It was all Nick Pivetta knew growing up on Vancouver Island -- a place the pitcher describes as, "In a way it has it’s remoteness to it, but it’s not too remote."
"You end up playing baseball at the end of the day and having fun," the pitcher told WEEI.com. "I think that’s what it’s all about, enjoying the moment and letting things happen."
And this brings us to why people have come to relish Pivetta's starts.
It undeniably starts with the results, which in the case of the native of Western Canada have been pretty good. In his time with the Red Sox he is 8-0 with a 3.53 ERA, with his new team having won 11 of the 12 games Pivetta has pitched in.
There is also that pace. It doesn't take long for Pivetta to throw his next pitch after the last one, averaging 18.9 seconds between offerings. People like that, as well.
But what has truly piqued the interest of those witnessing the 28-year-old for the first time is his demeanor. He offers the kind of emotion that goes along way in this market. Just ask Pivetta's favorite pitcher growing up, Josh Beckett.
"I think Boston is one of those places where they would rather have a lot of that and a little less talent, than a shitload of talent and less bulldog," Beckett told WEEI.com. "The Boston fans, they rally around you if you have the bulldog mentality even if you’re struggling."
The emotions dripping off Pivetta aren't always sunshine and rainbows. The lowering of the heart rate can oftentimes be a good thing. But, no matter. In this market, for this player, it plays.
Beckett. Rick Porcello. Going way back, Oil Can Boyd. People like it.
"He's competitor," said Red Sox pitching coach Dave Bush. "He likes to work. He likes to throw. He takes his long toss seriously, he takes his side work seriously. When he gets on the mound, he is intense. He wants to pitch and be successful and do well. I like that. I like the way he competes. Sometimes we have to channel it and try to dial it back a little bit to make sure he directs his energy in the right way. With any emotional guy, it can sometimes take you off track a little bit. Sometimes with Nick, I've got to make sure he's refocused on the right stuff, and that he's putting all his energy and effort into making the pitch and getting the hitter out. But I'd rather have that problem, I'd rather have a guy with intensity and urgency, and make sure he channels it the right way."
It's not something Pivetta is trying to bring to the surface. It's just there.
"I wouldn’t say I’m super-animated and super-emotional," he said. "I like to think I keep my cool as much as I possibly can. I think it’s just being competitive. There are high-leverage, high-risk, high-reward situations that you want to come out on top and when you’re trying really hard and your’e doing the best you can in big moments you get excited.
"I guess it’s starting to come here and there a little bit more. You hear the rumblings, but you try to not pay attention to it too much because you have a job to do. At the end of the day our job is to win baseball games, and you try and not get caught up too much other than what our job is. I love our fans. I love hearing them in the park."
So, what is the root of this way of doing things?
As Pivetta explained it, this is about getting the chance to actually play the game of baseball, just as was the case when unintentionally hiding from scouts in the semi-small town of Victoria.
The celebratory shouts. The hard-to-hide mannerisms. The enjoyment of getting a chance to pitch. That was him and his childhood buddies. Now he just happens to buddying up with big-leaguers.
"It’s a little bit different than your traditional American sports," he said. "I think there is still a competitive nature to it. But especially when I was coming up it was hard to be seen by professional scouts, colleges and etc. We just played the game because we enjoyed playing the game. There are ways to get out, but at the beginning we’re just enjoying having fun.
"I'm having a ton of fun. I’m having a ton of fun right now. I think that’s what it is at the end of the day. Obviously, winning comes along with fun, and fun comes along with winning. That’s the most important thing. I think we have a really good vibe going on."
Fun. Winning. Popularity. Throw some emotions in the mix.
In Boston, that can go a long way.
"If you’re the 25th man on the roster there and you go to dinner, everybody knows who you are," Beckett said. "There are very few places like that. Boston is definitely one of them. It’s a different beast in itself. If you don’t have that belief system in yourself. It’s a hard place to go and be successful. I think he’ll probably do pretty well there if he believes in himself with that type of intensity. But I don’t believe you will have that intensity if you have doubts.
"I think those kind of guys generally do well there. You have to have a different type of belief system in yourself to play in those kind of markets. He will fit in just fine."