Hunter Pence on pilates, Harry Potter and tough NL West (podcast)

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There may not be anyone in professional baseball like Hunter Pence — from the way that he throws and swings a bat, to his confessed off-the-field nerdery. Good luck finding someone else in MLB who will talk to you about playing "Magic: The Gathering" and picking out wands at Harry Potter World.
Oh, but Pence is that guy.
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Not only is he one of the more crucial pieces for the San Francisco Giants, he's one of the more fascinating guys in baseball. He was riding his scooter to and from games before it was trendy. He's proud of his paleo lifestyle and helped the Giants introduce a garden beyond the outfield wall at AT&T Park not too long ago. He's a gamer, a vlogger (along with his fiancée Alexis Cozombolidis, aka @LetsGetLexi), he's helping planning a wedding and he just got into pilates. It's quite the life.
He's also one of the new faces of Oberto beef jerky. Pence spent part of last week filming his commercial for the beef jerky brand, a trip to the national endorsement stage that has him pretty psyched.
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We at the StewPod were psyched as well, to have Pence join us for a wide-ranging interview that covered everything going on his life — from his Harry Potter vacation, to his interest in pilates and how it will help him on the baseball field and whether the Giants have some even-year magic bottled up for 2016.
Listen to the full interview above. Here are some highlights:
On how he works Oberto into his diet:*“I try to have snacks and stuff. And to me Oberto is that perfect snack: that lean protein when I’m driving to the cage or driving to pilates and you aren’t able to cook meals in between. Also, if you have that light hunger and you don’t want to eat a big meal, sometimes that will mess up your routine. It’s good to have those balanced proteins throughout the day. It’s a perfect thing to have with you. It’s easy. It’s good for you. And I think those things are important to have when you’re working for that active, healthy lifestyle.”
On how doing pilates has made him confident about the upcoming season: "I’m really excited that I got my eyes open to pilates. It has been this amazing thing that I’ve added to my regimen. It definitely was not easy to do on top of the all my training I usually do, but I feel extremely enthusiastic about this season because of what I’ve been able to accomplish due to pilates."
On the "even year" expectations: "You gotta love it because that’s the goal. The reason I play is that I love being a part of the team. I love working for the greater good. I love the passion of uniting with teammates, families, with the city and working for that goal of celebration."
On Harry Potter World:*“Just walking though Diagon Alley and seeing the dragon breathe the fire,* and being immersed in that magical Harry Potter World. To me, as a Harry Potter fan and a comic fan … I love all that stuff … it’s the ultimate joy outside of baseball.”
On the benefits of enjoying art and the "Saga" graphic novel:*“One of the things I’m always trying to improve on is my imagination.* And that’s what I feel like you really get to strengthen when you’re reading a comic like that and watching art and letting characters come alive in your mind. I’m always stretching my imagination with baseball and working on my inner vision. To me, this is like a new, strong tool and a fun way to grow it.”
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Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz