Expert in their field but not at the same level as the basics of adulthood. Alex BregmanYou made an offer.
His sophomore year at LSU, he lived with two roommates. One was a strange freak. Aaron Nola. Bregman was quite different. Bregman said that he would pay his roommates for groceries or pay them to buy him groceries, if they would do his laundry.
“‘I don’t know how to work this washer and dryer,’” former roommate and teammate Henri Faucheux recalled Bregman saying. “I said, I got a simple solution for this. I said, ‘Come here, I’ll show you exactly how to work this. It’s not hard at all.’”
“Definitely, cleaning was not his priority.”
It was only one of the differences between Nola Bregman. Numerous LSU teammates spoke out, as did their head coach. The AthleticThis week, we will be discussing their unique relationship. These two opposites formed a friendship that transcended laundry and cleanliness.
Fun Fact: Alex Bregman & Aaron Nola were roommates at LSU while they were playing. pic.twitter.com/HgpGOeNElO
— Calico Joe (@CalicoJoeMLB) October 26, 2022
The AstrosAnd PhilliesThey will face off in the World Series starting Friday. More than that, Nola will be Philadelphia’s Game 1 starting pitcher. Alex Bregman will almost certainly be batting fourth as the Astros’ third baseman. They’ll face off in a meeting with the highest stakes imaginable on a baseball diamond.
For those that knew them when they were just 19 or 20 years old, it’s significant. This chapter is being written by two of the most elite players, their teammates and their friends.
“Alex played with a lot of emotion, a lot of energy,” former LSU head coach Paul Mainieri said. “He sprinted on and off a field. His hair was ablaze and he could run 1,000 miles per hour. Aaron was very cool. He was slow and walked slowly to the mound. He was never boisterous. If he struck a batter out, he was ho-hum, another batter.”
Mainieri said that the style of play on the field by both players mirrored the manner they played off it. Nola hails from Baton Rouge. This was his home and comfort zone. Bregman is originally from Albuquerque (New Mexico).
Bregman had played for the national teams; he’d showcased himself. He was considered a promising prospect. Nola, less so. Because he was from the area, LSU was an easy fit since the coaches had seen him pitch so many times.
Their differences eventually merged. Nola was able still to get Bregman out fishing in their backyard, which he learned quickly. They also learned how to shoot pellet guns from there. Nola’s hobbies became Bregman’s.
It wasn’t impossible to get the more reserved Nola out to a party, either. This was more in line with Bregman’s interests.
“(Nola would) go to the party, but he wouldn’t be the face of it,” said former LSU teammate and current Washington Nationals outfielder Andrew Stevenson. “Whereas Bregman, he’ll be the life-of-the-party type. It’s kind of two different personalities, but it worked. Otherwise, they would have had the same personality and clashed.”
But, Stevenson conceded, “I’m sure Bregman dragged him to a few more things than he wanted to come to.”
One commonality the players did have — a factor and central tenant of their friendship — was outworking everyone to perfect their baseball craft.
Bregman was a favorite of his teammates because he loved to hit at all hours of the night. He might be with friends at midnight, or he could be out drinking. And he’d suggest they go to the field. If the stadium lights were on at night, it’s probably because Bregman was there.
It’s not that Nola craved the same discombobulated hours for practice. He was a frequent visitor to the weight room alone. But he wasn’t there into the a.m. hours. However, he did gravitate towards Bregman, who shares the same work ethic and helped Nola become the first SEC pitcher of year in consecutive seasons.
Nola finished the season at 30-6, with a 2.09 ERA (and 9.3 strikeouts per 9 innings) for the tournament. TigersFrom 2012-14. Bregman’s average performance at LSU was.337/.409/.514 in 196 games between 2013-15 and 2015.
“When you have two people who share the same values and the same work ethic, that kind of brings you close together,” teammate Raph Rhymes said. “I think they had the same mindset and the same goals to be the absolute best. That’s what kind of got them close.”
They were the best. They shared this commonality. They weren’t best friends. Houston Chronicle reported in 2018 that the two had reunited at All-Star Game after they had been following each other at a distance since their beginnings of professional careers. It’s unclear how much they’ve kept in contact over the years.
It’s not that there are any issues between them. It’s that the foundation of their relationship was greatness at LSU. That’s what each achieved. They were both able to lift each other up during that time.
“Alex is way more vocal, way more emotional. Aaron’s very quiet,” said former LSU teammate Mason Katz, who added that Nola is his son’s godfather. “It’s hard to get any answer emotionally out of Aaron. But I think that’s the common ground in their relationship. Just how much they wanted to succeed and how hard they push each other.”
Before they were ever roommates, there was an incident that could have thrown off the whole foundation of their relationship.
LSU enjoyed one of its most successful regular seasons in 2013. Mainieri said it was the best team he’s ever coached. It had 57-9 players entering the College World Series, which gave it a good chance of winning. Nola was a true gem in the eighth inning against UCLA.
Nola was just about to make it through the ninth inning when Bregman hit a ball at shortstop. The ball ran up his arm and ended up in left-center field, giving rise to an unearned run. LSU lost the next game 2-1 and was then eliminated.
“Just knowing the kind of guy Nola is,” said former LSU teammate Chris Cotton, “he’s never a guy to show up an infielder or show up anybody making an error behind him. Never hold a grudge.
“If anything, he realizes that it got to Bregman that he did that. Bregman’s the kind of guy to hold that error on himself and hold himself accountable for that. Nola’s the kind of guy to say, ‘Dude, it’s not your fault. That happens.’
“If anything, that got them closer.”
Now, it will be Bregman hoping to hurt Nola’s chances at a championship. The reverse is also true. This World Series is a great experience for everyone who has played with them in their two overlapping seasons.
Mainieri drove four hours from Louisiana to Houston to complete the last series of the season. The Astros hosted the Phillies in October. He wanted to visit his top players, and he was able to witness them going head-tohead for the very first time in their careers. In an Oct. 3 match, Bregman was 0 for 2. (groundout, foul-out).
There was some irony in that series.
Mainieri had dinner plans after the first series game with Bregman and then pregame lunch plans the next day with Nola.
Mainieri explained that Bregman was recalling all the times when he wanted Nola to come out. Nola preferred to spend the night in the company of his guitar. Sometimes Bregman would also stay to sing.
What about the next-day lunch plans They were cancelled. The Phillies had won the first playoff spot in over a decade. And Nola, well, he’d partied a little too hard. They’d have to reunite in the offseason instead.
For as different as the two players were and are, there’s still one similarity: They celebrate the joy of winning.
“The old saying that opposites attract each other is apropos,” Mainieri said, “because you could see they had a very close friendship although their personalities were completely different.
“But the commonality between the two of them. Both were great at what their respective jobs required.
“Probably the best pitcher I ever coached. And probably the best position player I’ve ever coached. And I had them at the same time.”
(Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images, Oct. 3, 2008)
