Reliever Kyle Farnsworth, entering his second Yankee season, has the reputation for being totally no-nonsense and entirely zeroed in, so much so that former teammate Shawn Chacon once labeled him "RoboCop." Staff writer Michael P. Geffner sat down for this interview with Farnsworth, who was dripping sweat from an early morning workout, chugging down a protein shake and just unplugging from his iPod.
What music are you listening to right now?
Metallica. When I'm working out, it's always heavy metal. When I'm driving around, it's usually country. What do you think people misinterpret about you?
That I'm this angry, unapproachable guy. I'm really not. It's just my focus when I'm here at the park.
Why is focus so important to you?
I think that if you have a job at hand and want it to be done right, you have to avoid outside distractions. If you couldn't be a baseball player, what do you think you'd be?
A rancher.
What profession would you never want to do?
A garbage man.
Favorite hobby?
Hunting.
What's your best hunting story?
Four years ago, in Perry, Fla., I was hunting with a friend of mine. We were in the middle of the swamp and it was nighttime and I shot a 10-pointer. Well, it got really dark on us in a hurry and we got lost in the swamp for around three hours before we found our way out.
What's your most embarrassing moment playing baseball?
(He laughs) Getting dressed up funny as a rookie as part of an initiation process. I had to put on a short skirt, a little tube top and fluffy green slippers.
Yikes, you think there are any pictures of that out there?
(He laughs harder) I'm sure there's one floating around somewhere, but I hope I never see it again. What's the worst thing you did as a kid?
I cut down my neighbor's trees with a steak knife (he laughs again, uncontrollably). I was around 8 and I got in a lot of trouble.
Who were your idols growing up?
My dad and Dale Murphy. What would people be surprised to find out about you?
That my dad was a fighter pilot and part of an elite, top-secret squadron called the Misty FACs during the Vietnam War in the late 1960s. The Misty FACs was so legendary they even wrote a book about them.
What's your proudest moment, both on the field and off?
On, it was making the playoffs for the first time, in 2003 with the Cubs. Off, it was the birth of my son.
What turns you on?
Killing a nice big deer. What turns you off?
Killing a nice big deer and not being able to find it.
Who's your favorite actor all time?
John Wayne.
Who's your favorite actor currently?
Val Kilmer.
Favorite actress currently?
Sandra Bullock.
What's the last great movie you saw?
"The Aviator" with Leonardo DiCaprio.
"The Aviator?" That's over two years ago.
Yeah, I know. In fact, that's probably the last movie I've seen in a theatre. It shows how much I get out.
Favorite TV show?
A hunting-and-fishing show called "Realtree Outdoors" on The Outdoors Channel.
If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say to you at the pearly gates?
