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"Ahhh, you're just going to ask me what everyone else asks," says Josh Beckett, who figures he's been drilled on just about everything by just about everybody after a whirlwind of an offseason. The Florida Marlins' ace, who turns 24 next month, has been all over the place since October. He did Leno. He went to the White House. He hooked up with lingerie model/sportscaster Leeann Tweeden. He rode in the pace car at the Daytona 500.

 

Life is good for a World Series MVP.

 

Now, though, he's back to his thing: Pitching. And, of course, occasionally answering the odd question or two. He sat down -- without too much prodding -- recently for this Q&A session.

 

SI.com: We all know what a busy offseason you must have had. So give me what your dream day in the offseason would be.

 

JB: My dream offseason day would be me, waking up about 5 o'clock in the morning, sitting in a deer blind until about 9, shooting about a 170 class, 12-point deer on my own ranch, in Texas. Cleaning it. That afternoon maybe taking a little nap on the couch while watching ... maybe Tombstone or something. Later on, waking up, going back to the deer stand, about 3 o'clock, maybe 4 o'clock. Go back out to the stand. Shoot a pig within the first hour. Drive back in. Clean the pig. Go upstairs. Dress a little bit more. Start supper. Wait for my family to all get there. Just rest with them.

 

SI.com: So, what's for supper then? Deer or pig?

 

JB: Usually just different stuff. I'd say a steak for dinner. And go to bed about 9 o'clock.

 

SI.com: Did you get a chance to do that at all in the offseason?

 

JB: Some. Not as much as I'd like to. Some.

 

SI.com: OK. We're back in the season now. How about your dream day during the season?

 

JB: It's going to be a lot different. A lot different. Waking up about 11. I love the days that I pitch. So it's going to have to be one of them. Rest. Drink lots of water. 'Til about 4, if we have a 7 o'clock game that night. Maybe go to Bass Pro Shop or something like that to get my mind off it. Go to the field about 4. Take a little BP. Rest a little bit. Go out, start warming up about an hour before the game. Maybe a shutout or something like that.

 

SI.com: What about the days that you don't pitch? Are you a big practice guy?

 

JB: I mean, you like them. You don't need them. I mean, I think, really in the season, you could honestly go with a four-man rotation. During the long haul, it'd probably get in the way. But, yeah, those are the hard days. The easy days are supposed to be the day you pitch. That's not saying anything about the hitters. That's just saying those are the easy days -- the other days you're supposed to work hard to get ready for the days you pitch. That's just the way I've always kind of looked at it. But I'm a big practice guy. I come out and long toss the day after I pitch. I go even longer my second day. I throw bullpen my third day. I do flag-down and dry work [work without actually throwing the ball]on the day before I pitch.

 

SI.com: I've seen it written that you really want to get to 200 innings pitched this year. Is that a goal?

 

JB: It's not that it's this year. I've wanted to do that every year. I just haven't been able to. I've thrown a bunch of innings. I threw like 180 innings, I think, minor leagues and big leagues, when I first got called up. Then, last year, I actually ended up with 180 with the playoffs. But I'd like to throw 200 innings and 40 more in the playoffs again. That'd be nice.

 

SI.com: All right, let me switch gears a little. Game 6 of last year's World Series, in Yankee Stadium. The clincher. When you're 50 years old, what will you remember?

 

JB: I think it was just that last out. It was so surreal. Like, 'Oh my God. We just won the freaking World Series.' And that's exactly what went through my head. I almost didn't know how to react, if you watch it. I kinda had a moment before I jumped. And I was like 'Is that it? Wow. That's pretty unbelievable, yet I don't feel that much different yet.' It took me a minute or two.

 

SI.com: That moment that you realized you won ... did you watch Phil Mickelson at the Masters? Was it something like that? The joy. The relief. Can you relate?

 

JB: I did watch it. I did. I don't know. He waited such a long time. I'm three years into my freaking career and I got a World Series ring already. Which is nice. And I'd take that. I take it as a blessing. I definitely feel blessed. I wouldn't be where I'm without at without God. I try to always remember that.

 

SI.com: The model girlfriend [Tweeden of the Best Damn Sports Show Period], the World Series win, the ranch in Texas, the nice paycheck ... you've pretty much got life by the scruff of the neck -- or someplace else -- don't you?

 

JB: I'm not going to say that's a misconception or anything like that. I'm having fun. I'm having a great time. I have a great family. I have great teammates. So ... I have a great life. There's no doubt about that. I would never say I don't have a great life. But I'm not taking advantage of it or anything like that. I'm just living life. I don't do anything different than I did last year. I don't let all this stuff go to my head and think that I'm invincible and try things I normally wouldn't do. I'm very conservative, and I plan to stay that way.

 

SI.com: The Marlins don't get a lot of credit, it seems, for what they've done, and a lot of that stems from the problems the team is having in South Florida. What do you think: Can baseball work in South Florida?

 

JB: I love it there man. I think it can. I think you gotta win. It's not that I would consider them fair-weather fans. It's just, they've had a taste of it now. Twice. And they love it. I think it should be able to work there. I really do.

 

SI.com: Winning in Yankee Stadium was something. If you could have won it in Pro Player Stadium, in front of those South Florida fans, would you have rather done it that way?

 

JB: Winning it at home would have been pretty special. It's still pretty special, in Yankee Stadium. But to do it ion front of your home crowd, that would have been great, 'cause they came out and supported us through that run down the stretch when we were trying to win that whole thing.

 

SI.com: Last year, you had a rather public run-in with your manager, Jack McKeon, when he passed you over for a start. You guys ironed things out afterward and you both said a lot of nice things about each other. Describe your relationship with Jack.

 

JB: We have like a love-hate relationship. And I think we kept that. I don't think things have changed. I think Jack and I get along as long as I'm doing what I need to do. My dad brought me up that way. So this is nothing different than what I'm used to. I just have to go out there and continue doing what I'm doing.

 

SI.com: You're a young guy, though, and you went in to confront a veteran manager like McKeon about a baseball decision.

 

JB: This is my career, though. And I think Jack understands that. That's where we had our altercation, or whatever you want to call it. It really wasn't that big of an issue. I mean, it was at the time. But now, looking back, it was a very small thing.

 

SI.com: But now, from what I understand, everything's fine?

 

JB: Oh yeah. We're professionals. That's what we had to do. We gotta move on. Like I said, Jack and I get along great, as long as things are going, you know? As long as things are moving. Progressing. He just wants the best for me, and I know that.

 

SI.com: Are you surprised at all how such a young team gets along with a manager who is 73 years old?

 

JB: Not really. I don't think so. I think that we're all adapters. This game has become something where you pretty much have to be that. You have to be an adapter. There's a lot of Latin guys. There's a language barrier right there. We're all adapters, and we adapt to certain circumstances. We get along great with Jack.

 

SI.com: OK, Josh, last one. Dream season last year, dream offseason, dream life going. How do you top that?

 

JB: I can't worry about that. I need to make 30, 35 starts this year. I can't worry about that. I talked to a buddy of mine, Ryan Dempster, and he told me that after he made the All-Star team he tried to just put the world and everything on his shoulders. You end up putting more pressure on yourself. I haven't ever been the type of guy to do that. I feel like I have a tremendous amount of pressure on me anyway, just because where I was drafted and the money that was given to me. So, I don't think things are going to change too much. I know I need to go out there and just have a good season for my team.

My dream offseason day would be me, waking up about 5 o'clock in the morning, sitting in a deer blind until about 9, shooting about a 170 class, 12-point deer on my own ranch, in Texas. Cleaning it. That afternoon maybe taking a little nap on the couch while watching ... maybe Tombstone or something. Later on, waking up, going back to the deer stand, about 3 o'clock, maybe 4 o'clock. Go back out to the stand. Shoot a pig within the first hour. Drive back in. Clean the pig. Go upstairs. Dress a little bit more. Start supper. Wait for my family to all get there. Just rest with them.

 

that's awesome