Former Washington State catcher Jim Horner managed at various levels within the Seattle Mariners minor league system from 2006 until midway through the 2015 Jackson Generals season, the club’s Double-A affiliate. When WSU baseball Head Coach Marty Lees called Horner this summer, the former Coug decided to return to the Palouse as the Cougs’ new hitting coach.

Nearly two decades after graduating from WSU in 1996, Horner gave his first Q&A with The Daily Evergreen Wednesday afternoon.

Daily Evergreen: What is your favorite flavor of sunflower seed and why?

Jim Horner: I am a fan [of sunflower seeds] but we can’t have them out here so I don’t eat them anymore. [I stopped] as soon as I found out I couldn’t have them during a baseball game. But if you were to ask me, the black cracked pepper. I can’t remember the kind of them but they come in a big old bag.

DE: How much different is Pullman compared to when you attended WSU?

JH: There’s a lot more apartments obviously. The turf, we no longer have a tarp down the right field line that I remember covering the field with. The area itself though is pretty similar. People are the same. Never an awkward feeling, I always love it. When I went to school here my wife went to the University of Idaho. We’d always talked about coming back here and raising our family here, so it’s good.

DE: How did the WSU job come about?

JH: I was managing in Double-A and Coach Lees called me up and asked me if I was interested, and I said ‘yeah, I was interested.’ He said he’d get back to me. After a few questions he called me again and had another question and thing with him. The next morning he called and offered me the job. It didn’t take me very long to say ‘I’m in’, I just had to call Seattle.

DE: What is your favorite memory of Bobo Brayton, having played for him?

JH: I can’t give you a favorite because I got all kinds of them. He used to always say, on Sunday morning games or if we had Sunday day games, he’d always talk about having cinnies and milk. ‘Hey Mook, do you think we could get some cinnies and milk?’ and he was talking to Eileen, his wife. I loved the cinnies and milk. Now, did I always eat them in the morning? No, but I loved the fact he would always say cinnies and milk, cinnies and milk.

DE: First reaction when you heard of Brayton’s passing?

JH: I was in baseball, with the Seattle Mariners. When I found out I got a text from Jeff Bopp, who used to be the equipment guy here and who’s also working for the Mariners now. I got a text from Rob Ramsay, who’s up here, guys I played with. For me it was really sad just because of what he meant to me as a person. It’s hard – I get swelled up now just talking about him – he wasn’t just a good baseball guy, he was just a good person and he encouraged you to be a good person. That’s how he treated you. So many memories. It was also sad for me because I couldn’t make his funeral. That was just because you are in the middle of your season, you can’t say, ‘Hey, I’m going to my college coach’s funeral’.

DE: Favorite music genre and band/artist?

JH: I’m a big Air Supply and Journey fan. Now I like some country music now days. This newer country stuff gets me a head-bob every once in a while. On a more recent thing I’m a Nickelback guy – that’s what I run to in the morning.