Aaron: When did you first start playing baseball?

Cuddyer: Well, organized baseball - I started playing when I was about six. Ever since I’ve remembered, I’d been carrying a bat or ball around when I was little, as far back as two or three.

Aaron: When you were in high school you played basketball and football as well as baseball. Why did you choose to follow a career in baseball?

Cuddyer: Well I wasn't really good at football and basketball. I just played those to stay active. I knew my first love and my passion was baseball and it was something I possibly had a future in. So that’s why I went with baseball.

Aaron: What do you like about playing in Edmonton?

Cuddyer: So far we’ve had pretty good fans, the fans have been out here a real lot. And it’s a good park to hit in. And we’re doing well. It’s been a lot of fun so far and I’m looking forward to finishing up the year.

Aaron: How does it feel to know the Trappers have the most homeruns in professional baseball right now?

Cuddyer: It feels pretty good. It says a lot about our organization with the Minnesota Twins and a lot about our team and our work ethic. We have a lot of fun out here competing against each other for homeruns and stuff like that and I know that’s what the fans want to see.

Aaron: What is it like to be chosen for the All-Star game?

Cuddyer: It’s a good honor. It’s definitely something. It feels pretty good to be recognized by everybody in the league and to be one of the best in the league. It’s just something that you will always remember and be able take with you.

Aaron: What are you looking forward to?

Cuddyer: (laughs) Probably days off. We get three days off in the All-Star break, but also just being able to hang out with guys from other teams, the camaraderie with players of that caliber, it’s also a lot of fun. And obviously, playing on TV is going to be pretty special too.

Aaron: What did your teammates say about it?

Cuddyer: They’re all happy for us. There is also two other people also on the All-Star team from our team that are going. We’re going to have a lot of fun and they all just wish us luck and hope we do well.

Aaron: What did it feel like when you hit the ball over the green wall?

Cuddyer: (laughs) That was pretty fun. It’s a pretty good shot to hit out there and I’m sure the fans liked it. It was a pretty fun feat and maybe I’ll do it again sometime.

Aaron: You’ve got the highest slugging percentage in the PCL right now – what do you think about your average?

Cuddyer: Well, it’s nice to have that but there’s still a lot of season left. We have another 70 games but I’m just going out there everyday just trying to help the team win and if the slugging percentage stays up there like that then, so be it, it’d be great. And if not and the team still wins then that’s good too.

Aaron: What was it like to play in the big leagues?

Cuddyer: It’s something that I always dreamed about. You know, I said I started playing baseball when I was six and that’s about the time when I had that dream of playing in the big leagues. For that to finally come true was something pretty special. And hopefully I'll get back there and stay there for awhile.

Aaron: How did you get into magic as a hobby?

Cuddyer: (laughs) I guess I was about ten or 11, and I learned a trick and I started going to some summer baseball camps and other sports camps. I started picking up the other guys’ tricks – I’d show them a trick, they’d show me a trick and it ended up being a good icebreaker. I ended up learning about 20 or 25 tricks. It’s something fun where if I go into a crowd and nobody knows me and I’ve got a deck of cards, then it’ll start some conversation up.

Aaron: What tricks do you know?

Cuddyer: I’ve got quite a few tricks, you know, everything from making cards appear on the other side of the room to making cards appear in your pocket. So, it’s a lot of fun, it’s something like I said to break up the monotony of just playing baseball everyday.

Found at: http://www.trapperbaseball.com/Kids/Aaron/Q&ACuddyer.htm