Small Talk: Ryan Lavarnway Dishes On His Favorite Movie Treat

In this week’s edition of “Small Talk,” Boston Red Sox catcher Ryan Lavarnway answers the big questions from little kids.

1. How many uniforms do you have?
I think we have two of each color. So we have white uniforms for home, we have red uniforms with blue under the sleeves for batting practice at home, blue with red under the sleeves for batting practice on the road and grey for road games. Then I think we wear red at home on Fridays, and blue on the road on Fridays, so, 12? I think. That’s a lot.

2. What do you do when you get your uniform dirty?
I actually really love getting my uniform dirty because that means I was diving, I was sliding, I was into the game, I was having a lot of fun. And normally we just throw them in the bin and it comes back clean the next day. It’s magic, I don’t really know how it happens, but it’s great, I love getting my uniform dirty.

3. What if you put blush on your nose?
I don’t really know, but I’d probably look like a clown. Maybe I can come to your birthday party.

4. Do you like popcorn?
Oh, I love popcorn. I never really used to get popcorn when I went to the movies and then when I met my wife, popcorn is one of her favorite things, so now every time we go to the movies, we always get popcorn. And she normally likes to steal it away from me, but I try to make sure I get at least half.

5. What’s your favorite shape?
It’s probably a circle because it has no beginning and no end. It just goes on forever and that’s the shape of a baseball. And (Bart) Giamatti, one of the former commissioners of baseball, says one of my favorite things. He says that a baseball is one of the most beautiful objects in the world because when you put it in a man’s hand, it immediately implies what it’s for — it’s to be thrown hard and far — so I’d have to choose circle.

6. What is it like to hit a moving ball that goes very fast?
It’s very difficult. Some people say it’s the hardest thing to do in all of sports, but it’s what we do every day. When you connect with it and it feels solid and you feel like you definitely got it, it’s one of the best feelings in the world. When you connect, you can feel it in your hands and your arms, all the way into your soul. It really is one of the best things.

7. What kind of grass do they use on the field?
I don’t know, maybe Bermuda grass? Definitely not crabgrass. I’m trying to think of how many kinds of grass I know. I honestly don’t know (laughs), maybe Bermuda.