IronPigs Alec Asher sits down with Morning Call sports reporter Tom Housenick.

Alec Asher could fit right in with the surfer culture. The Lakeland, Fla., resident simply goes with the flow.

That attitude was tested last month when the 6-foor-4, 230-pound pitcher was upset when he heard the news that friend and teammate Jerad Eickhoff was being traded from the Rangers organization to the Phillies.


He discovered a short time later that he also was being traded to the Phillies.

Asher did have to adjust a few weeks later to Eickhoff being called up to the Phillies while he remained with the IronPigs, but that was a happy separation of friends.

The 23-year-old misses his friends and family during the season. He also is waiting to meet the woman he knows he's going to marry.

That and more in a Q&A with the Rangers' fourth-round pick in 2012:

Nickname: Nickname I got when I first started playing pro ball was "The Big Cat." My roommate my first season of pro ball was Australian. That was his slang. He always used to say I was "The Big Cat," and it is ended up just sticking.

One thing you miss most about home (Lakeland, Fla.): Just my family, being around my family, my brothers. Tough being away from them for so long. They visit you a couple of times during the season, but you miss seeing your loved ones.

TV show you keep up on: I'm a big "Workaholics" guy. I've seen every episode of every season, so I'm just waiting for the next one to come out. I love it.

Favorite musical act: I'm a big Taylor Swift guy. I love Taylor Swift. We're probably going to get married at some point, but she just doesn't know it yet.

Movie you've seen more than a few times: My favorite movie is probably "Old School." Every time I watch it I just start dying, laughing. My favorite one. It doesn't get old.

Favorite cartoon character or superhero growing up: Probably have to go with Superman. Standard, old favorite Superman.

Pre-game meal, if you were in charge: Probably say sushi. I like sushi a lot. I don't know if I'd want that the day I was pitching. Probably have to go with that postgame.

First job: Professional baseball. My parents always said if I played baseball throughout school, I didn't have to get a job. I always used that to my advantage.

First car: First car was a 1995 Nissan Pathfinder. It was a manual. My parents made me drive that for a year when I first started to get used to it. It didn't last very long.

Worst part about road trips: Probably how long they take. Things are a lot better here (in the International League) because you have the sleeper bus. You can lay down and sprawl out. But if you're going for an eight-hour trip, it's not fun. It's still eight hours.


What gets you through the spring training monotony: I like spring training. I always get anxious to get back after the offseason. It's a still a long time not playing, so when spring training rolls around, I'm kind of excited the first couple of weeks. Near the end it kind of gets a little tedious, but I just think, I love playing baseball. It doesn't bother me as much as it does other people.

Cards or video games: Video games. I like both, but I'd have to say video games. I'm a big app guy on the phone, so I play a couple of the games like Clash of Clans or Hearthstone. Couple of those nerd games I play.

What do you do when friends visit you in the offseason: I like fishing. I just like hanging out. Like I said, you spend so much time away from everybody, you just like being around them. Just hanging out, doing stuff with buddies and family. We just do random stuff. I'm a live life, let things happen type of guy.

Most interesting mound conversation you've had: I had a pitching coach once. I was struggling a little bit. To lighten up the mood, he just came out there and said, 'Hey, did you check out the chick in the front row over there?' Just to get you laughing, to get your mind off of what was going on.

What do you remember most about your first pro game: It was on Father's Day. It was my first professional outing. I just remember wanting to do well because my father was watching.

Tell me something about your dad: He is, by far, my biggest fan. He watches every game. He probably watches the games I don't play. He's a big baseball fan. He's taught me a lot of things I know about baseball. He's helped me through a lot of things. That's what dads are for.

Twitter @TomHousenick