Darren Baker and Zach Brzykcy on getting the call to the majors

special um you know our manager Matthew leor he kind of joked around with me a little bit and then uh you know got to call my parents they're excited so something I'll definitely won't forget as these last two years played out how much was it on your mind were you trying not to think about it um maybe this year not as much I mean we were playing pretty good in Rochester so I was just kind of focused on winning the games but um kind of took care of itself and I'm happy to be here the last month or two you really been starting to find a Groove at the plate what do you think is working with for you right now uh I made a couple mechanical changes and then um I don't know like I oh sorry like I said uh just planing to win the game I mean um you know the second half we we were pretty close for a while there so um just focusing on that and you know here I am lot of your Rochester teammates are obviously here how comforting is it to have them here with you as well yeah um you know it's a big part of I was excited to to get up here and you know I was by my lock and you know Cruz came up to me and gave me a hug and I saw Tana you know right now so I mean uh it's it's pretty special being here with those guys can you take us through that moment how did leoy tell you what was your initial reaction and who was the first person you told yeah um so I uh I just got in it's probably like 9:30 10:00 and he just he says we have a meeting and uh I just by my locker and he said how special this you know announcement was for him and uh how hard this person had worked and kind of you let me know and then uh called my mom first and she she was screaming and stuff and and I called my dad he tried to play it cool uh but you know I know he was excited so it's pretty cool you've heard call up stories probably your your whole life you know and been around that environment what is it like when it's your own just that feeling was it how you imagined or um yeah I think it is I think it was um it I had ran it through my head you know as a kid you know what it what it would be like and it was pretty close I mean I I was kind of stocked and then uh kind of settled in and you know I feel like I belong and I'm happy having been in clubhouses your whole life does it feel comfortable or is it like no this is this is different now um I I think it does feel comfortable especially this one I mean I knew how to get here I didn't have to you know put in my phone or anything um so you know I felt comfortable just showing up and uh like you said I just I have some familiarity with here so it helps how would you describe your your baseball life I mean it's it's not like a lot of people in here yeah it's it's a little different uh I think I think it kind of makes me unique and I've had a lot of different experiences and people I've I've crossed path with to get to this point and you know I'm still just getting started so um you know we'll see where it goes but yeah I'm grateful for everything and how how would you describe the role your dad has played in in your baseball life does he Tred to be hands off but can't how does he handle that uh you know I mean he's the best man I mean he never really forced me to play or put pressure on me or or U was overbearing so it kind of just found the love of my game um myself and I think it really helps me in the long run especially know some of the long days and on the buses in triaa or whatever so um yeah you know he's the best and kind of just let me be me were you I assume you were able to be there the night the Astros won the World Series yes what was that what were the emotions that uh I mean common theme he tried to like play it off really cool I was going crazy for him uh cuz you know I've been there for you know the playoff losses here and Cincinnati and and other different times so you know I know how how hard it you know how much work goes into getting to that point so I was just happy for him and I'll never forget it your alarm goes off today what's the first thing you think when you're like today's the first day I'm a major leager yeah I mean I I didn't need alarm today uh but but uh right when I woke up I kind of just uh you know it felt like another day at first like I think kind of when I drove over here it set in of um you know it's my first day as a major leager but um you know I'm excited I feel comfortable speechless I'm kind of a quiet guy so I just didn't even know what to think um I internalized it and I was just mind blown I mean working since I was for to uh to be here and I'm here so it's just been surreal there's no words to describe the feeling so just out of the world and CRA incredible stor I can't even talk why is it so meaningful to you right now uh just worked my whole life for it um family has been rooting for me since day one um and baseball has been a big part of my family so it's just making people proud down here in other places so it's just been nice to just do what I've done my whole life and just succeed at it when you think about the roadblock you hit last spring um does that make this a little more meaningful way more meaningful yeah it kind of made me appreciate being healthy appreciate B baseball to a whole other level that I didn't know was possible so just the grind is been this year and last year it's been very rewarding to uh to be here you get that call up where do where do your memories start where do your memories go to uh when I was a kid but also I think just each level I've been at starting from t-ball coach pitch every every level I've been to um and especially when I got drafted just uphill battle it's been but I think I've done decently well and I've kind of just shown them what I can do so yeah when you said you internalize it at which point did you let it like just settle and sink in um little stop story I was on the drive here and my uncle called me he's one of my favorite people in the entire world and he called me and he was he was balling his eyes out and then um had some family stuff going on a couple months ago and I said they're just down here looking on looking on me and just kind of broke down it's a little emotional but yeah that was that was a heartwarming for sure but as a a pitcher are you different now than you were pre-surgery or stronger or any in every way I'm stronger just having that year to really focus on every aspect of my health and my arms really working on stuff I didn't have an opportunity to before um yeah i' seem stronger than ever before the results obviously have been good for you this year what do you attribute that to um I'm just trusting myself and realizing that my arm is better than it was before and then it's healthy and I don't have to to baby it or hold back and just trust that the work I put in last year will lead me to where I am now and the future so yeah is that trust in your arm of media or is that is that it took a little bit yeah I mean the the process of building back the arm strength was a little um scary I guess to say you you didn't trust it and it just wasn't yourself but I think once I don't even know when it was but just like realizing I threw one throw and I'm like all right I'm back like I can do this and just not babying it I think J gin told me that you can't baby this thing you have to just trust it and not hold back and just know that it's healthy that's what helped me so you came in here you hugged Jake you saw Mitchell I guess you know a handful of guys in here was it kind of like that while you guys were kind of grow together now you're here it's like I said surreal it's just it's same same game but it's just weird being here at this awesome Park and just being in DC and every stepping stone I've been to throughout my career um it's just surreal no other word