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Growing up just outside of Ottawa, Erik Bedard was a wisp of a kid, a nice francophone boy from small-town Navan. Baseball was just a way to pass time. He turned down a chance to play on a competitive team when he was 12, not wanting to miss a fishing trip with his dad. A couple of times, he was cut from competitive teams, forced, for one reason or another, to play on the B team. "I was small and I didn't throw hard," Bedard says. "Little League was just fun for me." But he stuck with baseball and he grew and grew ... from 5-foot-4 in Grade 12 to 6-foot-1 and a star lefthanded pitcher with the Baltimore Orioles, who selected him in the sixth round of the 1999 draft (with his $80,000 signing bonus, Bedard paid off some debts and bought a Ford Cobra). The proud Canadian has established himself as one of baseball's best hurlers,throwing his way into contention for a Cy Young award (with a 13-5 record, 3.16 ERA and 221 strikeouts) until a strained muscle near his right rib cage ended his season early.
SUN MEDIA: You were having a Cy Young kind of season, among the best pitchers in baseball, how disappointing was it to end the year early because of an injury?
BEDARD: It's extremely disappointing. Injuries happen so you can't get down on yourself, but if I was going to get injured, I wish it would have happened earlier so I didn't end the season on the DL.
SUN MEDIA: Any concerns about the injury lingering, maybe affecting you next season?
BEDARD: It's an oblique strain, it takes time to heal, but it's an injury a lot of players get. I'll be fine.
SUN MEDIA: When you were young, you were cut from Little League teams, at any time did you think about quitting baseball?
BEDARD: At the time, I didn't think I was going anywhere in baseball. It was for fun ... I didn't know I could make a career out of it. I had pretty much quit when I got the chance to work out for (Norwalk College).
SUN MEDIA: You became a hard-throwing lefthander while you were at college. What happened?
BEDARD: My first year (of college), I was throwing mid 80s. Scouts told me if I could get up into the 90s, I had a chance of getting drafted. I just grew into my body. I gained 35 pounds from being 6-foot, 150 lbs. My body adjusted to the extra weight and I could throw low 90s.
SUN MEDIA: Players around the league say you've got the best curveball in the majors. Are you comfortable throwing it on any count?
BEDARD: That's what's made the last two years special. Batters can't sit on one pitch from me. I can throw the curve on any count. It's something more for them to think about.
SUN MEDIA: Who's the best hitter in baseball? And do you fear him?
BEDARD: Alex Rodriguez. He's had good success against me. He hits home runs and he hits for average. But I do not fear him.
SUN MEDIA: How special is it to pitch on Canadian soil, in Toronto?
BEDARD: It's always special. But I didn't get a chance to pitch there this year. I've got a lot of family that comes down to watch. So it does feel great to pitch in my home country.
SUN MEDIA: Do you get kidded by teammates for being Canadian?
BEDARD: Yes, they still get on me. If I don't know something, it's because I'm from Canada. It's been like that since college.
SUN MEDIA: You didn't speak any English until your late teens, was it tough to pick up the language?
BEDARD: I didn't have anyone to speak French to in college so that really helped me pick up English. I was forced to learn it.Now sometimes I'm more comfortable in English.
SUN MEDIA: You're on a one-year contract, worth $3.4 million and bonuses, and you've got two more years before you can file for unrestricted free agency. Would you like a long-term deal now, or are you willing to wait?
BEDARD: I'm comfortable going year by year ... then we'll see what team wants me.
SUN MEDIA: You're not the kind of guy that seeks the spotlight. You prefer to be in the background. Has it been tough as you've gotten more notoriety?
BEDARD: I'm the same. I've maybe gotten a bit more publicity, but I haven't changed. I'll answer questions, but it's short and sweet.
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QUICK HITS WITH ERIK BEDARD
Q: Favourite movie?
A: Shawshank Redemption
Q: Favourite music?
A: Nickelback
Q: Favourite athlete outside of baseball?
A: Michael Jordan
Q: Most fun city in baseball?
A: Boston. I love the stadium and the city. It's not overwhelming like New York.
Q: Favourite hockey player?
A: Wayne Gretzky. I was lifting weights and the trainer walked back and said there was somebody that wanted to meet me. I said that I didn't want to be bothered. But he said, "No, I think you'll want to meet this guy." It was Wayne Gretzky and his kid. I was shocked, speechless. It was a big thrill.
Q: Favourite TV show?
A: I don't watch much TV. Maybe Friends.