Sitting down with Tulsa Drillers first baseman Kiel Roling - Examiner.com

I recently had the chance to sit down and talk with Tulsa Drillers first baseman Kiel Roling. In his second stint with the Drillers, Roling entered Monday's game against Northwest Arkansas batting .253 with five homers and 14 RBIs.

Kevin Henry: You played in Tulsa two years ago, then played at Class A Modesto last season. Now back at Tulsa, how are you a different player now than you were two years ago?

Kiel Roling: I was 23 coming in and really didn't know what to expect. I put a lot of pressure on myself and was battling injuries throughout the year. I would take an 0-for-4 day and not put it behind me, then it would spiral into an 0-for-16 or 0-for-20. This year, I know I have the chance to redeem myself.

Note: You can read my 2010 interview with Roling by clicking here.

Henry: What was your mindset when you heard when you were going from Double-A Tulsa to High-A Modesto in 2011?

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Roling: At the start, I was down but I realized that I couldn't take it as a negative. I'm lucky enough to be able to play this game as a job. It was really a wake-up call for me. I learned that nothing is free. You can't just show up and expect things to happen. You have to work for it.

Henry: You lost 20 pounds in the offseason. How has that helped you this season?

Roling: It was important for me to get in better shape. Losing those 20 pounds has been so much easier on my body. I feel a lot stronger so it hasn't affected my power at all.

Henry: What was your focus heading into this year's spring training?

Roling: I knew I had to have a good spring. You think you may know where you're going to play the next season, but nothing is for granted so I wanted to go out and do my best while not putting any pressure on myself. I came in wanting to give myself quality at-bats and give myself a chance at the plate. If I do that, good things will happen.

Henry: Compare this year's team to the one you played on in 2010.

Roling: There were a lot of guys in that team in 2010 that I had never met. There were a bunch of older guys on the team and I really don't think it was as tight-knit as this year's team. We have a great group of guys on the team this year and we all get along.