Batting Around with Felipe Lopez

MLB.com caught up with Reds shortstop Felipe Lopez, owner of a .291 average, 23 home runs and 85 RBIs in his breakout '05 season, a little while back to talk about his life on and off the field.

If you weren't a pro baseball player, what career do you think you'd have?

I'd probably play football.

Did you play as a kid?

I played, but not organized. I liked to be a receiver.

What do you remember about your first car?

When I signed, I bought my first car. A Lincoln Navigator. I didn't have a car in high school or anything like that. I had my legs.

Who was the biggest influence on your life growing up?

Probably my uncle, Roberto Lopez. He played baseball, and I always looked up to him. He played in Triple-A. He helped me with everything.

If you could have dinner with any celebrity, who would it be and why?

I'm not really star-struck. I don't really care. I just view everybody as humans. I don't care, like other people. I mean, I get excited, but ... I don't know.

Do you have any bad habits?

Probably staying up really late at night after the games, watching TV. I watch scary movies. That's what I watch. I saw one the other night on Lifetime. Those movies are pretty good.

Lifetime?!?

Well, my wife got me used to it. I like them. Of course, I don't watch the girly ones. Just the ones that are good.

If you could face any pitcher in baseball history, who would it be and why?

Nolan Ryan. I'd just want to see how nasty he was. I could hit him. Any Major League baseball player can hit the best. It's just a matter of being consistent.

Do you have any hobbies away from the sport?

I like to watch football. The NFL. Not college. I've got a lot of guys I like to watch, like [Donovan] McNabb, Terrell Owens, Ray Lewis. I'm not a one-team guy. I just like to watch the people I like. We have a day in the offseason, we pick a day, where my wife lets us have a guys night out. We go out and watch football.

What's your biggest pet peeve?

When I'm trying to sleep and someone's making a lot of noise.

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go and why?

I'd go to Africa, because I'm into safaris and stuff like that ... animals. I watch that all the time. I've never been overseas.

If you were stranded on a desert island and could have one CD and one DVD with you, what would you have and why?

Probably something that has a lot of repeats. Like Rocky I, II, III, IV and V. Bring the whole set, so I can watch them. And CD? I have no idea.

Last question: What was the first tattoo you ever got?

The cross with my daughter's name on it. From there, it got addicting. I've always been into stuff like that -- earrings and tattoos.