If a casual fan is at the Mule Yard watching a game, they might see Hayden Flume at one position at the start, and after they stroll over to buy a hot dog at the concession stand he may very well be at another position when they come back. Flume has consistently been an incredibly versatile player for the Mules, filling in at any position where he’s needed.
Before he heads off to Austin to prepare for a career in medicine, Flume sat down with me to discuss what his life was like growing up playing at Alamo Heights, how it feels playing so many positions and also to tell me what field he hopes to take over next.
When did you start playing baseball?
I started around t-ball. I don’t know what age I was, but I continued on. I stopped once just because I thought it was boring and I was tired of playing with my brother because my parents made us play together and held me back, but after that I was so bored that year that I wanted to play and I’ve kept on playing ever since. It was the second year of machine pitch when I was held back, so I only played one year of minors [at the little league]. I’ve always played at Alamo Heights, but I also played select, so I knew a bunch of people from select at the fields.
What has it been like to grow up playing in Alamo Heights from the little league to the high school?
It’s like the full cycle. At Alamo Heights you adore the people above you each time. I was in minors and I’d be like ‘Woah, majors is a big deal,’ then in majors, ‘Woah, juniors is a big field,’ and at juniors you’re looking at the high school like ‘Wow, those guys are good,” and you keep moving up and now you’re at the very top it’s like ‘Wow, I’m at the pinnacle of where everybody is looking at.’
If you could tell a younger you something looking back now as a senior, what would you tell them?
I would say don’t put so much care into what you do right and wrong because ultimately it doesn’t matter and most people won’t think about it as much as you put it in your mind.
When did you make varsity?
I made varsity officially junior year, but I did practice a little sophomore year, but I was on the roster junior year.
What has been your favorite memory with Alamo Heights baseball?
Obviously seeing Forrest [Whitley] play was a cool memory, but beating [Dripping Springs] junior year when you’re a team that’s only won three games in district was incredible. It was amazing. I was on the field, and it was something very special. That’s like the peak energy that we’ve had and that’s what it felt like, and it looked just like what it was at state when they won.
Over the years you’ve played lots of different positions especially all over the infield. Is it hard having to deal with being ready to play at all those different spots?
Yes and no because you’re moving around a lot, and infield is basically the same thing, you just field the ball and throw it. Maybe you have a little less reaction when you’re going from second [base] to third [base]. But the hardest part is when you’ve moved around and you settle at one spot, and then you go back to your original spot after you haven’t fielded there a lot. That’s the only hard part, but other than that it’s great. I love it.
What’s your favorite position out in the field?
It used to be second. Second was prime, and then third, but it just moves around. Outfield now is like really fun, and it always changes. I played first last year, and that was the only time I’ve ever played first, and it was so fun, but before then I didn’t think it was fun at all. I was scared to get hit in my face.
Is there any player that you try to follow their playing style?
No. I don’t try to focus or be like a player in the Major Leagues just because they play a lot differently than high school players do. They have the ability to show more emotion than we can and maybe they get fined, but here you don’t play. I love Bryce Harper’s swing. It’s a swing that I love to see, but if I think too much about it and try to look like it then it will ruin my swing. I just like to look at it, but if I overthink it, it will kill me.
What is your next step after high school?
I’m going to [the University of Texas at Austin]. I’ll be studying human biology on the pre-med track. I don’t have any intentions of playing baseball, but I will definitely watch some games.
Should Texas & Texas A&M renew their rivalry in sports, particularly in football?
Yes, of course. It was the greatest rivalry ever. Personally, I don’t put as much value into that rivalry as much as I do the [Oklahoma one]. I have a bunch of people at A&M that I really like, and A&M was my second choice, so I don’t hate them as much as the stereotypical Texas student does, but it’s something that would be really fun to see again.
Do you have any pre-game rituals or superstitions?
No. I struggle with overthinking, especially like in tests in school and stuff, and if I translate that onto the field I’ll just overthink everything and do worse. Last year, I was doing well, and then I hit a slump and I overthink my swing, and it didn’t work out. It’s similar to what Rob [Ellwood] has, having a superstition against superstitions. I don’t like to overthink it. It’s bad to overthink it and I don’t understand [superstitions]. Plus, even if you do a superstition every game, what happens with bad games? I don’t see them as reliable.
What’s your go-to song before a game?
My walk-up song is “New Level” [by A$AP Ferg ft. Future]. A lot of people think it’s funny. I like it. It has a nice beat, but I listen to various kinds of music. I listen to worship music a lot, but it’s nothing like I have a go-to one I have to listen to to be good. It’s just what I listen to and just kills time.
Who is your favorite sports team?
The Spurs for sure. They’re the only really local team that’s big. I mean I love the Astros and Rangers just because they’re Texas. I have family in Dallas and a bunch of friends in Houston, so I don’t have a favorite there and same with the football teams there, it’s split the same, so it’s gotta go to the Spurs one hundred percent.
Who will win the World Series this year?
I’d love to see the Astros. That’d be very nice. I’m going to go with the Astros, just because I’m a loyal fan.
Who is your favorite player?
Altuve because he’s a small guy, and I can kind of relate to him, but also Forrest is cool too! He used to play here!
What’s your favorite television show?
Friends by far, oh my gosh. I can’t stop watching it. Some friend showed it to me and they were like ‘You gotta watch this, I can’t believe you’ve never seen it before,’ and I watched and thought ‘There’s no way I’m going to like this,’ and I watched it and it was hilarious. I’ve watched it two times through, and I’m just watching randomly around it now, and I can’t find a good show that’s good enough to top it. It’s so good.
What’s your dream job outside of baseball?
This may sound far fetched to some people, but my dream job is to be a surgeon. I’ve put a lot of thought into it. It’s something that I’m really interested in and that’s the reason why I chose pre-med. My aunt is a surgeon, and I’ve been able to follow her in the [operating room] and see what it’s like, and when I was in between deciding whether I wanted to do engineering or pre-med is when I followed her and went in the OR to see what’s it’s really like day-to-day. That’s when I knew I really wanted to do it.
Any particular type of surgery?
It’s really early to tell. I’ve been told that by nurses and my aunt, but general surgery like Jake Wright’s dad does and cardiology seems very cool.
If you were stranded on an island with one person, who would you choose and why?
I’d have this guy named Garrett Turner, he goes to [Texas] Tech. He’s some guy I really like, and we’d just have long conversations. He’s a really cool guy. No particular reason based on survival. I didn’t pick him based on survival but just because he’s a cool guy and if I could only hang out with one person, it would be him.
If you could have dinner with three people, past or present, who would they be and why? What would you eat?
Two of them would be my grandma and grandpa from my dad’s side. I never got to meet them just because they passed away before I was able to remember or was born, so it would be cool to see what they were like, and the third person would probably be with my aunt just because she adored them and she tries to cook exactly like my grandma. I just want to see what it’s like, how they bonded. [We would eat] chicken and dumplings. That’s their specialty. That’s the Flume recipe.
If you could to tell the world one thing about yourself, what would you say?
Big things are coming.