight feet underwater. Our apartment got eight feet of water. It was devastating. We went to Texas Tech for a semester; they were kind enough to take us in and we took classes there. (Tulane) University did a good job of getting the campus ready for the spring semester, so we actually came back and attended classes like normal. We played at Zephyr Field, which is Triple A for the Florida Marlins.”
NEBJ: How did minor-league baseball — specifically the low minors — compare to playing at Tulane?
Gomes: “When you go to a program like Tulane, you stay in nice hotels and get treated very well; it’s all top-notch. In minor-league baseball, it’s more of a grind. It’s still a great time — you’re getting paid to play a game — but the bus rides are tough, the hotels aren’t as nice, and the pay isn’t great. Once you get up here, you realize just how much work you’ve put in. At every level, it gets better, which really gives you a drive to keep progressing.”
NEBJ: How did your life change when you were traded to the Rays?
Gomes: “First, I took it as an opportunity. I knew that a lot of their bullpen guys had left as free agents. I was grateful to come over here and meet a new coaching staff and new teammates. I went from a month in Triple A to the big leagues, so it has definitely worked out great for me. I’m in the American League East, where there are not only some great rivalries, but also some great teams.”
NEBJ: Growing up, you probably dreamed of playing for the Red Sox someday?
Gomes: “Yeah, but once you get into pro ball that kind of goes away. The Red Sox are a culture in New England, and I grew up rooting for them, just like everybody else. Once I got into college, I just wanted an opportunity to play pro ball, and San Diego gave me that chance.”
NEBJ: What did it feel like to make your big-league debut earlier this year?
Gomes: “There was a lot of adrenaline and nervousness. It’s actually difficult to describe. It’s almost like an out-of-body experience. It went by so fast, and once it was over there was a feel of, ‘Wow, I’m really here. I just had my first big-league outing, and I’ve been trying to get here since I was 7 years old.’ It was obviously a great experience.
“Once in awhile, I’ll step back and think about where I’ve been. I’ll think about where I was a few years ago, or about how I was 9 years old and pitching at Columbus Park, in Little League. It’s almost like a dream that I am where I am today.”
This article originally appeared in the November-December 2011 issue of New England Baseball Journal.
David Laurila can be reached at feedback@baseballjournal.com
