EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: DEAN ANNA

Hard work and dedication means a lot to us here at BYB. Ever since Jorge Posada gave us that great quote "Grind It", you can see it used here often. Why? Because we love it and we believe in the believer! We have a great amount of respect for individuals that are the embodiment of believing in yourself. "Grind it!" You work your tail off to get what you want. That's why a guy like Dean Anna is so well liked here at Bleeding Yankee Blue.

This offseason, the Yankees made sure to pick up certain key players. Frankly, after last season, I was very happy about that. The addition of Anna has turned out to be more than we fans could have possibly expected.  His performance so far has been terrific, and he's gaining popularity among us Yankees fans. He's a believer and many of us are believing in him!

Well, I had the pleasure to represent Bleeding Yankee Blue in our exclusive interview with our newest family member... Dean Anna. Check out our interview with Dean Anna:

BYB: Mr. Anna, no one was more excited about you signing with the Yankees than us over here at Bleeding Yankees Blue. In fact, our founder Casey was ecstatic over it! Tell me, where were you when you got the news? And what did it mean to you to make the New York Yankees?

Dean Anna:  I was actually with my fiancée. I had just landed in Chicago, and I hadn’t seen my family in a while.  It was that day.  I was in my house, and we were just hanging out, and my agent called. He told me “I believe they are going to make a trade for you”.  Then the Yankees called me, and it happened.  It’s really exciting to be a part of an organization like the New York Yankees. To be a part of the history is amazing.

BYB: You and Yangervis Solarte have been doing great things so far, for the Yankees. We root for the underdog here at Bleeding Yankee Blue. What advice can you give our readers when it comes to being given an opportunity that could change the course of your life or career?

Dean Anna:  Always work hard and believe in yourself.  I think that’s how I got here.  If I wasn’t working hard and believing in myself, I couldn’t have got through the whole minor league system for a while!  I believe that if you work hard, good things happen.

BYB: Your nickname is “The Dean of Swing.” How did that come about?

Dean Anna:  My agent is big in marketing, and he was like “Oh, I like this name”, and we just went with it!

BYB: What’s it like to play with a guy like Derek Jeter?

Dean Anna:  It’s something where, you hope to play with someone like that. Someone of his caliber, so you can learn.  Derek’s been through it all.  He’s won many Championships. He’s a great guy to learn from.  I couldn’t ask for a better teammate to learn from.

BYB: I remember reading that you said, “Everybody’s excited for me, but it kind of just feels like a regular day,” when you made the major league roster for the Yankees. How do you feel right now, a few weeks into playing on the biggest stage of your career?

Dean Anna:  It’s exciting! It really is!  During Spring Training, I was still kind of numb about it. Being here, and witnessing this now, playing Boston for instance, and the Boston series coming up, it’s going to be memorable!  It’s going to be stuff I can tell my kids about!  It’s going to be very cool!

BYB: Growing up, what player, Yankee of non-Yankee, did you idolize, and why?

Dean Anna:  Ken Griffey, Jr.  I loved how he played the game. He’s a lefty swinger.  He played center field. He was just really fun to watch.

BYB: The word “versatile” has been spoken a lot when you hear the name Dean Anna. How important is that to you, and why?

Dean Anna: It’s important! If the team needs me to play 3^rd, or short, or 2^nd, it helps the team out. If something goes wrong, or if they need to fill a spot, they can rely on me for that. 

BYB: If you had to give a piece of advice to an 11-year-old little leaguer, like Casey’s son for instance, who’s going through some frustrating times at the plate lately, what advice can you offer?

Dean Anna:  An 11-year-old? Well, first I would tell them to make sure to have fun.  You've got to have fun out there, no matter what!  You know, you want to win, you don’t want to lose, but I would definitely keep the kids enjoying the game.  When you are having fun, the best of that player comes out!

BYB: So, you’ve made your first major league team roster with the Yankees. What’s your next big goal?

Dean Anna: The next big goal is always to win a World Series Championship. That’s what everyone is working for right now on the team. And that’s really the only goal.

BYB: Tell me the difference in the fans, and energy at Yankee Stadium, as opposed to any other place you’ve experienced?

Dean Anna: It’s a different vibe when you are playing there at Yankee Stadium. It’s a little more intense. It’s really exciting to play there. It feels more like a play-off atmosphere. 

BYB: Okay, last question. We wrote about you when you signed with the Yankees this past winter. We saw that you retweeted the story, and “favorited” it. So, do you read Bleeding Yankee Blue? If so, what do you think?

Dean Anna: It’s great! I don’t read it a lot, but I’ve seen some stuff I like it, and I thought it was pretty cool.

We’d like to thank Mr. Anna for his time and cooperation. He's a class act.  BYB is very excited to have had the opportunity.

Dean, you're extremely pleasant, upbeat, professional and we really appreciate your patience with us!  BYB looks forward to seeing your continued success on and off the field.

The best of luck, from everyone here at BYB!

--Erica Morales BYB Senior Writer 
Twitter: @e_morales1804