HogNation: Did you know about the Hogs in the Minors website before you received this letter/survey? If so, how?
Mark Burnett: No.
HN: What was your favorite game as a Razorback and why?
MB: My favorite game was the 1999 SEC Tournament Championship game vs. Alabama in Birmingham. There was a sellout crowd in attendance (about 18,000). Although we lost the game, Ill never forget the feeling of wearing size 48 pants and leading off the game in front of so many people. I felt like a Pro before I actually became one.
HN: What was it like being a Razorback?
MB: Thrilling at times; draining, frustrating, heartbreaking at others.
HN: Do you still follow the Hogs?
MB: I try to.
HN: What is the best thing about playing in the minor leagues?
MB: Living a dream I've had my entire life is a reward in itself. Going beyond my own expectations of myself with successes icing on the cake.
HN: The worst thing?
MB: Long hours with low pay.
HN: Was it difficult to adjust to wooden bats?
MB: No.
HN: Have you played with or against any other former Hogs? If so who? What was it like?
MB: In the next few weeks, I will play against Joe Jester and Kevin Vent (my former roommate). It will be interesting playing against my double play partner. I have been a teammate with Ryan Lundquist for two years now. We room together on road trips, and It is helpful to have someone like him around to talk hitting with and to laugh at things that remind us of our days as a Razorback.
HN: What did you think of Razorback fans? How do fans in the minor leagues compare?
MB: I have yet to meet a fan in the minor leagues that could possible compare to Razorback baseball fans.
HN: Where are the best and worst places you've played games in the minor leagues? Why?
MB: Some stadiums are tremendous, like Dayton, Ohio and Lansing, Michigan, where we would be in front of 8,000 every night. Others, like our home field last year in Clinton, Iowa, are not so good. On top of the fact that the field conditions are terrible (sprinkler heads in the infield that stick out of the ground, white riverboat as a batter's eye), playing in front of an average crowd of 30-50 is not so exciting.
HN: Do you keep up with any of your former Hog teammates?
MB: I try to. Ike "Shooter" Pohle and I are still very close friends, and I have spoken with David Walling quite often.
HN: How does each level (College, A, AA,
etc) compare competitively?
MB: More raw talent is what you see in the lower levels (rookie-A ball). The higher you go, the more consistent the players become. Those in the higher levels are not necessarily more talented than everyone else (A few exceptions), they are just more consistent in the way they play.
Date: 04-25-01