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Speaker 1: The Book of Joe Podcast is a production of iHeartRadio.

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Speaker 2: The latest edition of.

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Speaker 1: The Book of Joe Podcast with me, Tom Verducci, Joe Madden, and.

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Speaker 2: A very very special guest.

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Speaker 1: Think about this, people, there have been one hundred and

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Speaker 1: nineteen World Series played, and only eleven times has someone

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Speaker 1: closed out the clinching game of the World Series by

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Speaker 1: getting the last seven outs for a save, and only

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Speaker 1: one time the first time when it was finishing off

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Speaker 1: a shutout in the clinching game of the World Series.

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Speaker 2: And our guest is the one who did exactly that.

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Speaker 1: Say Hello Jo to Josh Spores the saving Game five

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Speaker 1: of the twenty three World Series for the Texas Rangers.

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Speaker 3: Hey Josh, and congratulations you did the rolly fingers thing

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Speaker 3: right there. That's kind a dinosauric. We don't permit that

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Speaker 3: to happen anymore. Actually, I think I had one chance

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Speaker 3: with Wayne Davis a couple years ago, but it was

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Speaker 3: not the World Series was National League Division Championship Series.

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Speaker 3: But anyway, regardless, great job. Really enjoyed watching you, pitch.

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Speaker 3: I'm just curious about the adjustment you made as you

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Speaker 3: got into the World Series from the regular season. Just

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Speaker 3: little things like that but nevertheless, nobody could ever take

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Speaker 3: this away from you from now on, your World Series champion.

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Speaker 3: It's a pretty awesome feeling.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, thank you guys, thank you for having me on. Yeah,

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Speaker 4: it was an honor. I mean, pretty wild playoff front.

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Speaker 4: We just had.

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Speaker 1: You know what's interesting, Josh, is two of the last

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Speaker 1: three times of the eleven times someone's got the last

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Speaker 1: seven outs for a save clinch the World Series, Bruce

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Speaker 1: Bochie was the manager, of course. The other was Madison

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Speaker 1: Momgarter back in fourteen. Listen, I know you'll take the

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Speaker 1: ball anytime anyway, but how cool was that that you

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Speaker 1: just kept going back out there for Bruce Bocci.

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Speaker 3: Uh.

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Speaker 5: You know, one, you know, when you have a coach

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Speaker 5: like Boccie, you know everything's up up for grabs in.

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Speaker 4: Regards to you never really know what he's going to

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Speaker 4: want from you.

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Speaker 5: But you know, as long as you're open and ready

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Speaker 5: to go, you know he's he's always.

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Speaker 4: Going to give you the ball.

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Speaker 5: But you know, I think efficiency really played into it,

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Speaker 5: uh being able to go back out there. I mean

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Speaker 5: the way Lecleric was pitching the whole postseason. Uh, you know,

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Speaker 5: I really truly thought he was going back out.

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Speaker 4: But right when the athan he ended, the mad Dog

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Speaker 4: came up and was like, you're ready to go back down,

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Speaker 4: and I said, well, let's do it.

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Speaker 5: And then sure enough we routed off four runs and

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Speaker 5: I felt a lot better come back out.

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Speaker 1: Well, you've got an amazing backstory, and we will get

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Speaker 1: to that. But real quickly I got to know, you

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Speaker 1: know what the last week has been like for you

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Speaker 1: Take me through the moments after the game. Hopefully you

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Speaker 1: had some family there at the ball game that you

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Speaker 1: share immediately with and you know, a couple of days later,

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Speaker 1: going through the parade and everything that's happened in your

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Speaker 1: life in the last week.

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Speaker 4: It's been. It's been NonStop.

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Speaker 5: I was blessed to have a lot of my family out,

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Speaker 5: a lot of my wife's family out to all the games,

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Speaker 5: so to be able to celebrate them, celebrate with them

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Speaker 5: was It was a pretty cool experience. You know, not

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Speaker 5: too many times does the entire family get to get

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Speaker 5: on the field. But you know, after after the game,

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Speaker 5: we got to celebrate at the bar. You know, we

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Speaker 5: stayed until it closed and then we kept going and

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Speaker 5: then you know, day off, you know, good recovery day

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Speaker 5: for everybody. It was a tough flight home, you know,

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Speaker 5: just to relax a little bit, and then we had

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Speaker 5: the parade.

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Speaker 4: And that was that was something cool.

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Speaker 5: And you know, I think they said five hundred thousand

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Speaker 5: people came out and we lapped the field and I

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Speaker 5: mean there wasn't an empty spot anywhere. So I mean,

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Speaker 5: just chaos, grateful, and you know, I'm just happy I

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Speaker 5: get the experience that.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm just trying to relive my experience as you're

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Speaker 3: talking about that. The one thing I try to relate

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Speaker 3: to my players and I try to do for myself

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Speaker 3: is to take like mental snapshots at the moment. They

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Speaker 3: don't happen very often. I mean, of course, Boach has

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Speaker 3: been blessed since fourth time with for him three times

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Speaker 3: at San Francisco. You're first here. Did you really intentionally

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Speaker 3: try to slow things down and again try to take

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Speaker 3: that mental snapshot so remember for a very very long

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Speaker 3: period of time because again it might be your only

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Speaker 3: chance it might happen again. But did you ever did

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Speaker 3: you have that kind of reflection at all?

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Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean.

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Speaker 5: One of my teammates, Ian Kennedy, you know, played for

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Speaker 5: eighteen years and I think this is either first or

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Speaker 5: second time being the World Series, so you know, be.

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Speaker 4: Able to you know, live through issues where you know you.

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Speaker 5: Only get this opportunity maybe once if you're blessed, you know,

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Speaker 5: like you said, you'll get a few more. But you know,

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Speaker 5: right when it started, I told my wife, I was

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Speaker 5: like a with you guys at every game. You know,

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Speaker 5: we don't know how many of these we get, and

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Speaker 5: so I just try to appreciate every every series because

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Speaker 5: I mean we ran through some pretty good, pretty good teams,

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Speaker 5: so you know, just being able to slow down.

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Speaker 4: And enjoy it, you know, we were fortunate that I

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Speaker 4: was able to Josh.

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Speaker 1: I know it's a cliche, but it's a cliche, but

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Speaker 1: because it's true, and that is pitching, taking it one

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Speaker 1: pitch at a time.

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Speaker 2: So you take them down there.

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Speaker 1: And as I said, he got the last seven outs,

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Speaker 1: but when it came down to a two strike count

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Speaker 1: on Cantel Marte, at that point, you have arrived at

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Speaker 1: the point where, let's face it, every kid with the

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Speaker 1: ball in his hand in the backyard wants to be

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Speaker 1: a pitcher, dreams about closing out a World Series with

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Speaker 1: the last pitch, and appropriately enough, because I think your

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Speaker 1: catchers do just an amazing job of receiving, calling, stealing pitches,

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Speaker 1: you name.

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Speaker 2: It, it's a called strike three.

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Speaker 1: So if you can remember back and think about being

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Speaker 1: on the mound getting the pitch call from Jonaheim, what

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Speaker 1: was going through your head, and then kind of take

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Speaker 1: me through that pitch as you see you get to

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Speaker 1: get the call for strike three.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, set In.

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Speaker 5: I mean, I mean, my scattering port is pretty pretty

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Speaker 5: basic to lefties.

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Speaker 4: I'm going to throw you a bunch of curveballs, a

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Speaker 4: bunch of heaters, and.

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Speaker 5: You know, Kettle is a really good hitter, so I

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Speaker 5: was you know, it's kind of one of those things

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Speaker 5: where best pitch, best location, let him try to hit it. Obviously,

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Speaker 5: the location wasn't really where I wanted it. Top deck curveball,

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Speaker 5: not exactly the best pitch, but you know, my goal

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Speaker 5: there was I just didn't want to walk them. I

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Speaker 5: didn't want to put any added stress, you know, I

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Speaker 5: wanted them if they were going to beat me, put

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Speaker 5: in play. But ended up being one of those high

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Speaker 5: street curveballs, kind of an auto take pitch for good hitters.

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Speaker 5: But you know, in the back of my mind, it

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Speaker 5: was the moment was definitely creeping in. I think the

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Speaker 5: first two batters, I kind of was able to, you know,

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Speaker 5: put that out on that sensation of wanting to celebrate early.

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Speaker 4: But you know when that strike came, that final.

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Speaker 5: Strike, I was just I was just trying to get

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Speaker 5: it over the plate and see what happens, and you know,

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Speaker 5: bust for him to take it, and then bust to

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Speaker 5: be able to celebrate the way we did.

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Speaker 3: High entry curveball. I never heard that said before the

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Speaker 3: pitch was that the pitch was so bad that it

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Speaker 3: was good. That's what I o. The pitch was so

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Speaker 3: bad that it's a good pitch because it is a strike.

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Speaker 3: Nobody can hit it. You're not taught to throw it there,

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Speaker 3: but eventually it works out well for you. But good

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Speaker 3: for you, man. But I love that. I never heard

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Speaker 3: of the high high entry curveball. Is that what it was.

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Speaker 5: It's kind of one of those because I actually have

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Speaker 5: a lot of bite to them, so you know it's

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Speaker 5: probably starting out their head and then ends up right

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Speaker 5: at their at their chest. So it's kind of a

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Speaker 5: frustrating pitch for hitters.

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Speaker 3: Just just to get off the top of the topic

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Speaker 3: but not topics. So it's a curveball. You're throwing there right.

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Speaker 3: It's not a it's okay, spike, Okay.

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Speaker 5: It's I personally try to slurb it. I used to

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Speaker 5: throw twelve six it was big. I just could never.

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Speaker 4: Command troll it right or you know, just you know, when.

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Speaker 5: You throw those twelve six is, it's just hard to

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Speaker 5: get a call strike. So when I started trying to

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Speaker 5: slur of it, I was able to one throw it harder,

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Speaker 5: which I liked, but also just kind of command it overall.

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Speaker 3: One of the things I've learned because anytime I was

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Speaker 3: with a pitcher that had a good breaking ball, and

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Speaker 3: started with Burt bl Levin, always wanted to see their

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Speaker 3: grip because normally a really good breaking ball has somewhat

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Speaker 3: a unique grip to that particular pitcher, like he had

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Speaker 3: his thumb on the side as an example, Mike Butcher,

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Speaker 3: the pitching coach, but you used to have a really

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Speaker 3: good hook. I had him in the minor league's thumb

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Speaker 3: on the side. Then, of course, the knuckle curve that

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Speaker 3: started when I was in the seventies, primarily when I

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Speaker 3: was in Boulder, Colorado. Bert Houghton had been there before that.

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Speaker 3: Bert had come up with the knuckle curve and that

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Speaker 3: became very popular. I think it was the first time

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Speaker 3: I heard about it. But I've what I've always researched

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Speaker 3: good breaking ball. What's the grip look like? Because I

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Speaker 3: think too many times and teaching that pitch, everybody wants

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Speaker 3: to go conventional. This is how you did. The Spalding

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Speaker 3: guy says, put your longer finger here, the shorter finger there,

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Speaker 3: pulled down the lampshade, whatever. But almost always when a

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Speaker 3: guy ends up with a good breaking ball, there's a

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Speaker 3: grip that's unique to him.

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Speaker 5: Yeah, like you said, I was the same basic curveball thrower,

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Speaker 5: you know, foreseing curveball make a drop, but we transitioned

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Speaker 5: into like a sweeper grip. So we had the backwards

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Speaker 5: c I'm putting my hand on the middle part of

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Speaker 5: it and just spiking it and I don't know, it

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Speaker 5: just sat in my hand perfectly, and I'm just able

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Speaker 5: to rip it. And I think, you know, in this

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Speaker 5: league you have to absolutely sell your off speed. You know,

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Speaker 5: it has to be fastball arm speed. These hitters are

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Speaker 5: too good. They're just able to pick up on little

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Speaker 5: things like that. And I think that's also why it's

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Speaker 5: played up so well. It's just it's hard to recognize

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Speaker 5: because it's coming in so quick and it looked like

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Speaker 5: my heater, but really unusual grip for sure.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, you get to the point where it's all about feel.

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Speaker 3: I mean, you're not even thinking about this. The ball

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Speaker 3: gets in your hand, it feels proper. I pick up

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Speaker 3: my target to throw the ball hard. Yeah, pretty much

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Speaker 3: got to that point.

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Speaker 4: Yep, it's it sits.

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Speaker 5: In my hand, and I think the only thing with

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Speaker 5: me and that pitch is that knuckle. I might tip

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Speaker 5: it sometimes, okay, you know, so when there was guys

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Speaker 5: on second I'll try to knuckle my fastball occasionally, just

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Speaker 5: you know, mess them up a little bit, and you know,

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Speaker 5: just not giving away those free, free pitches because when

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Speaker 5: when they know it's coming, it's a little bit easier

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Speaker 5: for him, and you know, just trying to take away

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Speaker 5: that advantage.

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Speaker 4: That's all we try to do with pitchers.

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Speaker 3: It's probably easier for them to take but not necessarily hit.

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Speaker 5: Yeah, I think I think some some parts of the

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Speaker 5: year this year, I think I was tipping it pretty badly,

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Speaker 5: just based on you know, the results of most of

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Speaker 5: the year it was pretty unheittable.

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Speaker 4: And then there was a small two week gap where

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Speaker 4: it just got.

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Speaker 5: On a pumble at a really unusual rate and there

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Speaker 5: was no real change in shape or velocity.

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Speaker 3: I mean, let me just one more time, because I

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Speaker 3: thought they were kind of answering that question. I mean,

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Speaker 3: based on the regular season in which you did in

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Speaker 3: the playoffs, something had to happen, you did something differently.

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Speaker 3: Was it coming down to a minute adjustment like that? Yeah?

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Speaker 4: Yeah, oh yeah. The beginning of the year.

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Speaker 5: I mean I felt like first three months I was

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Speaker 5: pretty darn good pitcher.

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Speaker 4: You know, you know you're gonna.

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Speaker 5: Have ebbs and flows. I hurt my shoulder and then

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Speaker 5: I think when I came back I just tried to

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Speaker 5: rush it too much to get back. But yeah, nothing,

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Speaker 5: my hands usually flush when I throw four seams sliders.

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Speaker 5: Everything just kind of here or here, that's it. And

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Speaker 5: every pitch on the edge of tronics. And I was

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Speaker 5: just saying that, hey, like, if you're this is a

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Speaker 5: good pitch, just your hand flushed behind the ball. I

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Speaker 5: was just slightly on the side of everything, you know,

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Speaker 5: And for me, I have good carry on my heater.

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Speaker 5: I wasn't having that. And so when you go up

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Speaker 5: in the zone with fourteen fifteen inches of vertical break.

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Speaker 5: Those hitters pumble that stuff. You know, they don't miss,

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Speaker 5: you know, so you know, just getting that edge back

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Speaker 5: of getting the movements right and you know, location right,

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Speaker 5: and it just kind of restarted me and put me

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Speaker 5: back in the beginning of the year.

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Speaker 3: It's a classic example where technology is very helpful.

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Speaker 5: Yeah, and I think I think give a lot of

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Speaker 5: credit to mad Dog with he doesn't doesn't kill you

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Speaker 5: with information, you know, and you know, not getting lost

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Speaker 5: in the data stuff like hey, this game, I only

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Speaker 5: had fifteen inches avert in this game, I had twenty one.

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Speaker 5: You know, I think we use it a little bit,

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Speaker 5: but you know, we still got to pitch. Can't be

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Speaker 5: warned about how you know your stuff's moving. You still

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Speaker 5: got to go out there in battle.

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Speaker 3: Cool.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, it's interesting just by the way Josh's postseason numbers

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Speaker 1: twelve innings, zero point seventy five ERA in a one

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Speaker 1: oh three betting average against. I mean, that is getting

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Speaker 1: it done in the pressure packed games. And Josh, I

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Speaker 1: remember talking to you during the World Series about your

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Speaker 1: pitch mix because to me, you've always been known for

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Speaker 1: that special fastball that you have, the great induced vertical

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Speaker 1: break great ride top of the zone. But things kind

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Speaker 1: of change for you this year and you were throwing

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Speaker 1: more breaking balls, and we can see why with the

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Speaker 1: results being great, especially in the postseason. And you mentioned

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Speaker 1: something to me about, you know, hitters making adjustments on fastballs.

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Speaker 1: Why don't you talk about your development in terms of

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Speaker 1: going more breaking ball than fastball, because I'm sure you

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Speaker 1: probably came up as a fastball being the staple of

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Speaker 1: what you throw.

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Speaker 5: Yeah, So, I mean we're always told hitters can hit bullets, right,

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Speaker 5: So you know, I think with when we just throw

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Speaker 5: all heaters, just say per seing a vacuum, it just

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Speaker 5: gives them a really good opportunity to hit the ball

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Speaker 5: and do damage, right, And I think for me just

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Speaker 5: the avoidance of damage was kind of the goal this year.

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Speaker 5: And I know, I know off speed's obviously played better

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Speaker 5: across the league than heaters, so you know, I figured

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Speaker 5: stop trying to be someone that can only throw heaters.

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Speaker 5: You know, I don't have a I have a good heater,

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Speaker 5: but I don't think it's you know, Bartolo Cologne sinker

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Speaker 5: something that he can just dominate with one pitch. But

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Speaker 5: it just kind of slowly transformed into you know I

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Speaker 5: have three good pitches.

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Speaker 4: Why don't we use them all? It's only going to

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Speaker 4: make my heater better.

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Speaker 5: So you know, I think the playoffs was the biggest

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Speaker 5: usage of my offspeed. I think I threw my curveball

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Speaker 5: sixty percent of the time, and obviously I had good results.

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Speaker 5: And I think, you know, when we're commanding off speed,

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Speaker 5: you don't have to be as.

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Speaker 4: Fine compared to heaters.

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Speaker 5: You know, I think if I go top shelf heater,

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Speaker 5: I have to get it up there every time to

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Speaker 5: protect myself. Whereas you know, you can throw a middle

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Speaker 5: middle curveball, you might get a take, might get a

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Speaker 5: ground ball. I just think the risk reward factor of

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Speaker 5: throwing more off speed, it's just a better gives you

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Speaker 5: a better probability to get out right, and that's all

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Speaker 5: we're looking for.

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Speaker 1: Well, I mentioned we'll get into Josh's backstory. We'll get

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Speaker 1: into that. Keep this in mind, folks, just two years

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Speaker 1: ago he was dfaed by the Dodgers. Imagine that two

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Speaker 1: years later he is closing out the World Series. We'll

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Speaker 1: ask him about that right after this message. Okay, Josh

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Speaker 1: I mentioned being DFA hate to bring up a source subject,

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Speaker 1: but obviously it turned out great for you. I'm sure

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Speaker 1: you didn't realize that at the time. No one likes

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Speaker 1: to be taken off a roster, but that's what happened.

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Speaker 1: February twenty twenty one. You'd been with the Dodgers since

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Speaker 1: they drafted you out of Virginia and they needed a

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Speaker 1: roster spot for Trevor.

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Speaker 2: We just signed with the Dodgers as a free agent.

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Speaker 1: They were about to have his press conference to introduce

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Speaker 1: him to the Dodgers media. It's a day they'd like

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Speaker 1: to forget at this point. But anyway, for Josh, that

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Speaker 1: meant he was DFA. That means your future is basically

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Speaker 1: up in the air, waiting for maybe a trade to

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Speaker 1: work out. If nobody claims you you're a free agent.

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Speaker 1: Tell me about how you found out about that, Josh,

335
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Speaker 1: because we're talking about really just about when spring training

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Speaker 1: is about to begin, and how you got through that

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Speaker 1: period before the trade.

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Speaker 4: Yeah.

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Speaker 5: I mean, never a great moment, you know. I think

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Speaker 5: my time with the daughter who was great. I'm grateful

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Speaker 5: for everything they did, fantastic organization. But uh got a

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Speaker 5: quick call from the GM and just said, hey, we

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Speaker 5: need to make a we need to make room for Bauer, and.

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Speaker 4: You know we're going to DFA. You and I think,

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Speaker 4: you know, I think just ripping the band aid off,

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Speaker 4: telling the truth.

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Speaker 5: Is what every player wants to hear. So, you know,

348
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Speaker 5: just being up front was all I wanted to hear.

349
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Speaker 5: It wasn't a long conversation, probably thirty seconds that max.

350
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Speaker 5: But you know, I think we solked. I sold for

351
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Speaker 5: about an hour and then I was like, you know,

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Speaker 5: this could be an opportunity. You know, I think as

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Speaker 5: relievers these days, unless you hear the closer, there's a

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Speaker 5: lot of movement, right there's always guys getting DFA picked up,

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Speaker 5: you know, So just being open minded, knowing it's a

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Speaker 5: long year, I just tried to approach it like whatever

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Speaker 5: opportunity I get next, I'm gonna I'm gonna try to

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Speaker 5: maximize my ability. But you know, I was fortunate the

359
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Speaker 5: Rangers picked me up, and you know what, three years,

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Speaker 5: three years from that day, we're we're we got the trophy.

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Speaker 5: So pretty blust lucky. I guess I think it was

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Speaker 5: probably the best scenario for me, you know, because breaking

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Speaker 5: that bullpen for the Dodgers at the time was dang

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Speaker 5: near impossible with the guys that they were rolling out.

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Speaker 3: I just have a curious question. This is on topic,

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Speaker 3: but maybe not by throwing more breaking balls, they getting

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Speaker 3: off the fastball a little bit and relying more on

368
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Speaker 3: your breakaball on that shoulder span of time. Is it

369
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Speaker 3: recovery more difficult the next day do you have Do

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Speaker 3: you find that to be part of it or less than.

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Speaker 5: I actually feel better throwing my off speed and I

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Speaker 5: think it's I don't necessarily perfectly I don't perfectly tunnel

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Speaker 5: my pitches right off each other. I think my arms

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Speaker 5: slightly lower on off speed, so it's a little less

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Speaker 5: stressful on my shoulder. So you know, personally, I didn't

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Speaker 5: hate throwing that many off feed pitches, but I would

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Speaker 5: argue generally speaking, yeah, throwing more off speed pitches not

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Speaker 5: better for you.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, but you know what I like. I like that

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Speaker 3: kind of a breaking ball to a left handed hitter. Yeah,

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Speaker 3: I like good. I like good breaking ball. I could

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Speaker 3: I really well developed curveball, slurf, whatever you want to

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Speaker 3: call it, to get underneath the lefty. It seems like

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Speaker 3: everybody you know when they talk about breaking ball, I

385
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Speaker 3: mean I prefer slider, cutter, slider, same side I like

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Speaker 3: cutter curveball opposite side, and guys like yourself can really

387
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Speaker 3: get good and very valuable because whether the here comes

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Speaker 3: the pinch it or I mean, as a manager, I

389
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Speaker 3: really wanted to study the reverse guys because reverse guys,

390
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Speaker 3: I want to keep the same side guy on him

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Speaker 3: and not always relinquish it to the pincherter from the

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Speaker 3: other side. Actually doing you a favor when you're when

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Speaker 3: you're looking at the left hand hitter, you're actually in

394
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Speaker 3: a big hole to throw the ball to as compared

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Speaker 3: to maybe throwing the ball off of a right handed hitter.

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Speaker 3: How do you how do you see your strike zone

397
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Speaker 3: with the lefty versus a right hand hitter.

398
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Speaker 5: It widens right because now I have with that curveball alone,

399
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Speaker 5: I have the back door get me over that lets

400
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Speaker 5: them see nothing right and then that well, the curveball

401
00:19:50,558 --> 00:19:54,238
Speaker 5: also sets up heater away, heater up and end, and

402
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Speaker 5: then I can finish it back leg.

403
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Speaker 4: So I think just opening up the entire zone.

404
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Speaker 5: On the outer half where most lefties don't necessarily do

405
00:20:02,638 --> 00:20:05,958
Speaker 5: too much damage on a speed pitches, you know, just

406
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Speaker 5: lets it forces them to have to cover that side right,

407
00:20:09,118 --> 00:20:11,958
Speaker 5: so you know, once they showed me that they're covering

408
00:20:12,278 --> 00:20:16,198
Speaker 5: up and away or down in a way on a curveball. Yeah,

409
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Speaker 5: I'm immediately going inside, you know.

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Speaker 4: So I think.

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Speaker 5: I know my splits this year were especially punch out wise.

412
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Speaker 5: I think I struck out lefties way more at a

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Speaker 5: higher rate.

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Speaker 4: And obviously it's because I threw my curveball more.

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Speaker 3: So.

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Speaker 5: I think it's just allows me to throw that third pitch.

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Speaker 5: It's why we created it because prior years struggled against lefties.

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Speaker 4: You know, with sliders, it's you got to.

419
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Speaker 5: Execute the pitch perfectly for them not to hit it,

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Speaker 5: you know, kind of speeds.

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Speaker 4: They're bad up.

422
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Speaker 5: You know, they're in the pull happy phase, so they

423
00:20:48,838 --> 00:20:51,238
Speaker 5: lift it, it's gone ground ball. It's one hundred and

424
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Speaker 5: ten off the bat. So with the curveball just gives

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Speaker 5: me more room. I feel like, just overall against lefties,

426
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Speaker 5: and I think next year, going into next year, I

427
00:21:01,638 --> 00:21:04,798
Speaker 5: want to be able to throw it more to righties,

428
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Speaker 5: you know, just even if it just sets up my

429
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Speaker 5: slider for a little fish huck or something. I'm just

430
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Speaker 5: being able to use it more against them because I

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Speaker 5: think I just struggled overall punching righties out compared to lefties.

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Speaker 3: That's a great explanation, and I can't agree with you.

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Speaker 3: I just wanted to bring it up because I think

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Speaker 3: a lot of people, or a lot of young players,

435
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Speaker 3: young pitchers, don't realize the effectiveness. And when you do

436
00:21:29,478 --> 00:21:32,038
Speaker 3: have multiple breaking balls, you have to really understand which

437
00:21:32,078 --> 00:21:34,678
Speaker 3: works better against the same side and which works better

438
00:21:34,718 --> 00:21:38,198
Speaker 3: against the other side. Again, not to become overly predictable,

439
00:21:38,198 --> 00:21:40,198
Speaker 3: but even if you are, I mean, we'll execute it.

440
00:21:40,918 --> 00:21:43,278
Speaker 3: Like you said, backdoor breaking ball to a lefty on

441
00:21:43,318 --> 00:21:46,638
Speaker 3: the outside edge, you just make that play so much wider,

442
00:21:46,798 --> 00:21:49,278
Speaker 3: that becomes so east west. Yeah, and then it opens

443
00:21:49,358 --> 00:21:52,758
Speaker 3: up of writing things have you ever done? I'm not

444
00:21:52,798 --> 00:21:54,198
Speaker 3: even sure do you throw a change up at all?

445
00:21:55,718 --> 00:21:58,838
Speaker 5: Mad Dog was pushing for it. I threw it a

446
00:21:58,838 --> 00:22:01,758
Speaker 5: few times in live. It was more of one of

447
00:22:01,798 --> 00:22:04,358
Speaker 5: those things if we're going to commit to, we're going

448
00:22:04,398 --> 00:22:07,598
Speaker 5: to commit to in the off season, right But I

449
00:22:07,638 --> 00:22:11,438
Speaker 5: think for me right now, I need to do a

450
00:22:11,518 --> 00:22:12,318
Speaker 5: much better job of.

451
00:22:12,318 --> 00:22:16,878
Speaker 4: Getting writings out. Just overall, I'm.

452
00:22:16,798 --> 00:22:19,198
Speaker 3: Just gonna say change change, change up under a right

453
00:22:19,198 --> 00:22:21,758
Speaker 3: handed hitter after everything else you did is pretty That's

454
00:22:21,758 --> 00:22:23,998
Speaker 3: a James Shields pitch. That's an Alex Cott pitch. I mean,

455
00:22:24,038 --> 00:22:27,158
Speaker 3: he's the writings that can get underneath Righty's right hand

456
00:22:27,158 --> 00:22:29,558
Speaker 3: to pitch underneath the right hand hitting swing the guys

457
00:22:29,558 --> 00:22:31,598
Speaker 3: at real flat swings. I look at flat swings and

458
00:22:31,638 --> 00:22:33,878
Speaker 3: look at swings that are a little bit more upper

459
00:22:33,918 --> 00:22:36,918
Speaker 3: cut launch angle kind of swings. If a guy's got

460
00:22:36,918 --> 00:22:38,598
Speaker 3: a flat swing right on right, if a guy's got

461
00:22:38,598 --> 00:22:40,318
Speaker 3: a flat swing on you, man, you could definitely get

462
00:22:40,358 --> 00:22:41,158
Speaker 3: underneath that guy.

463
00:22:41,358 --> 00:22:42,318
Speaker 4: Just dominate them with it.

464
00:22:42,358 --> 00:22:45,798
Speaker 5: I mean, like I said, I'm definitely open. We tried splitters.

465
00:22:47,278 --> 00:22:49,678
Speaker 5: I think I have a better feel with change ups.

466
00:22:49,918 --> 00:22:53,158
Speaker 5: I mean before before pro ball, I was kind of

467
00:22:53,198 --> 00:22:57,918
Speaker 5: a sinker slider primary mix with a four team at

468
00:22:57,918 --> 00:23:01,918
Speaker 5: the end, and then obviously got to LA four seams

469
00:23:01,918 --> 00:23:04,158
Speaker 5: at the top were the hot topic, and you know,

470
00:23:04,238 --> 00:23:06,198
Speaker 5: fifteen to eighteen that was end.

471
00:23:06,038 --> 00:23:08,078
Speaker 4: All, be all. You have one, you're going to use

472
00:23:08,078 --> 00:23:11,998
Speaker 4: it a lot, right, But you know, I like having

473
00:23:12,718 --> 00:23:14,078
Speaker 4: multiple outs, right.

474
00:23:14,078 --> 00:23:15,638
Speaker 5: I want to be able to get a guy out

475
00:23:15,718 --> 00:23:18,198
Speaker 5: in a variety of ways, only to make it harder

476
00:23:19,598 --> 00:23:22,758
Speaker 5: and definitely adding a pitch I'm always open for.

477
00:23:23,078 --> 00:23:24,798
Speaker 1: Yeah, Josh, I was going to bring out the point

478
00:23:24,838 --> 00:23:27,118
Speaker 1: that you are a part of this generation that has

479
00:23:27,198 --> 00:23:32,398
Speaker 1: now grown up understanding the whys and hows of the

480
00:23:32,438 --> 00:23:34,878
Speaker 1: way pitches work. In the old days, you didn't have

481
00:23:34,918 --> 00:23:37,318
Speaker 1: all this data, you didn't have the high speed cameras.

482
00:23:38,718 --> 00:23:39,558
Speaker 2: And of course you.

483
00:23:39,558 --> 00:23:42,238
Speaker 1: Pitched in the World Series before in Virginia with Virginia

484
00:23:42,238 --> 00:23:46,558
Speaker 1: and the College World Series the most outstanding player thirteen scorelessennings,

485
00:23:46,598 --> 00:23:49,478
Speaker 1: three wins, and yeah, a save in that World Series

486
00:23:49,518 --> 00:23:52,598
Speaker 1: as well, which is pretty cool. But from I understand,

487
00:23:52,638 --> 00:23:55,078
Speaker 1: it really was when you got drafted by the Dodgers

488
00:23:55,278 --> 00:23:57,278
Speaker 1: that you were able to dive into some of the

489
00:23:57,358 --> 00:24:00,878
Speaker 1: technology and learn about your stuff. And it sounds like

490
00:24:00,998 --> 00:24:05,158
Speaker 1: it it opened your eyes, Josh, and what you through

491
00:24:05,198 --> 00:24:08,558
Speaker 1: and how you've developed as a pitcher changed almost instantly.

492
00:24:08,758 --> 00:24:11,198
Speaker 1: And once you go into that and you know, getting

493
00:24:11,198 --> 00:24:14,558
Speaker 1: on the cameras and the technology, yeah, I mean.

494
00:24:15,158 --> 00:24:18,438
Speaker 6: I think of I said, I got dropped in fifteen,

495
00:24:18,638 --> 00:24:21,798
Speaker 6: and I felt like the Dodgers were kind of at

496
00:24:21,798 --> 00:24:25,838
Speaker 6: the forefront of, you know, implementing those things, those those

497
00:24:25,878 --> 00:24:28,198
Speaker 6: cameras track man's.

498
00:24:29,558 --> 00:24:32,318
Speaker 5: But to say that I had a grasp of the

499
00:24:32,358 --> 00:24:35,278
Speaker 5: depth of this knowledge and being able to use it myself,

500
00:24:35,438 --> 00:24:39,758
Speaker 5: it definitely took some years, and then you know, you

501
00:24:39,798 --> 00:24:43,158
Speaker 5: get into this, you can start comparing yourself to other people,

502
00:24:44,078 --> 00:24:46,558
Speaker 5: and then you start using that to see how they pitch,

503
00:24:46,598 --> 00:24:50,158
Speaker 5: how they use their stuff. And I think, you know,

504
00:24:50,198 --> 00:24:52,718
Speaker 5: for me, I had no idea what vertical break was

505
00:24:52,758 --> 00:24:55,998
Speaker 5: in twenty fifteen. You couldn't tell me anything about that.

506
00:24:55,998 --> 00:24:58,878
Speaker 5: I would have no knowledge whatsoever. And you know it,

507
00:24:59,238 --> 00:25:01,358
Speaker 5: like I said, it took me a while to understand it.

508
00:25:01,478 --> 00:25:04,998
Speaker 5: And you know, once I learned how to the field

509
00:25:05,038 --> 00:25:08,358
Speaker 5: versus real using the cameras, seeing where my hand is

510
00:25:08,398 --> 00:25:11,478
Speaker 5: and slowly making those adjustments, I think that's when you

511
00:25:11,478 --> 00:25:13,918
Speaker 5: know it started to work with me. For me, I guess,

512
00:25:14,638 --> 00:25:17,198
Speaker 5: but like I said, it took me three or four

513
00:25:17,278 --> 00:25:20,598
Speaker 5: years at least even be able to grasp the knowledge

514
00:25:20,678 --> 00:25:25,278
Speaker 5: of this stuff. And you know, I think the last

515
00:25:25,278 --> 00:25:27,918
Speaker 5: couple of years, I kind of I've kind of gotten

516
00:25:27,958 --> 00:25:31,718
Speaker 5: lost in it a little too much, you know, too

517
00:25:31,758 --> 00:25:35,438
Speaker 5: worried about vertical break instead of just pitching. And I

518
00:25:35,438 --> 00:25:37,718
Speaker 5: think this year is that's what I did better, was

519
00:25:37,838 --> 00:25:40,958
Speaker 5: just I know I have good stuff. I need to

520
00:25:40,958 --> 00:25:42,678
Speaker 5: worry about getting outs because at the end of the day,

521
00:25:42,718 --> 00:25:45,438
Speaker 5: we play a sport. No one cares about your vertical break.

522
00:25:45,478 --> 00:25:48,918
Speaker 5: They care about getting three outs and winning the game.

523
00:25:49,198 --> 00:25:52,918
Speaker 5: And so I think getting back to just basics, you know,

524
00:25:53,038 --> 00:25:55,998
Speaker 5: make sure your stuff's good. But at the end of

525
00:25:55,998 --> 00:25:58,118
Speaker 5: the day, we are pitching, and that's how that's all

526
00:25:58,118 --> 00:25:58,958
Speaker 5: you got to worry about.

527
00:25:59,278 --> 00:26:00,518
Speaker 2: That's a great point, you know.

528
00:26:00,598 --> 00:26:03,118
Speaker 1: I've heard too many pitchers after a game where they

529
00:26:03,118 --> 00:26:06,318
Speaker 1: get hit and they'll go to the metrics. Maybe it's

530
00:26:06,318 --> 00:26:08,918
Speaker 1: a kind of a false confidence they get, but they're like, well,

531
00:26:08,918 --> 00:26:09,838
Speaker 1: I threw a good pitch.

532
00:26:09,958 --> 00:26:11,678
Speaker 2: It's exactly the kind of breaking on it.

533
00:26:11,718 --> 00:26:14,758
Speaker 1: But my line is the hitters will tell you everything

534
00:26:14,798 --> 00:26:16,398
Speaker 1: you know about your stuff, right.

535
00:26:16,558 --> 00:26:16,958
Speaker 4: Yeah.

536
00:26:17,078 --> 00:26:19,158
Speaker 1: And this is where Josh, I think it's someone like

537
00:26:19,278 --> 00:26:21,198
Speaker 1: Mike Maddox can come in. I mean, this guy's been

538
00:26:21,198 --> 00:26:24,478
Speaker 1: a pitching coach for forty two years, or at least

539
00:26:24,478 --> 00:26:26,878
Speaker 1: in professional baseball for forty two years, including his.

540
00:26:26,878 --> 00:26:28,078
Speaker 2: Own time on the mound.

541
00:26:28,998 --> 00:26:32,198
Speaker 1: What makes him such a good pitching coach for someone

542
00:26:32,278 --> 00:26:32,558
Speaker 1: like you?

543
00:26:32,878 --> 00:26:38,798
Speaker 5: It's over simplified pitching, like our scouting reports. Hey, you're

544
00:26:38,798 --> 00:26:41,038
Speaker 5: gonna put this, You're gonna throw this pitch here, this

545
00:26:41,158 --> 00:26:44,078
Speaker 5: pitch there, and that's all you're gonna worry about. And

546
00:26:44,318 --> 00:26:48,318
Speaker 5: I think you said it earlier. We have phenomenal catchers.

547
00:26:48,398 --> 00:26:51,758
Speaker 5: We have three of them, all Gold Glove level. Jonah

548
00:26:51,958 --> 00:26:56,478
Speaker 5: obviously got his deserved it. You have hedges Garb. So

549
00:26:56,838 --> 00:26:59,558
Speaker 5: when you have great catchers right the scouting report, you

550
00:26:59,558 --> 00:27:01,838
Speaker 5: don't have to worry about too much because they got.

551
00:27:01,638 --> 00:27:03,838
Speaker 4: It into control. We had a great deal.

552
00:27:04,358 --> 00:27:08,798
Speaker 5: So you know, for me, it just honestly became execute

553
00:27:08,798 --> 00:27:11,478
Speaker 5: this pitch where he wants it, and we'll worry about

554
00:27:11,518 --> 00:27:12,238
Speaker 5: the next pitch.

555
00:27:12,078 --> 00:27:12,718
Speaker 4: When it comes.

556
00:27:12,718 --> 00:27:15,958
Speaker 5: So, you know, for Maddox, it was just we're not

557
00:27:15,998 --> 00:27:19,078
Speaker 5: going to look at data really ever, unless you know

558
00:27:19,238 --> 00:27:22,558
Speaker 5: there's a couple of outings where your stuff looks different.

559
00:27:22,758 --> 00:27:26,318
Speaker 5: And you know, I think the lower you get, the

560
00:27:26,358 --> 00:27:29,718
Speaker 5: more you understand it. You know what your stuff's going

561
00:27:29,758 --> 00:27:30,878
Speaker 5: to look like before.

562
00:27:30,638 --> 00:27:33,158
Speaker 4: You go out on the field, you know how you feel.

563
00:27:33,838 --> 00:27:36,118
Speaker 5: Visually, what the balls are doing out of the hand,

564
00:27:36,558 --> 00:27:38,438
Speaker 5: and just you know, so being able to use your

565
00:27:38,478 --> 00:27:42,878
Speaker 5: own senses, having coaches, great catchers, using everything you can

566
00:27:43,078 --> 00:27:45,998
Speaker 5: is I think the best outcome. I guess, you know,

567
00:27:46,078 --> 00:27:48,798
Speaker 5: it's fortunate to have. I mean, we didn't really have

568
00:27:48,878 --> 00:27:51,558
Speaker 5: too many holes in this team, so, you know, just

569
00:27:51,598 --> 00:27:54,878
Speaker 5: being able to trust these guys doing their homework. I mean,

570
00:27:54,918 --> 00:27:57,558
Speaker 5: mad Doc seems to know about every single hitter what

571
00:27:57,638 --> 00:28:00,078
Speaker 5: they do right wrong, without even looking at film. So

572
00:28:00,318 --> 00:28:03,278
Speaker 5: just having that depth of knowledge was really cool and

573
00:28:03,358 --> 00:28:04,358
Speaker 5: it was cool to experience.

574
00:28:04,998 --> 00:28:07,958
Speaker 3: I can't argue with any of that. That's a wonderful explanation. Again,

575
00:28:07,998 --> 00:28:09,758
Speaker 3: he must have done a University of Virginia. Did you

576
00:28:09,758 --> 00:28:11,558
Speaker 3: go to school at Film Goslin by any chance?

577
00:28:12,878 --> 00:28:15,078
Speaker 4: A little bit older? But I know I know a

578
00:28:15,118 --> 00:28:17,758
Speaker 4: lot about Phil the heck of a player.

579
00:28:17,438 --> 00:28:19,678
Speaker 3: There, beautiful man. No, that's really good stuff. I mean,

580
00:28:19,838 --> 00:28:23,558
Speaker 3: what you're talking about there, I think is balance, simplification.

581
00:28:23,638 --> 00:28:29,278
Speaker 3: I've always haad do simple better, utilizing everything at your disposal. Absolutely,

582
00:28:29,358 --> 00:28:33,478
Speaker 3: But when the game begins, there's theory and then there's reality.

583
00:28:33,918 --> 00:28:36,078
Speaker 3: Theory could occur as much as it wants. Before the game,

584
00:28:36,118 --> 00:28:38,998
Speaker 3: you could get all these wonderful, well paid plans, and

585
00:28:40,438 --> 00:28:43,838
Speaker 3: I think part of it. Sometimes people or coaches believe

586
00:28:43,878 --> 00:28:47,118
Speaker 3: that if they inundate you with stuff, that they're actually

587
00:28:47,158 --> 00:28:50,118
Speaker 3: doing their jobs. To me, a really good coach will

588
00:28:50,158 --> 00:28:52,438
Speaker 3: take all this inundation and call it down to the

589
00:28:52,438 --> 00:28:57,078
Speaker 3: point where you're just getting drops nuggets of information. Because

590
00:28:57,478 --> 00:28:59,278
Speaker 3: what people don't understand is when you're in a hot

591
00:28:59,318 --> 00:29:02,798
Speaker 3: moment like you had been just recently, there's no time

592
00:29:02,798 --> 00:29:05,598
Speaker 3: to disseminate all that about all that. It's like, like

593
00:29:05,638 --> 00:29:08,238
Speaker 3: you said, you trusted your catcher, you trusted your ability

594
00:29:08,238 --> 00:29:10,038
Speaker 3: to trusted the feel, you trusted all the work you

595
00:29:10,038 --> 00:29:12,878
Speaker 3: have done at that point, and in that moment, everything

596
00:29:12,918 --> 00:29:15,078
Speaker 3: comes together. In that moment, that blink moment, your intuitive

597
00:29:15,118 --> 00:29:18,598
Speaker 3: moment just occurs. And that's what you're doing. Man. That's

598
00:29:18,838 --> 00:29:24,158
Speaker 3: a great explanation for my money, and also screams to me,

599
00:29:24,198 --> 00:29:26,758
Speaker 3: while you were so successful in a hot moment, you

600
00:29:26,798 --> 00:29:30,358
Speaker 3: were just being the picture that you are, the athlete

601
00:29:30,398 --> 00:29:33,438
Speaker 3: that you are competing in the moment, and you were

602
00:29:33,478 --> 00:29:34,638
Speaker 3: successful because of that.

603
00:29:34,958 --> 00:29:35,198
Speaker 4: Yeah.

604
00:29:35,358 --> 00:29:35,758
Speaker 3: Perfect.

605
00:29:35,798 --> 00:29:38,198
Speaker 5: I mean I think you know, everyone has a plan

606
00:29:38,318 --> 00:29:39,958
Speaker 5: until they get punched in the face, right, And I

607
00:29:39,998 --> 00:29:43,518
Speaker 5: think when we played the Astros, it was just a

608
00:29:43,598 --> 00:29:46,558
Speaker 5: game of who's going to adapt faster, right, And I think,

609
00:29:47,758 --> 00:29:50,558
Speaker 5: I mean, you look at our series throughout the entire year.

610
00:29:51,238 --> 00:29:54,478
Speaker 5: We beat them the first series, and they came back

611
00:29:54,518 --> 00:30:00,358
Speaker 5: and just absolutely dominated us, right for ten straight games, and.

612
00:30:00,318 --> 00:30:02,118
Speaker 4: Then we go to the playoffs. It's the same thing.

613
00:30:02,158 --> 00:30:02,478
Speaker 4: It was.

614
00:30:03,478 --> 00:30:06,398
Speaker 5: We had a great plan, it worked, two games. Then

615
00:30:06,438 --> 00:30:09,838
Speaker 5: they come to our place and they just they changed, right.

616
00:30:09,918 --> 00:30:12,398
Speaker 5: They know what we're doing, so they're going to try

617
00:30:12,398 --> 00:30:14,918
Speaker 5: to take that away from us. And then we go

618
00:30:15,038 --> 00:30:17,918
Speaker 5: back to their place with a little bit of a change, right,

619
00:30:17,918 --> 00:30:20,798
Speaker 5: and it panned out, And so I think just being

620
00:30:20,838 --> 00:30:21,958
Speaker 5: adaptable in.

621
00:30:21,958 --> 00:30:22,638
Speaker 4: This game, right.

622
00:30:23,038 --> 00:30:26,318
Speaker 5: The scouting report might say this, but you play a

623
00:30:26,318 --> 00:30:28,638
Speaker 5: team three times, you're going to need a change. You

624
00:30:28,678 --> 00:30:32,198
Speaker 5: can't throw two strike heaters up and in every single time.

625
00:30:32,238 --> 00:30:34,238
Speaker 5: They're going to cheat to it and then they're going

626
00:30:34,278 --> 00:30:34,878
Speaker 5: to hit it out.

627
00:30:35,238 --> 00:30:37,318
Speaker 1: Hey, Josh, I got to bring you back to I

628
00:30:37,398 --> 00:30:40,398
Speaker 1: call it a Mike Maddox moment because I was joking

629
00:30:40,398 --> 00:30:43,238
Speaker 1: with Mike throughout the postseason that we should keep a

630
00:30:43,278 --> 00:30:46,878
Speaker 1: stat for ops after a mound visit, and his was

631
00:30:46,958 --> 00:30:47,438
Speaker 1: like zero.

632
00:30:47,918 --> 00:30:48,958
Speaker 2: I mean, it was amazing.

633
00:30:49,598 --> 00:30:51,438
Speaker 1: So I want to take you back to the situation

634
00:30:51,558 --> 00:30:53,638
Speaker 1: in the clinching game. Is the eighth inning, there's two

635
00:30:53,718 --> 00:30:55,718
Speaker 1: outs and Electronics gets on base.

636
00:30:55,838 --> 00:30:56,678
Speaker 2: We know we can run.

637
00:30:57,278 --> 00:30:59,518
Speaker 1: It's still a one nothing game at that point, and

638
00:30:59,838 --> 00:31:04,078
Speaker 1: Mike comes out to the mound and I'm thinking, like,

639
00:31:04,118 --> 00:31:07,118
Speaker 1: Thomas has to run here. I mean with two outs,

640
00:31:07,198 --> 00:31:10,438
Speaker 1: bottom of the lineup, defensive outfield is playing deep, so

641
00:31:10,478 --> 00:31:12,078
Speaker 1: it's going to take two hits to get him in.

642
00:31:13,238 --> 00:31:15,998
Speaker 1: To me, the DNA of the Diamondbacks is play fast

643
00:31:16,038 --> 00:31:17,918
Speaker 1: and loose, and that's the guy who can play that

644
00:31:17,998 --> 00:31:20,038
Speaker 1: kind of game at first base. I think the stolen

645
00:31:20,038 --> 00:31:21,918
Speaker 1: base is in order. I was shocked he didn't run

646
00:31:21,958 --> 00:31:24,278
Speaker 1: in the course of that plate appearance. You did not

647
00:31:24,358 --> 00:31:27,958
Speaker 1: throw over, you didn't slidestep. So take me through the

648
00:31:27,998 --> 00:31:32,838
Speaker 1: mound visit of Mike Maddox and just concentrating on the out,

649
00:31:32,878 --> 00:31:35,478
Speaker 1: which you got obviously with a cold strike.

650
00:31:35,518 --> 00:31:35,878
Speaker 3: Three.

651
00:31:36,638 --> 00:31:36,918
Speaker 4: Yeah.

652
00:31:36,998 --> 00:31:40,078
Speaker 5: I mean when Matt Doc comes out, it's it's one

653
00:31:40,078 --> 00:31:44,598
Speaker 5: of two situations, you're pitching pretty poorly or pinch hitters

654
00:31:44,638 --> 00:31:48,838
Speaker 5: coming in right. And you know the pinch hitter with paving.

655
00:31:48,878 --> 00:31:53,078
Speaker 5: Smith played with him in college of the kid, phenomenal player.

656
00:31:55,118 --> 00:31:56,958
Speaker 4: So immediately we just talked about the.

657
00:31:56,918 --> 00:32:02,038
Speaker 5: Scounter report and for him it was kind of keep

658
00:32:02,078 --> 00:32:05,798
Speaker 5: it away, don't go in that inn aff lefty swing,

659
00:32:06,758 --> 00:32:10,758
Speaker 5: and so we talked about curve balls, heaters up, no siders,

660
00:32:10,758 --> 00:32:13,758
Speaker 5: pretty much the whole game plan. I knew. I knew

661
00:32:13,798 --> 00:32:17,758
Speaker 5: Thomas was fast, but I think I think what kind

662
00:32:17,798 --> 00:32:20,118
Speaker 5: of slowed them down a little bit was Jonah him

663
00:32:20,238 --> 00:32:23,718
Speaker 5: throwing I think he only threw out two guys over

664
00:32:23,838 --> 00:32:26,838
Speaker 5: in the series, maybe, but I think just that little

665
00:32:26,918 --> 00:32:30,878
Speaker 5: bit of doubt that Jonah put in the runners by

666
00:32:31,718 --> 00:32:34,958
Speaker 5: throwing guys out was was enough for them to you know,

667
00:32:35,038 --> 00:32:36,158
Speaker 5: deter them from running.

668
00:32:37,918 --> 00:32:39,838
Speaker 4: And I knew it was gonna be Thomas was going

669
00:32:39,918 --> 00:32:43,078
Speaker 4: to steal the first two pitches, I felt like, and

670
00:32:43,118 --> 00:32:44,158
Speaker 4: that was it.

671
00:32:44,278 --> 00:32:47,838
Speaker 5: So once I got to that gap, I just immediately

672
00:32:47,878 --> 00:32:50,598
Speaker 5: worried about, you know, the guy in front with pe

673
00:32:50,678 --> 00:32:55,918
Speaker 5: then and I think I went one two, three pitches

674
00:32:56,038 --> 00:32:59,438
Speaker 5: it was one two count, and then my immediate focus

675
00:32:59,598 --> 00:33:03,118
Speaker 5: was get this out, don't worry about the runner, and

676
00:33:03,238 --> 00:33:08,598
Speaker 5: so executed that curveball back door punch out and you know,

677
00:33:09,038 --> 00:33:12,318
Speaker 5: happy he didn't run. But you know, again, I keep

678
00:33:12,358 --> 00:33:14,438
Speaker 5: saying it over and over again, but you know, having

679
00:33:14,438 --> 00:33:17,118
Speaker 5: a catcher like Jonah can do a lot of things

680
00:33:17,158 --> 00:33:17,598
Speaker 5: to a game.

681
00:33:17,758 --> 00:33:18,718
Speaker 4: Just change it overall.

682
00:33:19,158 --> 00:33:20,958
Speaker 3: I thought you're gonna mention the fact that there was

683
00:33:20,998 --> 00:33:22,758
Speaker 3: two outs for saying, correct, there was two outs at

684
00:33:22,798 --> 00:33:26,238
Speaker 3: that moment. Yeah, so just just really bear down on

685
00:33:26,238 --> 00:33:28,638
Speaker 3: the hitter, please, you know, if he's gonna run, he's

686
00:33:28,638 --> 00:33:31,038
Speaker 3: gonna run. We're gonna just do your normal thing. But

687
00:33:31,118 --> 00:33:33,078
Speaker 3: for me in that situation, I want all of your

688
00:33:33,198 --> 00:33:36,158
Speaker 3: energy put on that hitter right there, more than because

689
00:33:36,838 --> 00:33:39,078
Speaker 3: what you're trying to do for the Diamondbacks perspective with

690
00:33:39,158 --> 00:33:42,838
Speaker 3: Tom's talking about, I want to split your concentration. I

691
00:33:42,918 --> 00:33:46,038
Speaker 3: want you to think about me and your stuff is

692
00:33:46,078 --> 00:33:49,038
Speaker 3: so good right now, just let's just get this hitter

693
00:33:49,038 --> 00:33:51,118
Speaker 3: out walking to Doug out worry about the next inning.

694
00:33:51,198 --> 00:33:51,398
Speaker 4: Yeah.

695
00:33:51,598 --> 00:33:53,598
Speaker 3: So to me, that was once you got to that

696
00:33:53,638 --> 00:33:56,278
Speaker 3: one two count by just totally discounting him, And for me,

697
00:33:56,318 --> 00:33:58,358
Speaker 3: you could have just discounted from the very first pitch.

698
00:33:58,838 --> 00:34:01,998
Speaker 5: Yeah, I think I think the first pitch I was

699
00:34:02,038 --> 00:34:03,918
Speaker 5: a little worried, and I think I feel a pretty

700
00:34:04,438 --> 00:34:06,038
Speaker 5: pretty bad pitch overall.

701
00:34:06,838 --> 00:34:08,438
Speaker 4: And then after I was I still got a pitch

702
00:34:08,478 --> 00:34:08,718
Speaker 4: on them.

703
00:34:08,758 --> 00:34:11,278
Speaker 5: So let's just just bear down and figure it out

704
00:34:11,278 --> 00:34:11,638
Speaker 5: from there.

705
00:34:11,798 --> 00:34:13,918
Speaker 2: Very good, just clutch pitching.

706
00:34:13,958 --> 00:34:16,038
Speaker 1: By the way, I have to ask you, Josh, because

707
00:34:16,358 --> 00:34:19,318
Speaker 1: you were with the Dodgers in twenty twenty, the year

708
00:34:19,318 --> 00:34:22,798
Speaker 1: they won the World Series, the Bubble year. You spend

709
00:34:22,798 --> 00:34:24,638
Speaker 1: most of the year at the alternate site. You did

710
00:34:24,758 --> 00:34:28,118
Speaker 1: throw a few innings for the Dodgers that year, where

711
00:34:28,198 --> 00:34:30,598
Speaker 1: were you were you in the bubble with the team

712
00:34:30,638 --> 00:34:33,158
Speaker 1: in the course of the postseason, and I'm assuming you

713
00:34:33,198 --> 00:34:34,958
Speaker 1: did get a World Series ring from that year.

714
00:34:37,598 --> 00:34:41,718
Speaker 5: Five weeks in a hotel, sure enough, it was we

715
00:34:41,718 --> 00:34:43,118
Speaker 5: were our whole the whole time.

716
00:34:43,238 --> 00:34:45,918
Speaker 2: I was with you, brother, I was there in that bubble. Man,

717
00:34:45,958 --> 00:34:47,078
Speaker 2: that was a long month.

718
00:34:47,278 --> 00:34:47,598
Speaker 4: I was.

719
00:34:47,878 --> 00:34:50,078
Speaker 5: I was about ready to go home, I'll tell you that.

720
00:34:50,158 --> 00:34:53,718
Speaker 5: But I mean, I think I watched every game from

721
00:34:54,358 --> 00:34:58,958
Speaker 5: the Rangers home gym, just watching it there. It was

722
00:34:59,398 --> 00:35:01,278
Speaker 5: a long five weeks. But you know, I was able

723
00:35:01,278 --> 00:35:03,918
Speaker 5: to learn a lot. I think they went down three

724
00:35:03,998 --> 00:35:06,998
Speaker 5: one to the Braves, you know, just the way they

725
00:35:07,158 --> 00:35:11,598
Speaker 5: were able to stay together, stay as a team, stay relaxed.

726
00:35:11,678 --> 00:35:13,238
Speaker 5: You know, I was able to learn a lot from it.

727
00:35:13,278 --> 00:35:15,518
Speaker 5: You know, I wasn't happy that I got to play,

728
00:35:15,718 --> 00:35:18,238
Speaker 5: but you know, I tried to be a good teammate,

729
00:35:19,238 --> 00:35:21,878
Speaker 5: be out of the way, essentially, just be non existent

730
00:35:22,438 --> 00:35:26,758
Speaker 5: that way they can do their jobs. And yep, blessed

731
00:35:26,758 --> 00:35:30,318
Speaker 5: to get a ring. And you know, like I said,

732
00:35:31,158 --> 00:35:33,558
Speaker 5: got nothing bad to say about the Los Angeles Dodgers.

733
00:35:33,558 --> 00:35:34,998
Speaker 5: They're phenomenal organization.

734
00:35:35,438 --> 00:35:38,398
Speaker 1: Well it's a great story, man. We're so happy for you.

735
00:35:38,918 --> 00:35:42,718
Speaker 1: Thanks for jumping on with us. You know you've learned

736
00:35:42,878 --> 00:35:45,838
Speaker 1: yourself how quickly this game can turn over, going from

737
00:35:45,918 --> 00:35:49,518
Speaker 1: DFA to the World Series clincher and listen, it looks

738
00:35:49,518 --> 00:35:51,558
Speaker 1: like there's nothing but good things ahead for both you

739
00:35:51,598 --> 00:35:55,518
Speaker 1: and the Texas Rangers. So congratulations. I'm sure you enjoyed

740
00:35:55,558 --> 00:35:58,198
Speaker 1: the after glow. I hope it lasts throughout the off season.

741
00:35:58,918 --> 00:36:00,918
Speaker 4: We got a little short of the season, shorter off

742
00:36:00,958 --> 00:36:01,438
Speaker 4: season this.

743
00:36:01,438 --> 00:36:03,118
Speaker 2: Year, but that was the best kind.

744
00:36:03,198 --> 00:36:06,118
Speaker 4: Yeah, so you know you did something right. But yeah,

745
00:36:06,158 --> 00:36:07,198
Speaker 4: thank you guys for having me on.

746
00:36:07,878 --> 00:36:09,718
Speaker 3: It was really cool, great job, but I just wanted

747
00:36:09,718 --> 00:36:11,998
Speaker 3: to just make I just really enjoy your process. I

748
00:36:11,998 --> 00:36:15,078
Speaker 3: think it's outstanding. There's no reason for me to believe

749
00:36:15,078 --> 00:36:17,918
Speaker 3: that you're not going to continue the longest path. This

750
00:36:17,998 --> 00:36:20,198
Speaker 3: is just the beginning for you. Man, a great job

751
00:36:20,558 --> 00:36:23,038
Speaker 3: and just keep thinking the way you are. It's it's outstanding.

752
00:36:23,038 --> 00:36:25,598
Speaker 3: Your process and your program sounds like it's right on

753
00:36:25,638 --> 00:36:25,998
Speaker 3: the money.

754
00:36:26,158 --> 00:36:27,798
Speaker 4: Yeah, thank you, I appreciate it.

755
00:36:27,918 --> 00:36:41,638
Speaker 1: We'll have some closing thoughts all right after this. Well, Joe,

756
00:36:41,678 --> 00:36:45,518
Speaker 1: that was really fascinating. I'm always curious kind of what's

757
00:36:45,558 --> 00:36:48,278
Speaker 1: going on between the guys ears in the heat of

758
00:36:48,318 --> 00:36:49,358
Speaker 1: the moment, and.

759
00:36:49,958 --> 00:36:51,918
Speaker 2: That was a really cool look from Josh.

760
00:36:51,958 --> 00:36:54,958
Speaker 1: Inside the process is what it takes to get big

761
00:36:54,998 --> 00:36:57,318
Speaker 1: outs in a postseason environment, what it takes just to

762
00:36:58,238 --> 00:37:01,078
Speaker 1: be there in that situation. So thanks to Josh, that

763
00:37:01,238 --> 00:37:04,598
Speaker 1: was really really enjoyable. I found that fascinating, very clear,

764
00:37:04,798 --> 00:37:07,198
Speaker 1: very lucid, and regards to his approach, I think he's

765
00:37:07,238 --> 00:37:08,278
Speaker 1: twenty nine years of age.

766
00:37:08,318 --> 00:37:08,958
Speaker 3: Is that accurate?

767
00:37:09,078 --> 00:37:09,878
Speaker 2: Something that's right?

768
00:37:10,078 --> 00:37:13,518
Speaker 3: Yeah, and that's almost sometimes. I mean when back with

769
00:37:13,558 --> 00:37:17,398
Speaker 3: the Angels and then the Rays, I always like getting

770
00:37:17,878 --> 00:37:20,918
Speaker 3: relief pictures that were twenty seven to twenty eight, twenty

771
00:37:21,038 --> 00:37:23,478
Speaker 3: nine years of age from someplace else where they had

772
00:37:23,478 --> 00:37:26,358
Speaker 3: not really gone it done, but had good arms and

773
00:37:27,078 --> 00:37:30,038
Speaker 3: had a nice potentially a nice future about him because

774
00:37:30,078 --> 00:37:32,318
Speaker 3: all of a sudden, once it hits, it does, and

775
00:37:32,678 --> 00:37:36,878
Speaker 3: it did for him. So again, he understands himself extremely well.

776
00:37:37,198 --> 00:37:39,278
Speaker 3: He knows exactly what he's doing and why he's doing it.

777
00:37:39,358 --> 00:37:41,478
Speaker 3: I love that part of it. And then he also

778
00:37:41,638 --> 00:37:45,838
Speaker 3: demonstrated why where technology could be very good and also

779
00:37:45,878 --> 00:37:48,598
Speaker 3: where sometimes you have to do exercise judgment regards to

780
00:37:48,638 --> 00:37:51,838
Speaker 3: how much to utilize exactly the kind of balance that

781
00:37:51,918 --> 00:37:54,838
Speaker 3: I think is necessary, But yeah, I was really impressed

782
00:37:54,838 --> 00:37:56,878
Speaker 3: with him as a person. I thought he sounded great

783
00:37:57,398 --> 00:38:00,358
Speaker 3: and again he's he's set up. He set up for

784
00:38:00,358 --> 00:38:01,238
Speaker 3: a really bright future.

785
00:38:01,598 --> 00:38:04,598
Speaker 1: Absolutely. I mean, Joe, he's got closers types. He's in

786
00:38:04,598 --> 00:38:07,478
Speaker 1: a ninetieth percentile in terms of fastball v. Low with

787
00:38:07,798 --> 00:38:10,358
Speaker 1: rate ride on that pitch, and yet as we heard

788
00:38:10,438 --> 00:38:13,158
Speaker 1: him talk, you know, the breaking stuff has played up

789
00:38:13,198 --> 00:38:15,998
Speaker 1: more than his fastball, especially in a postseason environment. I

790
00:38:15,998 --> 00:38:18,718
Speaker 1: thought that was really fascinating, and I'm sure you've seen it, Joe,

791
00:38:18,718 --> 00:38:22,358
Speaker 1: the postseason where you know breaking ball percentages are going

792
00:38:22,398 --> 00:38:23,478
Speaker 1: to go up in the postseason.

793
00:38:23,598 --> 00:38:26,198
Speaker 2: It's not here it is hit. It kind of challenge mentality.

794
00:38:26,198 --> 00:38:27,878
Speaker 1: He can get by in the regular season, and he's

795
00:38:27,878 --> 00:38:30,198
Speaker 1: got the stuff to get you out either way.

796
00:38:30,358 --> 00:38:32,958
Speaker 2: That was really impressive the whole arc of his career.

797
00:38:32,998 --> 00:38:36,438
Speaker 1: As you mentioned, the technology aspect helped him learn what

798
00:38:36,518 --> 00:38:38,878
Speaker 1: he has and how to use it, but then he

799
00:38:38,958 --> 00:38:40,318
Speaker 1: got a little too deep in it and had to

800
00:38:40,358 --> 00:38:42,118
Speaker 1: get away with it. And that's where a manager like

801
00:38:42,158 --> 00:38:44,798
Speaker 1: Bruce Boche and a pitching coach like Mike Maddox can

802
00:38:44,878 --> 00:38:45,798
Speaker 1: get you back to square.

803
00:38:46,518 --> 00:38:48,598
Speaker 2: You know, just be an athlete on the Mountain, go compete.

804
00:38:48,998 --> 00:38:51,078
Speaker 3: That's what I heard. I heard all of that, And

805
00:38:51,198 --> 00:38:55,118
Speaker 3: again I never really had met him before. You could

806
00:38:55,118 --> 00:38:58,198
Speaker 3: tell the University of Virginia education. He's a very bright

807
00:38:58,238 --> 00:39:00,798
Speaker 3: young man. So again I just was I was really

808
00:39:01,598 --> 00:39:05,398
Speaker 3: impressed with the style we spoke with us, equally impressed

809
00:39:05,398 --> 00:39:06,598
Speaker 3: with his work in the World Series.

810
00:39:06,758 --> 00:39:08,638
Speaker 1: Yeah, and again I gotta get Bruce Boache a lot

811
00:39:08,638 --> 00:39:11,758
Speaker 1: of credit. I mean, he just let him ride. You know,

812
00:39:11,758 --> 00:39:15,038
Speaker 1: there are situations where by the book it would have

813
00:39:15,118 --> 00:39:18,558
Speaker 1: called for, for instance, Pevin Smith Smith Pinch hits a

814
00:39:18,678 --> 00:39:21,398
Speaker 1: role as chapman to come in and take that plate appearance,

815
00:39:21,678 --> 00:39:24,158
Speaker 1: or if it's the ninth inning, automatically give the ball

816
00:39:24,198 --> 00:39:27,438
Speaker 1: to your closer, jose leclerk. Boach is a guy who

817
00:39:28,038 --> 00:39:30,278
Speaker 1: pays attention to what he's looking at, and in all

818
00:39:30,278 --> 00:39:33,078
Speaker 1: these cases in the postseason, he saw that Josh Spores

819
00:39:33,278 --> 00:39:35,758
Speaker 1: was his guy, reliable guy. There was no reason to

820
00:39:35,798 --> 00:39:37,998
Speaker 1: take him out based on the way he was throwing.

821
00:39:38,238 --> 00:39:40,798
Speaker 3: Agreed, it's all it's about. It's about the eyeballs. It's

822
00:39:40,838 --> 00:39:42,798
Speaker 3: not about knowing your guy. To what extent the clerk

823
00:39:42,878 --> 00:39:44,478
Speaker 3: might have been swreed that night, we don't even know.

824
00:39:45,198 --> 00:39:47,198
Speaker 3: There's all little different did he's going on there that

825
00:39:47,238 --> 00:39:50,718
Speaker 3: plays into that particular decision, But it is it's an

826
00:39:50,718 --> 00:39:54,118
Speaker 3: eyeball decision. It is a gut decision. For those that

827
00:39:54,158 --> 00:39:57,318
Speaker 3: don't want to hear that, it is a decision of experience.

828
00:39:58,438 --> 00:40:00,998
Speaker 3: Boach has been through that before. He saw it in

829
00:40:00,998 --> 00:40:02,598
Speaker 3: his mind's eye, and it was the right move.

830
00:40:02,838 --> 00:40:05,958
Speaker 1: Great stuff from Josh, and we really appreciate him hopping

831
00:40:05,998 --> 00:40:08,878
Speaker 1: on with us. And he was the closer for the

832
00:40:08,878 --> 00:40:11,798
Speaker 1: World series Joe. You're our closer for the Book of

833
00:40:11,878 --> 00:40:12,718
Speaker 1: Joe podcasts.

834
00:40:12,798 --> 00:40:14,878
Speaker 3: So what do you got, Well, he set me up.

835
00:40:14,958 --> 00:40:15,678
Speaker 2: He set you up.

836
00:40:15,838 --> 00:40:16,558
Speaker 3: He set me up.

837
00:40:16,838 --> 00:40:17,758
Speaker 2: He's your setup guy.

838
00:40:18,158 --> 00:40:21,918
Speaker 3: Yeah, he's talking about when he got dfaight, and he

839
00:40:22,118 --> 00:40:25,478
Speaker 3: said something to the effect that the GM came down

840
00:40:25,798 --> 00:40:28,358
Speaker 3: and told me the truth. He told me the truth,

841
00:40:28,398 --> 00:40:31,478
Speaker 3: exactly what's going on, and I was able to deal

842
00:40:31,518 --> 00:40:34,798
Speaker 3: with that. And he's talking about till this day how

843
00:40:34,878 --> 00:40:38,118
Speaker 3: much he really has respect and likes the Dodgers organization.

844
00:40:38,678 --> 00:40:41,318
Speaker 3: So tell me the truth that I might not like

845
00:40:41,398 --> 00:40:43,078
Speaker 3: you for a week or ten days, but light to me,

846
00:40:43,078 --> 00:40:44,878
Speaker 3: I mean hate you forever. So I went to my

847
00:40:44,918 --> 00:40:48,478
Speaker 3: own archives right there, he exactly what he said and

848
00:40:48,518 --> 00:40:51,758
Speaker 3: It's so true when you're dealing with professional people everybody,

849
00:40:51,758 --> 00:40:54,598
Speaker 3: which I shouldn't just say professionals, but in our game,

850
00:40:55,318 --> 00:40:59,438
Speaker 3: professionally speaking, tell the guy the truth. Tell him the truth.

851
00:40:59,638 --> 00:41:01,318
Speaker 3: You don't have to remember what you had said. It's

852
00:41:01,358 --> 00:41:03,518
Speaker 3: going to be there again when you need it. And

853
00:41:03,558 --> 00:41:05,958
Speaker 3: he's might not like it, but I promise you the

854
00:41:05,998 --> 00:41:08,678
Speaker 3: respect will remain and eventually it'll come back to you.

855
00:41:08,758 --> 00:41:11,238
Speaker 3: And that's exactly what he just said. And I really

856
00:41:11,318 --> 00:41:11,838
Speaker 3: appreciate it.

857
00:41:11,958 --> 00:41:15,238
Speaker 1: That great advice and a great episode. I really enjoyed

858
00:41:15,238 --> 00:41:24,878
Speaker 1: that one. Thanks Joe, Thank you, buddy. The Book of

859
00:41:24,958 --> 00:41:28,798
Speaker 1: Joe podcast is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts

860
00:41:28,878 --> 00:41:33,598
Speaker 1: from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever

861
00:41:33,638 --> 00:41:34,798
Speaker 1: you get your podcasts.