River Cats Conversation: Sean Hjelle

San Francisco Giants right-hander Sean Hjelle joined Johnny Doskow to talk about his expanding family, and reflect on his 2021 season with Sacramento.

JD: Sean Hjelle with us. First of all, I know your offseason was incredible and you have something coming up that’s pretty exciting. Tell us about it.

SH: My wife is actually due with our second child in two days (March 21). I’m just waiting in anticipation. I’ve got my phone on me at all times just in case. I’m pretty excited about it.

JD: You guys did not find out the gender. Can you explain to us why that’s so great to not find out?

SH: We were talking in the Sacramento Airport. I think we were going to Salt Lake. We were talking about how great of a surprise that is. You were joking around with the guys over there saying ‘Don’t find out. It’s a great surprise. You can’t do it.’ You made us promise. I knew at that time that we were already pregnant so I was sitting there smiling. I knew I didn’t want to find out. When I talked to my wife and we agreed upon that, I thought of you right away, but I was like ‘Nobody knows we’re pregnant yet so I can’t tell the world yet.’

JD: That is awesome. So any minute now?

SH: Pretty much.

JD: Obviously your son being two-years-old doesn’t really grasp what’s going on, but that’s pretty exciting he’s going to have a little sister or little brother. That’s pretty cool.

SH: Yeah like you said, he doesn’t understand what’s going on, but I guess when we bring home the new baby he’ll have to understand a little bit. He’s been good with kids so far. He’s actually a little shy around them. It will be good to test the waters to see how that sibling relationship works out.

JD: That’s awesome. So how was the offseason? I know you worked out getting ready for 2022. What was your offseason like?

SH: So my wife and I got married during all the COVID stuff, so we were able to have our wedding 2.0 type of deal. We had that in November. Actually, while we were on our honeymoon, I got the call that I was on the 40-man roster. So that was a very eventful time period. A lot to celebrate. I hung out in Lexington. I was able to go back to UK, workout, and be one of the guys there. I had a really good offseason. The body is feeling good. The arm is feeling good. I’m just excited to be here and show what I’ve got.

JD: I love it. I’ll tell you what, the one thing about last year was you ran into some turmoil a little bit. I love that about Triple-A. You go up there, especially in that league, where it’s a hitter friendly league. You’re going to take your lumps sometimes. I’ll tell you what, if you can pitch in the PCL, it all trains you for what you’re going to do in The Show. What was that like for you going through some tougher times in the PCL?

SH: You know you hear the stories coming up through the system that it’s hitter friendly. You see the averages where guys are hitting three-whatever or four-whatever. There’s just more hits, guys are going to get on-base, and it’s just a little more action, you understand that a little more. You still trust that you’re here for a reason. I have good stuff. My stuff plays. You mentally relax a little more. You eliminate a lot of that stuff you can’t control. You focus on what you can control. Like any level, the ball leaves your hand, and you can’t do anything beyond that. Wherever it’s hit, wherever it’s called, that’s what it is. That’s the game.

JD: Exactly. It’s really exciting to look at what’s coming up. 107 wins in this clubhouse. There’s a looseness in this clubhouse. There’s great chemistry in there. What do you feel about that vibe in there?

SH: Like you said, there’s a looseness in there. There’s guys that have been doing this for so long. They know what they need to take care of. For those of us who don’t have that experience yet, that’s just a good path for us to follow and understand that there’s a collective goal that we’re trying to do and a collective process. But at the same time, you can still go about it your own way. Each guy can have their role. Each guy can do it their own way and still be a part of that collective plan.

JD: Awesome. I’ll tell you what, I look forward to seeing your hats this year. You’re going to wear some too, right?

SH: Absolutely. I’ll hop right on with you.