Talkin' Baseball (and Survivor) with Albert Destrade

With "Survivor: One World" dominating the CBS airwaves for the next dozen weeks (or so), you can't help but be reminded of the hype surrounding this past season and one of its castaways, Brandon Hantz, nephew of the show's top villain Russell Hantz.

But it was a completely different "famous nephew" that was there in the finals and, ultimately, took home the bronze...Albert Destrade, nephew of former big leaguer Orestes Destrade.

Recently, I had a chance to talk baseball (and a little "Survivor") with the Junior Destrade.

HOVG: There have been a number of former football players (both collegiate and professional) that have found their way to “Survivor” and I’m thinking you might be one of the first with any sort of baseball pedigree. So, with that in mind…what baseball players (past or present) would you want to play “Survivor” with and why?

DESTRADE: Wow, great question. Being a diehard Braves fan, my first choice would probably be Tom Glavine. The dude has ice water in his veins. "Survivor" can be a very emotional and stressful game. You want to play with people who are good at being rational and keeping their emotions in check. Glavine would probably be my right hand man. David Eckstein would be another guy who I think would scrappy and good to have on your side. I think Brian Wilson would be my wild card pick just because having him around would be great for team challenges and also the dude might be the funniest guy in all of sports.

HOVG: And speaking of your baseball past, I read on your bio from this past season of “Survivor” that your claim to fame was hitting your first career home run off of a future first round draft pick. I’ve gotta know…can you share that story and, since I’m too lazy to search the box scores, who was it?

DESTRADE: Ha!  It was a guy by the name of Eric Beattie out of the University of Tampa. The Tigers drafted him 32nd overall or something like that. It was in 2004, my freshman year of college. The dude was just mowing us down working 92-95mph. I went up in the seventh looking dead red fastball. Got a first pitch fastball down and in and lined a ball into the trees in left. I still remember our pitching coach, who was a real hardass saying "about time Destrade" as I entered the dugout after rounding the bases.

HOVG: Much has been made of your former tribesmate Brandon and the icy relationship between him and his uncle Russell. How is the relationship between you and Orestes? Did he have any advice for you before you left for “Survivor”?

DESTRADE: My uncle Orestes and I are very close. He has always served as a mentor for me in baseball and in life. His only advice in terms of "Survivor" was that this was a tremendous opportunity for me. That I should take advantage of it and absolutely make the most of it.

HOVG: Lastly, Orestes has had a pretty successful career since leaving the game and given the fans you’ve accumulated online…is it possible that you, too, might end up with a career in television? If so (or not)…what can we expect from Albert Destrade next?

DESTRADE: The funny thing is that my uncle has done baseball broadcasting for ESPN, Fox Sports and around the world, but I actually was into broadcasting before he was! I studied broadcast communications in college and wanted to be a baseball broadcaster since a very young age. As of right now, I'm coaching baseball and absolutely loving it. I want to coach baseball until I look like a Latin version of Jack McKeon. But, between now and then I wouldn't mind sneaking in some more TV work. I'm currently in development of a television project in a collaboration with a fellow South Pacific cast member who I will leave nameless for now. But it's a project that I'm really excited about.

HOVG:  How can we keep up with you?

DESTRADE:  Fans can follow me on Twitter. @SurvivorAlbert is the handle. I will also be live tweeting during "Survivor: One World" this spring. And, be on the lookout for a new television project coming this Fall.

Former UT-Martin Outfielder Still Alive

As "Survivor" hits its midway point, it's time to check in with our favorite contestant...former University of Tennessee-Martin outfielder Albert Destrade.

So far, the nephew of former big leaguer Orestes Destrade is looking pretty good.

He's in the power alliance.  He's one of only four castaways to not have his name appear on the parchment.  And did you see the way dude pulled teammate Brandon Hantz up over the wall (go to the 1:15 mark) in that challenge?

Damn!

Anyway.  I knew Destrade's gameplay was impressing me...but I was curious what "Survivor" guru (and XFINITY TV blogger) Gordon Holmes had to say about the chiseled Florida native.

HOVG:  I've been rooting for Albert since Day One.  What do you think of how he's playing the game so far?

HOLMES:  How do you not love the game Albert is playing right now? As a post-merge Alpha male, he should have a huge target on his back. But, his alliance with Coach will keep him safe until Savaii is gone and it also opens up a world of opportunities once they are.

HOVG:  Alright...break it down for me.

HOLMES:  First, the guy is a freakish challenge destroyer. My big takeaway from watching the first challenge (you can watch it below!) in Samoa was watching him lift Brandon over the wall using nothing but his arms. Super impressive. 

HOVG:  And two?

HOLMES:  Second, the Upolu alliance relies on trust in Coach. The second Coach considers stabbing an Upolu member in the back the whole thing will break down. Thank Brandon and his Tribal Council hissy fits for that. If Albert can work his way into a final three with Coach, Upolu jury members (and there will have to be at least three) will feel more betrayed by Coach than they will by Albert.

HOVG:  What about how he played the Edna-Mikayla situation?

HOLMES:  Albert played the Edna vs. Mikayla Incident perfectly. He could’ve blown up the alliance by telling Brandon about Coach’s idol. Boom. They’d head into the merge without a solid direction. Instead, he realized that it’s better to keep the alliance together and let Rick make the final decision. He may have lost the battle, but the knowledge that Rick and Brandon are going to follow Coach over him may prove to be valuable later.

HOVG:  You've been writing about "Survivor" for a while now...how do you see this whole thing with Albert playing out?

HOLMES:  The season seems to be heading toward a Coach/Sophie/Albert final three. If that’s the case, and Albert manages to pick up some individual immunities on the way, it does seem entirely possible that the million-dollar check could be used to buy a new fungo bat and some Big League Chew.

You can follow Gordon Holmes and get his thoughts on the the latest season of "Survivor" over at XFINITY TV.  He can also be found on Twitter or at his personal blog.

And to tie this whole thing back to baseball...he's also a rabid fan of the 2011 World Champion St. Louis Cardinals.

Ta daaaa!

Famous Nephew Ready for "Survivor: South Pacific"

If you follow "Survivor" at all, you know that the upcoming season features a pretty famous nephew.

And no...I'm not talking about Brandon Hantz, nephew of three-time "Survivor" contestant and "Survivor" Hall of Famer Russell Hantz.

I'm talking Albert Destrade...nephew of one of the Florida Marlins original bats and former ESPN baseball analyst Orestes Destrade.  And like his uncle, Albert, too, has baseball in his blood.

The 26-year-old played for the University of Tennessee-Martin baseball team in 2007 after transferring from Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida. Sure, he batted only .213, but dude started 20 of the 30 games he played his senior year at UT Martin.

"Albert was only here a year, but from a teammate standpoint, he was well-liked," Skyhawks head baseball coach Bubba Cates said. "He was a good guy to be around. Everyone that knows Albert is excited about this opportunity for him."

But being a former ballplayer isn't the only reason I did the younger Destrade...we're both fans of "Bull Durham".  Check out his "inspiration in life" from his "Survivor: South Pacific" bio over at CBS.com.

I'm going to go with the lead character from the movie "Bull Durham." Kevin Costner's "Crash Davis" exemplifies a lot of attributes I can relate to. He is a hero of mine because of how he goes about his business as a ballplayer. He's a life-grinder. Plus, he's colorful and full of wisdom.span>

Albert continues the current trend of former collegiate and pro athletes on the popular CBS show. Last season, contestants Steve Wright and Grant Mattos spent some time in the NFL.

When Albert is done in Samoa...he'll be heading back to his current job as head coach for Plantation (Florida) High School baseball team.