Aaron Gottlieb: What was your non-baseball life like when you went to Binghamton?

Scott Diamond: I stayed in Mountainview when I was on campus and then after that I moved into the baseball house which was down Henry Street. I’d be lying if I said we didn’t have any social gatherings during that time, but it was mainly about getting my school work done and then on the weekends just relaxing.

AG: Do you have any especially memorable moments from your time?

SD: I remember a couple of athletic moments, pitching performances and that kind of thing, and our team just performing at some really high levels. We almost went undefeated in conference one year. But a lot of my memories I think were just from my friends that I made with the baseball team and in the engineering department.

AG: So you mentioned you lived on Henry; did you go Downtown to the bars at all?

SD: Always, but am I allowed to say that? During the season we actually stayed away … for the most part. But in the offseason we had our fun.

AG: At what point did you start to think about going pro?

SD: When I was in high school I played on a travel team that we always had scouts around, so I always thought of it as being a possibility. But after my freshman year in college I won the Rookie of the Year Award, and that’s when I thought, you know, if I had a good summer one year and another good season at Binghamton I thought it was definitely a possibility.

AG: Can you describe your emotions when you got the call up to the Twins this past season?

SD: It’s as surreal as you expect it to be. You’re in shock because all of this work and all of the time that you’ve put into it, this childhood dream of yours is finally coming true. I just remember standing in the hallway outside a locker room and I called my dad. My mom picked up and got my dad on the phone and the two of them were just as emotional as I was. It was pretty surreal.

AG: What are the differences in the clubhouse atmosphere between your time playing for the Bearcats and now your time playing for the Twins?

SD: It’s just different stages in my career. In Binghamton, those are your best friends. Those are the guys you spend four years with and really form a bond with. When you make it to pro ball it’s a little more political, I guess. A lot of those guys are from all over the U.S. and even from all over the world, really. It’s always based on team chemistry and the Twins have a great team chemistry, but I just got to know a lot of my teammates at Binghamton a lot more. Those are a lot of the memories I have.

AG: Do you have any interesting anecdotes from your time with the Twins so far off the field?

SD: We had rookie dress up in September, which was pretty funny. I had to dress up in a pig costume and walk around downtown Kansas City in this pig costume all day on our day off.

AG: You came back and graduated in December. What was the impetus behind you coming back and finishing your degree?

SD: When I decided to leave to go pro, my philosophy was that I can’t really put off baseball because I’ll always be getting older, but I can always come back and finish school. When I made that promise to myself and to my parents it was something that I intended to keep.

AG: Is there anything notable that’s changed on campus since you left?

SD: I haven’t had a chance to check out the new engineering building but I heard it’s lights out. So I’m pretty excited to come back again and hopefully take a walk around there and see what’s new.

AG: What’d you think of the new Newing?

SD: I’ve heard the dining hall is the new place to be. Have you been in there?

AG: Yeah, it’s pretty unbelievable. They have an automated carousel to put your dirty trays on and it takes them into the kitchen.

SD: Really? Jeez.

AG: It’s Mountainview 2.0 and in a more convenient location. Anyway, do you have any inkling as to what your role is going to be come Opening Day?

SD: I don’t — we have a lot of guys competing for starting roles and always fighting for those bullpen spots. So whatever they need me for I’m going to do. If an injury comes up or if I have a fighting chance for a starting spot, then that’s fantastic. I think there’s also a good shot that I could find myself in the bullpen this year as well.

AG: Is there anything else you’d want students at Binghamton to know about your experience?

SD: Pursue. It can happen. I’m not really good at words of wisdom.