Senior Yale Silverman has been one of Ohio’s most dependable pitchers this season as the Bobcats battle Mid-American Conference competition heading toward potential postseason play. Silverman leads all Ohio pitchers with appearances (16) for 48 1/3 innings pitched while boasting a 2.98 earned run average, the second-lowest on the team. Following last Friday’s 5-3 win over Kent State, Silverman sat down with The Post’s Nick Brockman to discuss baseball memories, movies and life in Baton Rouge, La., after last year’s devastating hurricanes.
The Post: What is your proudest baseball moment?
Silverman: Eastern Michigan last year, 3-2 count and the bases loaded. I threw a fastball and struck him out and got a save against Eastern Michigan.
The Post: What is your favorite baseball movie?
Silverman: “Bull Durham” and “For Love of the Game.” I watch them both before I pitch. I watch one or the other, depending on what I’m in the mood for.
The Post: What team did you follow as a kid, and which pitcher do you model yourself after?
Silverman: Well, I was a Cubs fan growing up, and you have to love Maddux. He’s still doing it now, just throwing the ball where he wants it and getting people out.
The Post: What are your thoughts on the Barry Bonds controversy?
Silverman: I don’t have a real big position on that. The guy is one of the greatest hitters of our time. I’m not real worried about it.
The Post: Any funny pranks or stories you might be able to share?
Silverman: My first year on the team. I was just trying to make the team and trying to hope that people would think of me as an athlete. We broke a huddle and I tripped over a bag of baseballs. All of them came out and hit me. Derek (Witt) laughed at me. Everybody still remembers it and gives me a hard time about it.
The Post: I noticed you’re from Baton Rouge, La. Were you affected at all by either of the hurricanes?
Silverman: We were sort of skirted by the hurricane. For the most part I was out watching it. But we now have 400,000 extra people in Baton Rouge. We had all the emergency centers set up. It was a hard time for Baton Rouge, and it continues to be a hard time for all of Louisiana. It’s affected all of us, I guess.