WEBVTT - Episode 445 - Bryan Mena 

0:00:00.050 --> 0:00:03.440
<v Speaker 1>Joining us today on Bucko Banter is Pirates pitching prospect,

0:00:03.720 --> 0:00:07.220
<v Speaker 1>Brian Mena. You're listening to the Bucko Banter podcast brought

0:00:07.240 --> 0:00:08.810
<v Speaker 1>to you by the Just Baseball Media Network.

0:00:09.150 --> 0:00:09.690
<v Speaker 2>Cue the music.

0:00:10.160 --> 0:00:14.530
<v Speaker 3>Welcome back to another episode of Bucko Banner. Today we're

0:00:14.570 --> 0:00:17.530
<v Speaker 3>joined by Pirates pitching prospect Brian Mena.

0:00:17.550 --> 0:00:19.369
<v Speaker 2>Brian, how's it going in Arizona?

0:00:39.880 --> 0:00:40.400
<v Speaker 3>All going super well.

0:00:40.420 --> 0:00:46.340
<v Speaker 2>Thankfully, the climate has been really good. Temperatures are nice

0:00:46.370 --> 0:00:48.270
<v Speaker 2>and it's not super hot. So all good here.

0:00:58.860 --> 0:01:01.140
<v Speaker 4>Brian, you spent some time starting and coming to the

0:01:01.160 --> 0:01:03.950
<v Speaker 4>bullpen this year. How did you approach those different roles

0:01:04.030 --> 0:01:04.970
<v Speaker 4>and which do you prefer?

0:01:04.990 --> 0:01:07.670
<v Speaker 3>You had some time to get out of the bullpen.

0:01:07.690 --> 0:01:12.650
<v Speaker 3>How did you like to be a relay player and

0:01:13.130 --> 0:01:15.010
<v Speaker 3>what was the transition.

0:01:16.100 --> 0:01:19.280
<v Speaker 2>Like? It was a bit tough because I've always been

0:01:19.300 --> 0:01:19.700
<v Speaker 2>a beginner.

0:01:36.230 --> 0:01:39.009
<v Speaker 3>The transition was a little hard. I've always been a starter.

0:01:39.550 --> 0:01:41.590
<v Speaker 3>So coming out of the bullpen was a little tough,

0:01:41.870 --> 0:01:43.770
<v Speaker 3>but then I was able to make that transition back

0:01:43.790 --> 0:01:46.690
<v Speaker 3>to being a starter. So I'm feeling good. I'm feeling excellent.

0:01:47.080 --> 0:01:50.540
<v Speaker 1>Is there different mentalities that he takes being a starter

0:01:50.780 --> 0:01:53.780
<v Speaker 1>rather than coming out of the bullpen? Like obviously the prep,

0:01:54.430 --> 0:01:56.950
<v Speaker 1>The preparation for the game is different, but was there

0:01:56.970 --> 0:01:59.000
<v Speaker 1>a mental switch that he needed to make when he's

0:01:59.280 --> 0:02:00.160
<v Speaker 1>making that transition?

0:02:00.180 --> 0:02:02.620
<v Speaker 3>No, I always had a strong mentality, to be honest.

0:02:02.640 --> 0:02:05.700
<v Speaker 3>And I always proposed to myself that if for some

0:02:05.720 --> 0:02:07.380
<v Speaker 3>reason I moved to the bullpen, I had to try

0:02:07.400 --> 0:02:08.859
<v Speaker 3>as hard as I could.

0:02:20.490 --> 0:02:22.450
<v Speaker 2>Para volver a ser iniciador, que es lo que me

0:02:22.470 --> 0:02:25.220
<v Speaker 2>gusta hacer. Y la mentalidad todo el tiempo estuvo fuerte.

0:02:25.639 --> 0:02:30.160
<v Speaker 3>No, my mentality was always strong. I always told myself, like,

0:02:31.060 --> 0:02:33.060
<v Speaker 3>there's a reason why they put me in the bullpen.

0:02:33.100 --> 0:02:36.870
<v Speaker 3>So how do I demonstrate that I'm a starter? So

0:02:36.910 --> 0:02:38.410
<v Speaker 3>my mentality was always strong.

0:02:38.610 --> 0:02:40.770
<v Speaker 4>Brian, how fun was it for you to play in

0:02:40.830 --> 0:02:43.710
<v Speaker 4>Greensboro this year? The team was really good. They won

0:02:43.730 --> 0:02:45.930
<v Speaker 4>a lot of games, and you got to the championship

0:02:45.950 --> 0:02:46.530
<v Speaker 4>game as well.

0:02:46.710 --> 0:02:48.990
<v Speaker 3>Tell me, how was the experience of playing with Greensboro,

0:02:49.010 --> 0:02:50.530
<v Speaker 3>since they won so many games, they made it to

0:02:50.690 --> 0:02:53.330
<v Speaker 3>the championship. How was it to be on that team?

0:02:53.750 --> 0:02:57.250
<v Speaker 2>It was very good. There was a lot of camaraderie

0:02:57.290 --> 0:02:59.060
<v Speaker 2>between the guys. There was a lot of support. So

0:02:59.070 --> 0:03:04.220
<v Speaker 2>it was an excellent experience to be in that team.

0:03:15.180 --> 0:03:17.810
<v Speaker 1>Wyatt Sanford was on the show earlier today and he

0:03:17.840 --> 0:03:20.150
<v Speaker 1>said the team would get pumped up just watching Tony

0:03:20.210 --> 0:03:24.029
<v Speaker 1>Blanco Jr. hit home runs in batting practice. Is that

0:03:24.070 --> 0:03:25.830
<v Speaker 1>the same mentality for you or is it a little

0:03:25.850 --> 0:03:27.870
<v Speaker 1>bit scary for a pitcher watching that kind of thing?

0:03:28.760 --> 0:03:32.400
<v Speaker 3>Tell me, we had Wyatt in the previous podcast and

0:03:32.680 --> 0:03:36.480
<v Speaker 3>he was telling us that when you guys were pumping,

0:03:36.660 --> 0:03:38.589
<v Speaker 3>watching Tony Blanco take the ball out of the park,

0:03:38.930 --> 0:03:41.030
<v Speaker 3>how is that experience for you, since you're a pitcher?

0:03:41.350 --> 0:03:45.070
<v Speaker 2>Wow, it really gives us a lot of security, that

0:03:45.270 --> 0:03:48.510
<v Speaker 2>at some point Tony Blanco is going to come and

0:03:48.530 --> 0:03:50.570
<v Speaker 2>hit a stick, that we're going to go up or

0:03:50.720 --> 0:03:53.839
<v Speaker 2>we're going to win the game. It's super incredible, really.

0:03:55.360 --> 0:03:59.670
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, it was super incredible for us. We as pitchers

0:03:59.710 --> 0:04:03.070
<v Speaker 3>got a lot of confidence knowing that either he was

0:04:03.090 --> 0:04:05.710
<v Speaker 3>going to come and get it out of the ballpark

0:04:05.810 --> 0:04:07.750
<v Speaker 3>and we're going to win, or at least we're going

0:04:07.870 --> 0:04:09.050
<v Speaker 3>to make a run for it.

0:04:09.190 --> 0:04:11.070
<v Speaker 4>Brian, what was your reaction when you found out you

0:04:11.110 --> 0:04:13.450
<v Speaker 4>were going to the Arizona Fall League? You're facing some

0:04:13.470 --> 0:04:15.470
<v Speaker 4>of the best prospects in all of baseball.

0:04:15.690 --> 0:04:17.930
<v Speaker 3>Brian, what was your reaction when they told you you

0:04:17.950 --> 0:04:20.430
<v Speaker 3>were going to come to the Fall League and you

0:04:20.450 --> 0:04:23.190
<v Speaker 3>were going to face all these prospects with so much talent? Wow.

0:04:23.230 --> 0:04:27.390
<v Speaker 2>To be honest, I was very surprised. To be honest,

0:04:27.420 --> 0:04:30.660
<v Speaker 2>I didn't expect to be invited to the Fall League.

0:04:31.279 --> 0:04:31.640
<v Speaker 3>And.

0:04:32.820 --> 0:04:51.120
<v Speaker 2>It.

0:04:42.330 --> 0:04:46.650
<v Speaker 3>Was definitely very surprising for me. My mentality was always like,

0:04:46.770 --> 0:04:48.790
<v Speaker 3>I'm going to demonstrate that I can do my best

0:04:48.830 --> 0:04:52.570
<v Speaker 3>and that I will always show out. So making sure

0:04:52.589 --> 0:04:56.560
<v Speaker 3>that I focus is very important, but I'm very surprised

0:04:57.320 --> 0:04:58.540
<v Speaker 3>and excited for this opportunity.

0:04:59.310 --> 0:05:01.740
<v Speaker 1>Did the Pirates give you anything to work on going

0:05:01.760 --> 0:05:03.540
<v Speaker 1>into the Fall League, or did they sit down with

0:05:03.580 --> 0:05:07.300
<v Speaker 1>you and pinpoint areas of your game that they want

0:05:07.320 --> 0:05:07.900
<v Speaker 1>you to improve?

0:05:08.100 --> 0:05:12.099
<v Speaker 3>No tanto fue que me dieron algunas instrucciones. Solamente yo

0:05:12.320 --> 0:05:13.960
<v Speaker 3>creo que confiaron en mí y saben lo que yo

0:05:14.060 --> 0:05:34.779
<v Speaker 3>puedo hacer. So they didn't give me instructions per se

0:05:34.800 --> 0:05:36.960
<v Speaker 3>of things that I needed to improve or things that

0:05:36.980 --> 0:05:40.460
<v Speaker 3>I needed to work on during the season. They really

0:05:40.500 --> 0:05:45.219
<v Speaker 3>just feel secure and confident with me that I'm going

0:05:45.240 --> 0:05:47.540
<v Speaker 3>to go out there and compete and that I'm going

0:05:47.560 --> 0:05:49.080
<v Speaker 3>to make every batter work.

0:05:49.420 --> 0:05:52.739
<v Speaker 4>Brian, the Pirates farm system and the player development system

0:05:52.800 --> 0:05:57.380
<v Speaker 4>has been known for developing pitchers. How motivating is it

0:05:57.430 --> 0:06:00.210
<v Speaker 4>for you to know and see all the pitchers that

0:06:00.230 --> 0:06:01.510
<v Speaker 4>are coming up through the Pirates system?

0:06:01.730 --> 0:06:04.430
<v Speaker 3>Cómo te motiva a ti, ya que la organización tiene

0:06:04.470 --> 0:06:09.930
<v Speaker 3>esa fama de que pueden desarrollar a los pitchers?¿ Cómo

0:06:09.950 --> 0:06:13.000
<v Speaker 3>te sientes tú como pitcher, ya que tienen esa fama?

0:06:13.040 --> 0:06:16.180
<v Speaker 2>Me siento muy bien, la verdad. Tienen una buena fama

0:06:16.200 --> 0:06:20.430
<v Speaker 2>de la forma de que se desarrollan los pitchers. And

0:06:20.440 --> 0:06:22.510
<v Speaker 2>I think I look forward to a great future with them.

0:06:22.550 --> 0:06:24.490
<v Speaker 5>For fans who don't know much about Brian, For fans

0:06:24.529 --> 0:06:46.110
<v Speaker 5>who don't know much about Brian, Can you explain a

0:06:46.130 --> 0:06:49.560
<v Speaker 5>little bit about what kind of pitchers you have in

0:06:49.570 --> 0:06:50.140
<v Speaker 5>your arsenal?

0:06:50.160 --> 0:06:58.420
<v Speaker 2>Yes, I have four coutures, one seam, slider, curve, and changer.

0:06:58.779 --> 0:07:02.950
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I have four seamers, I have sliders, I have curveball,

0:07:03.370 --> 0:07:04.810
<v Speaker 3>and I have a one seamer too.

0:07:04.990 --> 0:07:07.650
<v Speaker 4>Brian, how much do you lean on your brother, who

0:07:07.750 --> 0:07:11.950
<v Speaker 4>is a pitcher in Major League Baseball, Christian, for advice

0:07:12.330 --> 0:07:14.500
<v Speaker 4>while you're working your way up through the system.

0:07:14.720 --> 0:07:19.060
<v Speaker 6>How much do you support your brother, since your brother

0:07:19.180 --> 0:07:23.620
<v Speaker 6>is also a teacher, in terms of messages, what can

0:07:23.640 --> 0:07:25.940
<v Speaker 6>you improve from your preparation?

0:07:27.180 --> 0:07:30.610
<v Speaker 2>No, to be honest, a lot. Since I was little,

0:07:30.630 --> 0:07:34.270
<v Speaker 2>I've been guided a lot by his steps. And even

0:07:34.290 --> 0:07:36.090
<v Speaker 2>here at 4D, he's here with me, helping me in

0:07:36.150 --> 0:07:38.090
<v Speaker 2>everything I can. He assists in all the games and

0:07:38.130 --> 0:07:47.000
<v Speaker 2>tells me, Yeah, he's been.

0:07:46.860 --> 0:07:49.860
<v Speaker 3>My role model ever since we were kids. He's actually

0:07:49.900 --> 0:07:51.980
<v Speaker 3>here with me in the Fall League, and it's been

0:07:52.040 --> 0:07:54.920
<v Speaker 3>great to have him. That's my little advantage. He can

0:07:54.980 --> 0:07:58.980
<v Speaker 3>observe what I did good, what I did kind of wrong. So, yeah,

0:07:59.100 --> 0:08:01.540
<v Speaker 3>it's been very good having his support here.

0:08:02.440 --> 0:08:04.500
<v Speaker 1>For Pirates fans that don't know you, what type of

0:08:04.600 --> 0:08:06.360
<v Speaker 1>player are they getting in Brian Maynard?

0:08:06.720 --> 0:08:09.120
<v Speaker 3>Para los fanáticos de los piratas que no te conocen,¿

0:08:09.500 --> 0:08:10.860
<v Speaker 3>qué jugador tienen en ti?

0:08:11.220 --> 0:08:14.750
<v Speaker 2>Tienen el jugador que le gusta competir, le gusta ayudar

0:08:14.770 --> 0:08:19.930
<v Speaker 2>a su compañero a esforzarse en cada turno, cada vez

0:08:19.970 --> 0:08:22.070
<v Speaker 2>que vayan a lanzar. Yeah, so the guy that I

0:08:22.110 --> 0:08:23.610
<v Speaker 2>am is one that likes to compete, that every time

0:08:23.630 --> 0:08:25.610
<v Speaker 2>steps on the field, I'm there to win and I'm

0:08:25.650 --> 0:08:27.670
<v Speaker 2>there to compete. And I'm also there to help my

0:08:27.710 --> 0:08:28.350
<v Speaker 2>teammates all around.

0:08:40.550 --> 0:08:40.910
<v Speaker 3>Love that.

0:08:40.990 --> 0:08:44.109
<v Speaker 4>Well, Brian, appreciate you joining the show. Wish you the

0:08:44.150 --> 0:08:46.570
<v Speaker 4>best of luck in the Arizona Fall League, and we

0:08:46.590 --> 0:08:47.890
<v Speaker 4>can't wait to see you in Pittsburgh someday.

0:08:48.150 --> 0:08:52.530
<v Speaker 3>Mucho éxito. Mucho éxito en la temporada. Y esperan verte

0:08:52.650 --> 0:08:53.870
<v Speaker 3>en Pittsburgh pronto.

0:08:54.410 --> 0:08:55.090
<v Speaker 2>Muchísimas gracias.