Q&A with Saints catcher Vinny Difazio

Vinny DiFazio is having a season representative of the entire St. Paul Saints organization. The 2009 12th- round pick of the Texas Rangers entered Saturday leading the American Association with a .363 average, while he was tied for first with 82 RBI and tied for second with 17 home runs. As the Saints (72-25) surge toward the playoffs, DiFazio, a catcher, chatted with the Star Tribune's Michael Rand:

Q This has been a monster year for you personally, one season after you hit .242. Where did this season come from?

A In the offseason I did a lot of work. I've always had the work ethic when it comes to physical activity — always been in the cage, catching bullpens, getting in the weight room. But I think the real change for me is that I'm really into spirituality and the power of positivity and staying positive. Sometimes when you're in this game as a professional, you lose the fun of it. It's a game of failure, and you're going to fail. Dealing with that failure is one of the most important parts of being a baseball player. … This offseason I really had a lot of alone time to contemplate some things. I wanted to look at my life and how I could make changes. One of the biggest things is I was too hard on myself. Once I started trying to relax and meditating, living in the moment, things changed. … The other thing is that it's a lot easier to have a great year when you're surrounded by teammates like this.

Q You guys are winning basically three of every four games. I can't imagine you've been around a team like that before. What has that been like?

A Never with this kind of chemistry. From Day 1, we knew we had something special. We all bonded together and have a great work ethic. We all want to win, and everyone is pulling for each other.

Q You got to St. Paul last year so you got a taste of Midway Stadium and now the new CHS Field. How do you compare and contrast those experiences?

A Atmosphere-wise, I liked Midway, too. That's been great both places. But really there's no comparison. The playing surface, the batting cages, the locker rooms here, it's on the Major League level. It's a true blessing to be able to play here. I love the city of St. Paul, and being right in the city is a great feel. Just walking around getting to know people here, it's been unbelievable.