Introducing: Andrew McDermott
It's rare to come across someone like Andrew McDermott, but I had the pleasure of speaking to him before the Red Wings season opener. What caught my attention about him immediately was his seemingly constant smile. I knew right then and there that it would be a great discussion.
Andrew is from Little Falls, a small town in Northern New Jersey, living with his Mom and Stepdad most of the time while his Dad lives in North Carolina. His siblings are, like him, pretty proficient in athletics. He has an older brother who plays baseball for Coastal Carolina, A stepbrother who is a football player at Amherst College, and finally, a stepsister who played softball at Rutgers. It is his older brother whom he credits most for him falling in love with baseball. When Andrew was about eleven years old, he always wanted to go with his brother to his baseball practices and get-togethers with his teammates and join in with them. At the time, he always did it for fun but quickly realized that it would also make him a better player.
Andrew has somewhat of an advantage, having already been a member of the Red Wings last summer. However, on opening day, his first season was cut short before it could begin. A collision in the outfield tore his PCL and required 6-8 months of recovery. He's back, though, this summer and looks right that wrong. A few things he says he'd like to work on are his arm strength which is vital for an outfielder, and also, he'd like to learn to slow down and not be so much in his head—conversely, the strengths of his include his foot speed and his defense.
Along with his infectious smile and positive attitude, he looks at the sport of baseball as fun. Andrew loves getting to the field as early as he can, most of the time before anyone else. During this time, he runs and hits off the tee, and one or two of his teammates join him. They'll throw to him to work on his defense. There is no doubt that Andrew takes this game seriously, and from listening to him, I can surmise that he is probably one of the hardest-working players on the field.
Andrew is very rarely not thinking of baseball, but when he does let go for some time, there are a few hobbies he enjoys participating in. His two main hobbies are photography and traveling. When asked how far he had gone, he said the Grand Cayman Islands. He doesn't watch a ton of movies like others might, but he does like Leonardo DiCaprio and Adam Sandler, adding that Happy Gilmore is his favorite movie. Regarding music, Andrew listens to a little bit of everything.
Andrew can brighten people's days as he did mine upon speaking to him. I hope that he can stay healthy this summer and enjoy success with a great time. Thank you for taking the time to talk to me, Andrew, and good luck!
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