Robert Stock’s story has picked up some steam as the year wears on. His is a story with plenty of twists and turns, but none as significant — or shocking — as the one that came this spring.

We’ve all read by now about Stock’s unexpected meeting with manager Mike Matheny and members of the coaching staff that took place well into spring training earlier this year. In that meeting, Matheny told the progressing catcher that the organization believed his strength were greatest not behind the plate, but rather on the mound; he was better suited to pitch than to catch.

Stock hadn’t pitched since his college days at USC (where he did a fine job of it, along with regular catching duties), but the organization had come to a consensus that his best shot at making the big league roster was as a pitcher, not a catcher.

Thus, the transition began.

Earlier in May, I had the opportunity to sit down with Robert and talk baseball, both growing up and now as a member of the Quad Cities River Bandits squad.

You can see the first portion of that interview here:

http://vimeo.com/42655235

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