Editor's note: Neuman brothers Danny and Pacey, both 13, and Mikey, 14, are sports fanatics and play in local football and basketball leagues. The Miami Beach locals interview a different professional athlete each month and Sports Scene features their Q&As. Visit www.neumansports.com or www.youtube.com/sportsbrothers. Watch the Sports Kids every Monday on CBS4 News at 5 p.m. or visit www.CBS4.com/sportskids. The boys also write a column for Sports Illustrated for Kids. Visit www.sikids.com.
This issue, the Neuman brothers interview Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Freddy Sanchez.
Q: What was your biggest fear as a kid?
A: My biggest fear was not knowing what the future held for me. It's always tough when you're a kid. You always want to have fun in life but you never know what the future is going to hold for you and whether you'll accomplish your goals. But as you get older, you realize that you [have] to live each moment day by day.
Q: Can you tell us something about yourself that people would be surprised to know?
A: Well, I was born with a clubbed foot at birth, so I have one foot leg bigger than the other. I have a bigger calf than the other side. I don't know if too many people know that.
Q: If you had one word to describe yourself, what would that word be?
A: Fun, whether we're off the field or on.
Q: What's the funniest or strangest thing that has happened to you on the field?
A: Not too many funny things go on in a serious game, but once I was hitting and I thought I had four balls. So I started running to first before I realized I only had three balls on me, so I had to go back to home plate and hit again.
Q: What really ticks you off?
A: Losses. I hate losing more than I like to win.
Q: What was your favorite baseball moment?
A: The day I won the batting title. To have the whole crowd, the whole place of Pittsburgh cheering for me and I think that was the true taste of how Pittsburgh is. They are great fans and it was fun that day to be able to win a batting title for them.
Q: What was your most meaningful moment as a kid?
A: I had meaningful moments with my family and that's something that you got to always look back and treasure. Your family, they're the ones that helped me to get to where I am today and without them I would not be here.
Q: Who did you look up to as a kid and why?
A: I look up to my dad. When I was younger, my dad was always the one that took me to my baseball games and baseball practices.
Q: Did you get along with your siblings or did you fight with them often?
A: No, we got along pretty well. We would go at it every now and again. My brother was younger then me, but for the most part me and my siblings would get along well.
Q: What one thing would make this country a better place?
A: Peace. If there was peace in this country, no fighting, no war, it would be a much better place.
Q: Did you always want to be a baseball player?
A: The only thing I wanted to be as a kid was a professional baseball player. Since I started playing it at a young age, that's all I wanted to be.
Q: Does your mind ever wander during a game or during a break?
A: Your mind wanders a lot during a game actually, probably it shouldn't. We have off-the-field stuff that happens in our lives with family and things like that. Our minds definitely wander.
Q: Do you have any superstitions that cause you to do anything before or after a game?
A: You know what? I don't. There are 162 games, so if you have superstitions, you [have] to do them for 162 games. I don't want to go through that.
Q: Has any one ever made fun of you or put you down? How do you deal with that?
A: I've gotten made fun of a lot, whether it's that serious or people messing around. You have to just put it behind you and not try to think about what they are saying and you must have the self-confidence to know don't worry about other people. Just worry about yourself.
Q: How were you as a student and what was your worst and best subject?
A: My favorite subject was P.E. My worst subject was science.
