Meet the Dragons: Jordan Hotchkiss

Fast facts: RHP, 23 years old from Leicester, N.C.

Claim to fame: "I was a catcher my whole life. I didn't start pitching until I was a senior in high school."

Quote: "All position players want to pitch and all pitchers want to hit. That's the way it's always going to be."

History: Played Division II baseball at Brevard College in North Carolina. "They had a varsity and junior varsity. I pitched for the varsity and caught for the junior varsity for a year. Sophomore year, I caught and was a starting pitcher some times. Junior year I was in the rotation as the Friday pitcher."

Drafted: Taken in the 31st round of the 2007 draft by the Reds, Hotchkiss was 0-1 with a 1.89 ERA as a reliever in the rookie GCL that season and 1-3 with a 4.01 ERA at rookie Billings, Mont., last season. All his appearances this season have been out of the bullpen except for one, and he turned in five scoreless innings. His ERA is under 3.00 and he may be due for another start soon.

The start: "Pitching coach Tony Fossas came up to me about 45 minutes before the game and said, 'Get your mind right. You might start.' About 10-20 minutes later, he said I was starting. I just tried to do it like I was coming out of the bullpen."

Favorite team: "We lived about two hours from Atlanta, so I liked the Braves. I liked Chipper Jones and John Smoltz. I don't know why. Neither one of them were catchers, as I was."

Catching now: "No. I'm a pitcher."

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