MLB: Baseball talent Niklas Rimmel interviewed:”First the homework, then baseball”.

The German hopeful Niklas Rimmel of the Buchbinder legionaries recently signed a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins, Max Kepler’s team.In an interview with SPOX, the 18-year-old reveals how the negotiations with the MLB club have progressed, what distinguishes the Regensburg baseball location, who are his role models and what he is most looking forward to in the states.First of all, however, it is pursuing another reasonable goal.

SPOX: Mr. Rimmel, first of all congratulations on your contract with the Minnesota Twins!

Niklas Rimmel: Thank you!

SPOX: How did the deal with the Twins come about?

Rimmel: Well, the interest has been there for a little longer.And we had our U23 European Championship in the Czech Republic.That was probably the deciding factor.This was an update for the scouts again.

SPOX: Were there any contacts to teams other than the Twins?

Rimmel: Yes, there was interest from other teams.But the Twins were already on me for a long time and throughout.

SPOX: Your decision for the Twins wasn’t only Max Kepler, was it?

Rimmel: No, absolutely not.There were, of course, other reasons, but the whole package was just perfect for the twins.

SPOX: Tell us how the scouting process went.Have you already been discovered in Regensburg or did the scouts only become aware of them in the national teams?

Rimmel: The general scouting process has been going on for a long time.It started in 2016 with tournaments where there are always many scouts.I cannot give an exact time at which I have been scouted.But in baseball it is common for many scouts to be at European championships or at the MLB elite camp.I would say, however, that I was mainly observed with the national team.They were often scouts in Regensburg, but the national team was mostly more.

SPOX: Who has negotiated with the Twins in the end?You yourself, maybe your parents – or do you already have an agent?

Rimmel: Yes, I have an agent.And he’s basically my contact person.We mainly communicated through him.And my agent has also made sure to keep the interest high and that teams contact him.He did a lot of advertising for me.

SPOX: How did you come to baseball in general?

Rimmel: At the time, I played football just like everyone else.One day I found pictures with my dad in the basement from the time when he had been playing baseball himself for years.This first aroused my interest and I wanted to try it out.We’ve always gone to the soccer field one, two or three hours before the soccer practice to throw or do anything else.And at some point I found baseball more interesting than football.The deciding factor was my dad, who has been training and caring for me for years and made me who I am today.

SPOX: Do you already know where they will start next year in the Twins farm system?

Rimmel: First of all I’m going to do my A-levels.And in July we’ll head over to Fort Myers/Florida for the rookie league.In concrete terms, the league is called the Gulf Coast League and I play for the GCL Twins.

SPOX: You speak to it yourself, you first take your Abitur.Was that your own decision or was there some pressure from the parents?

Rimmel: No, no.It was absolutely my decision.One hears often enough that someone goes over to the USA and then hurts himself quickly or something unexpected happens.In any case, the baccalaureate has the highest priority.I said that right away, this has to be the first thing before I go over there.

SPOX: Sounds very reasonable that you play it safe…

Rimmel: Yes, because if I now hurt myself after two years – as stupid as it sounds – and then come back and go home without a reasonable school leaving certificate?the Abitur is very important to me.

SPOX: Couldn’t the Twins have been able to shake it?

Rimmel: No.Even if the Twins had now offered me to go over in April, as it usually is – the season starts in April – I would have rejected it anyway, because the school-leaving examination is already a crucial point.Nothing could have gone by.

SPOX: Let’s get to the sporty side.Since we don’t know so much about her now, could you describe what kind of pitcher you are?

Rimmel: In general, there are two categories of pitchers: Starting Pitcher, these are the ones who always start the game.And the relief pitcher, which come after the starting pitchers.These are the two major categories.The starting pitcher needs a lot of stamina and has to throw longer than a relief pitcher.It was the case that I have played both roles in the last two years, and I have been playing both of them again and again.In the 2.I was a long time starting pitcher and took a leading role in the second division.And when I got fresh in the 1.I was more of a relief player, because there were more experienced pitcher there.It is actually customary for us that the relief pitcher tries to become a starting pitcher, because this is of course something very special.And if you go to the 1.Bundesliga, then one tries to fight for this role of starter.But I’ve been a starter and a reliefist.

SPOX: What kind of pitch do you have in your repertoire?Almost every man throws almost balls…

Rimmel: (laughs) Yes, exactly.Beside the fastball I have the changeup and a curveball.

SPOX: Have you always been a pitcher or have you ever tried it as a hitter?

Rimmel: When I was still in Fürth at my first club, I played both pitcher and positioner in general.And there I was always relatively successful as a batsman.But pitching has always been more of a good thing for me.Especially because of the physical.I am relatively tall (1.95 m, Noted.Red.) and that is a big advantage for a pitcher.But when you go to boarding school, you have to choose a position.If you really want to improve, then you should also choose a position.And that’s when I really liked pitching much better.There wasn’t much to discuss with me.

SPOX: Describe your daily routine.

Rimmel: In general, I go to a public school normally.On a normal day, the school is open from 8 a. m. to 1 p. m., and afterwards we have lunch with everyone in the boarding school at 1.15 p. m.At 2 p. m. we have homework to do, there we have an extra school supervisor who will help us if necessary.We can then do our homework in peace and quiet.And only when we’re done with it, we’re allowed to go into practice.First school is coming up and then the training.

SPOX: And what does the training look like?

Rimmel: The training is different.In the off-season we have at least six times a week training – the off-season always runs from October to March – and Sunday is usually free.Every day it is always two to three hours, usually in the evening – between 6 p. m. and 9 p. m.These three hours are divided into pure baseball and strength training.And between school time between 2 and 6 p. m., if you have school until 1 p. m., there is of course also some spare time.

SPOX: That doesn’t sound like a lot of free time.

Rimmel: Right.If you have to do something else, you’re pretty much involved.In addition, there is dinner in the evening, always around 19, but most of them arrive a little later.

Page 1: Rimmel’s beginning, the scouting process and the decision for the Twins

Page 2: Baseball location Regensburg, sporty role models and the fascination of the game