Geovany Soto

CUBS CATCHER

On making it to the big leagues after nearly seven years in the minors

Early in my career I was too shy, trying to hit to rightfield, trying to be too fine with my swing. Last season my hitting coach at Triple A, Von Joshua, finally told me to be more aggressive. He said, "We know you have it in you." I started letting it fly, and everything worked out.

On being named the NL's Rookie of the Month in April

I didn't know until I saw it on the scoreboard when I went up to bat. I was like, Whoa! The crazy thing is, I struck out eight times in a row at one point that month, then I hit two three-run homers in a game a few days later. This game can humble you.

On how he learned English

Mostly from TV, watching Fresh Prince and Full House. When I was three, we moved from Puerto Rico to the Bronx, then to Florida before going back to Puerto Rico when I was eight. My older sister [Michelle] made us watch all that girly stuff.

On the 6'1" 225-pounder's wager with 6'5", 255-pound Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano

In the spring of 2007 we bet $2,000 on who could get to the lowest body fat. I was like, "Two thousand dollars? That's a little heavy." But [teammates] Henry Blanco and Jacque Jones each put in $1,000 for me. That was pressure—I didn't want to make those guys pay. I got on a diet, ran hard every day, and at the end of camp I'd lost 20-something pounds and was one percent under Zambrano. He paid up.

On what he'd be doing if he weren't in baseball