David Bare
Interview conducted on 10/10/2017
Who are you playing with in 2017?
Started the year with Killmans in C
Finished with Bad Draw in A
2018 Free Agent – thebares2@yahoo.com
What positions do you play and what is your best position?
Pitch
but can play corners or middle
Who is the best softball player you have ever seen play?
Tons come to mind..
Connell
Purcell
Pearson
Wegman
Too many to list really
Why do you like the game of softball?
Competitive drive, Travel, the environment.
Who is the best up and coming player in softball and why?
There are several good young ball players around SC, but probably Kaden Watson. The kid is a heck of a SS and has a ton of upside.
What is your nickname in softball and how did you get it?
Bear and well, my name.
What is your height and weight?
6'4 230
Where do you call home?
Lexington, SC
What's your favorite way to spend an off weekend?
if not on a softball field, doing anything with my 2 year old.
What do you do for a living?
Scheduling Coordinator for a Neurosurgeon
Did you play sports in High School / College / Pro?
HS, fall ball in college.
How did you get your start in softball and how did you get to the upper level?
In softball was with a team local to me after college. My dad pitched and I was always out there shagging fly balls. They let me take BP with the short barrel PST and I hit a homerun roughly 320 that got my first weekend tourney.
Upper Level, was thanks to Brandon Cashwell, he heard about/saw me pitching in peters creek against OC Swats to begin the year and talked on and off after. Bad Draw ended up needing a pitcher for the Demarini Classic in Charlotte which got my first shot.
What was the most surprising difference between Conference play and non-Conference play when you made the jump?
Pitching for sure.
Constantly discussing game situations/approaches
Is there a player that you would compare your game to?
Not really, I try to watch and learn tips & tricks from all the best.
What would you say is your career highlight to this point? Maybe one play or game that sticks out to you in particular?
Several that all are recently.
Won my first game pitching in the conference.
Got a triple in my first at bat in the Major World Series.
Those 2 are neck and neck for me.
In your career was there a single person (player/manager/coach) who had the most significant impact on your approach to the game? Why?
Jason Martel
He caught me in the firecracker tourney around the house and the whole day we were talking approaches both on the mound and at the plate. Ever since then I make sure to pick his brain on almost everything softball related.
What advice can you give a young player trying to break into the upper level?
Play hard all the time and be a good teammate.
Make the most of every chance you get, if it is to run, hit, or play defense, it doesn't matter. Go hard and let your play do the talking.
What type of batting grip do you use and what ounce bat?
27 oz Baseball grip
What do you do in the offseason to prepare for the next softball season?
Lift, Run, take BP, do drills to work on hand speed, try to eat right.
What is your favorite sports team and your favorite sport other than softball?
UNC Tarheels
Baseball and Basketball
Do you have any superstitions and if so, what are they?
Not really other than if I am struggling in any game/sport I go wash my hands to get off the bad juju
What would be your "at bat" music selection?
No Diggity but that is being replaced by Thunder by imagine Dragons
What is the best improvement upper level softball could make?
Parity and Travel.
What is your favorite non-World tournament and why?
NSA St Judes unlimited Homerun tourney.
Cause I always put together a team built to hit homeruns and each homerun is $2 to St Judes.
What is the best softball field/complex you have played at and why?
The new Space Coast during Conference Championship was pretty awesome.
Where is the best place to eat on the road after a game?
Carolina Wings or Outback
What is the funniest thing you have ever seen on a softball field?
Tony Ford who plays on Killmans ended up taking over pitching when I went to Bad draw, when they went to Panama to play on the "no pump" weekend, he ended up asking the umpire if it was legal to throw under the legs, which he got told yes, so he proceeded to football hike his next pitch. Was hilarious to watch.
Tell us something about you that most would never know about you?
I'm pretty good at impersonations
What was your favorite sports related gift you have ever given or received?
My first All world award.
