CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Our fourth KRIS 6 Hooks Kid Reporter, fourth grader McKenzie Escamilla, sat down in the dugout with Astros' Double-A outfielder and top prospect Drew Gilbert. Escamilla is one of seven kids selected this summer to interview and get to know a Hooks player at Whataburger Field.
McKenzie is a spunky, outgoing, big-hearted soon-to-be 4th grader who competitively dances and performs in 1-minute comedy skits posted on YouTube. She plays softball at third base when she's not at Hooks' games. She's always trying to catch the camera man's eye when the music is hopping between plays.
McKenzie Escamilla: "Where did you get the nickname chillygoobear from, and is that what your parents call you or just your homies?"
Drew Gilbert: "No, my parents definitely don't call me that. It's not as exciting of a story you probably want. It was just my XBOX gamer tag when I was like 15. I think I just made it up, but I think a few years ago, I thought it would be kind of catchy, so I used it as my Instagram. Nothing crazy. My friends call me chilly, but they don't call me chillygoobear."
Escamilla: "What position or positions did you play as a kid and what's different from your position that you play now?"
Gilbert: "So when I was like a really young kid, I used to play catcher, and then there are not many left-handed catchers, so they said you have to play outfield. Basically, I've been playing outfield my whole life, but other than that, I played catcher."
Escamilla: "I bet you're fast. I'm going to race you later."
Gilbert: "You'd probably beat me, but that's okay. My legs are a little sore."
Escamilla: "How old were you when you hit your very first home run? I think I might have you beat."
Gilbert: "What's your answer first?"
Escamilla: "I was nine."
Gilbert: "I was 10, so you do have me beat with that one. Good job."
Escamilla: "Who were your role models on and off the field as a kid?"
Gilbert: "My role models on and off the field, so my mom used to work with the Twins when I was younger, and I was a really big Minnesota Twins fan, so like Michael Cuddyer, Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau those were like my favorite players."
Escamilla: "Because I heard you're from Minnesota. Stillwater, MN."
Gilbert: "Stillwater, MN, there you go."
Escamilla: "We know you wear Tennessee orange for the Vols, but who was your other choice?"
Gilbert: "Ohh, so I had looked at, actually before that, I was committed to Oregon State up until like the end of my senior year in high school. Then there was a bunch of coaching changes, so I left, and I ended up at Tennessee."
Escamilla: "What's an interesting fact about you, or do you have any secret talents?"
Gilbert: "I don't think I have any secret talents. I know that's kind of pretty boring. I just don't have anything, honestly. I've kind of just played baseball my whole life, so I wasn't really good at any other sports. I'm pretty good at like reading people. I can kind of tell, I don't want to say a good or a bad person, but I can kind of tell their mood pretty early on before a lot of people can tell."
Escamilla: "I've got talent, but it's no secret though."
Gilbert: "Okay, is it this? Your interviewing skills because they're pretty good."
Escamilla: "No, softball."
Escamilla: "Social media is vital to getting your name out there, but for more important, for cool points, who is the most famous person that follows you back?"
Gilbert: "Ooh, most famous person that follows me back, probably Bryce Harper."
Escamilla: "My mom follows me."
Gilbert: "Does she? That's pretty cool. I think my mom follows me too. At least, I hope so."
Escamilla: "What kind of advice would you like to give kids choosing athletics as a career path that are now in high school?"
Gilbert: "I think you know, I know a lot of parents try to push their kid one way or another. I think you are going to do it, and it's something you want to do. You've got to go all in. You don't want to look back and wonder, what if I worked harder? If I had been better, could I have gone to a Division I school out of high school or something like that, for example? I think if you're going to do it, you might as well go all in and see what you can do because, I mean, my experience at Tennessee, I'm really glad I worked that hard in high school to get to that school because those memories I got there are irreplaceable."
To sign up to be a KRIS 6 Hooks Kids Reporter, click here. Bilingual reporters will be aired on KRIS 6 and Telemundo. This interview is split into two videos.
The Hooks' next series starts Tuesday against the San Antonio Missions at 7:05 p.m. It's a 6-game road trip.
