WEBVTT - Episode 396 - Bench Bantr ft. Ron Marinaccio

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<v Speaker 1>Joining us now on Bucco Banter is a new picture

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<v Speaker 1>for the Pittsburgh Pires. Ron Mare Nacchio, Ron, Welcome to

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<v Speaker 1>the show.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, thanks for having me.

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<v Speaker 3>Sure.

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<v Speaker 1>How's the past couple of days been a little bit

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<v Speaker 1>of a role win.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, a little bit of whirlwind. Spent a couple of

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<v Speaker 2>days down in Florida, you know, wait.

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<v Speaker 4>And waiting to see what happens, and super excited these

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<v Speaker 4>guys called me and.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, right in the playoff, right back in the

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<v Speaker 2>playoff race. So I'm excited to be here, Bron.

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<v Speaker 5>Let's take it back to your upbringing.

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<v Speaker 3>You grew up on the Jersey Shore in Tom's River,

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<v Speaker 3>a notorious location for Little league baseball. Did you was

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<v Speaker 3>it at a very young age that you thought you

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<v Speaker 3>might have a future in Major league baseball?

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<v Speaker 4>I wouldn't say, like, you know, I was hopeful for it, definitely,

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<v Speaker 4>But it was just fun back then, Like you said,

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<v Speaker 4>a lot of baseball around there, watching you know, Todd

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<v Speaker 4>Frazier play to go to the Little League World Series.

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<v Speaker 4>My brother played on a team in twenty ten that

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<v Speaker 4>made it to the Little League World Series, didn't win

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<v Speaker 4>at all, but just a good baseball culture, sports culture

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<v Speaker 4>in general around there.

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<v Speaker 2>So just enjoyed playing the game.

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<v Speaker 1>After college. I know you suffered an injury and then

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<v Speaker 1>you started coming out of the pen a little bit more.

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<v Speaker 1>What's the mentality switch up with that like? And then

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<v Speaker 1>how do you feel yourself progressing throughout your career coming

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<v Speaker 1>out of the bullpen.

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<v Speaker 4>It was the last year of college where my coaches

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<v Speaker 4>figured it might be best with the team if I

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<v Speaker 4>worked out of the bullpen a little bit. We were just,

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<v Speaker 4>you know, a mid major school, so we weren't stacked

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<v Speaker 4>with a ton of arms, and we had, you know,

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<v Speaker 4>enough serviceable starters.

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<v Speaker 2>So he said, try out the bullpen.

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<v Speaker 4>And that's where I started to see velocity take up

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<v Speaker 4>a little bit and just was comfortable throwing more often

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<v Speaker 4>arm with Johnson back better than it was as a starter.

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<v Speaker 4>I just like being a part of or feeling like

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<v Speaker 4>I could be a part of every game rather than

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<v Speaker 4>having those four or five days off in between. I

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<v Speaker 4>like to feel like I could impact the game every night.

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<v Speaker 3>Ron, let's talk about the mental side of the game.

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<v Speaker 3>I love talking about the mental side game, especially as

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<v Speaker 3>a former pitcher of myself. You're out there on an island,

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<v Speaker 3>the spotlights on you, but as a guy that's also

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<v Speaker 3>coming back from injury, especially after college, talk about how

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<v Speaker 3>you work through the mental side of the game and

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<v Speaker 3>how important that is for you every day.

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah, no, I mean mental side is probably a lot

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<v Speaker 4>more than the physical side. Obviously, you know, you have

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<v Speaker 4>to keep your body in shape, keep your arm in shape.

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<v Speaker 4>But I feel like I've seen here over my first

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<v Speaker 4>four or five seasons that the best of the best

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<v Speaker 4>are just they're absolutely nails up top.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, they do the same thing every day.

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<v Speaker 4>They're over four four for four, you know, seven pitch

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<v Speaker 4>no run or seven inch no runs or a tough

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<v Speaker 4>outing the show up the next day, do the same things,

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<v Speaker 4>bring the same mentality, and you just see over time

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<v Speaker 4>how important that is to be in that mental state,

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<v Speaker 4>because you could feel the hitter kind of sends out

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<v Speaker 4>a picture if he's not feeling confident in his stuff.

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<v Speaker 4>And you could feel the other way too, if you're

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<v Speaker 4>on the mountain and you can tell that a hitter

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<v Speaker 4>is kind of like kind his tail between his legs

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<v Speaker 4>a little bit, You kind of smell blood in the

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<v Speaker 4>water a little bit. And that's just the small things

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<v Speaker 4>at this level, like a big web.

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<v Speaker 1>How do you prep throughout the season in terms of

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<v Speaker 1>your pitch arsenal and pitch shape and design. Is that

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<v Speaker 1>more of an off season routine or throughout the season.

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<v Speaker 1>Are you constantly tweaking?

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah, constantly tweaking. You know, if you show up in

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<v Speaker 4>the season and you can go the whole way with

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<v Speaker 4>without tweaking, you're you're probably in a really good spot.

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<v Speaker 4>But I would say most guys are trying to tweak

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<v Speaker 4>adjust to the game. They you know, you're hearing a

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<v Speaker 4>lot for veterans in this game that you're gonna have

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<v Speaker 4>to the league's gonna adjust you.

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<v Speaker 2>You're gonna have to adjust back to the league. And

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<v Speaker 2>I've been in.

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<v Speaker 4>That process of trying to add a cutter and what's

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<v Speaker 4>the best shape with my cutter.

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<v Speaker 2>And we've been working on that here now, trying to

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<v Speaker 2>sweak with that shape a little bit.

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<v Speaker 4>So we're always tinkering, trying to playing what pitch mix

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<v Speaker 4>is working with what you're doing right now?

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<v Speaker 3>Ron you your change up has been a signature pitch

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<v Speaker 3>for you. When did that become a weapon for you?

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<v Speaker 3>Because I know as myself, for myself, I was I

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<v Speaker 3>never had a feel for a changeup like That's definitely

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<v Speaker 3>a field pitch, I'd feel for a breaking ball. But

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<v Speaker 3>what's what's the secret behind getting a feel for a

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<v Speaker 3>change up?

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<v Speaker 4>For me, it was my rookie ball coach Gerardo Cosa

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<v Speaker 4>Diego in Pulaski, Virginia. You just suck, yeah, suck that

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<v Speaker 4>grip in my hand one day and it was it

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<v Speaker 4>was coming out good.

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<v Speaker 2>I've always had feel for a change up.

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<v Speaker 4>I was a fastball changeup guy mostly in college too,

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<v Speaker 4>but it's more of a front to back and then

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<v Speaker 4>you know, the changing the grip around. You learn more

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<v Speaker 4>about the grips and pro ball and even just like

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<v Speaker 4>as as the game's developed a little bit, we've learned

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<v Speaker 4>a lot more about the seams and what the seams

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<v Speaker 4>do to the ball. So yeah, for me, it was,

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<v Speaker 4>you know, always a comfortable pitch, and then the grip

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<v Speaker 4>change really is what made the change of takeoff for me.

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<v Speaker 1>You mentioned that you've come here and you're working on

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<v Speaker 1>the cutter a little bit more. What have the initial

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<v Speaker 1>conversations with the pirates been like in the past couple

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<v Speaker 1>of days.

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<v Speaker 4>I believe the way I throw the ball from the

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<v Speaker 4>slot that I'm throwing it, that there is room for

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<v Speaker 4>improvement on the cutter, and.

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<v Speaker 2>We could, you know, get it a little bit verdier.

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<v Speaker 4>Right now, it's probably a little bit of a blend

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<v Speaker 4>of the slider, So we're trying to get a little

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<v Speaker 4>bit more of a true cutter, just to compliment my

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<v Speaker 4>other things a little bit better coming ou the pen.

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<v Speaker 5>Is there a position that you feel more comfortable in?

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<v Speaker 3>Because I remember watching you with the Yankees we were

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<v Speaker 3>using some high leverage positions, maybe in some middle relief too.

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<v Speaker 5>Is there a role that you feel more comfortable.

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<v Speaker 2>Coming out of the pen in? Not so much.

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<v Speaker 4>I mean with New York, I faced a lot of

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<v Speaker 4>lefties because of the change up, and also just because

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<v Speaker 4>of the Rosser construction what we had down there, we

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<v Speaker 4>didn't have too many lefties. I like to throw often,

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<v Speaker 4>like more often I throw, the better i'm feeling.

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<v Speaker 2>But I've done a little bit of everything. Now. With

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<v Speaker 2>San Diego, we had.

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<v Speaker 4>A veteran we're established bullpen, so I was doing some longer,

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<v Speaker 4>longer outing, So I got a little bit more comfortable

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<v Speaker 4>doing that and had some experience doing just about everything.

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<v Speaker 4>I would say I like to throw more often, but

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<v Speaker 4>I'm here and willing to, you know.

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<v Speaker 2>Chuck it whenever they need.

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<v Speaker 1>Any relationships with the guys and the team being new here.

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<v Speaker 4>Played with Ryan a bit last year when he came

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<v Speaker 4>over to San Diego at the deadline, but this is

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<v Speaker 4>a this is a new faith lit a new face

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<v Speaker 4>for me, and you know, grateful that the team has

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<v Speaker 4>been super welcoming to me.

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<v Speaker 2>The staff has been awesome just verbializing me.

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<v Speaker 4>They believe in me, and that's just big coming into

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<v Speaker 4>a new spot, especially in the middle of the race,

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<v Speaker 4>Like this big stretch for the team right now is

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<v Speaker 4>just knowing they've got confidence in me.

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<v Speaker 2>Feels good.

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<v Speaker 3>What's the first impression meeting this clubhouse here, Ron, because

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<v Speaker 3>like this is a this has been a younger clubhouse,

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<v Speaker 3>but we added some veterans this year and this is

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<v Speaker 3>a team that's looking to compete.

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<v Speaker 5>What is what has been your initial impression here?

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<v Speaker 4>It's been awesome. You know, it's everybody's excited in the clubhouse.

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<v Speaker 4>Like I said, big stretch here, so boys are boys

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<v Speaker 4>are hungry in there, and it is a change for

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<v Speaker 4>me with the you know, you said you added veteran guys,

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<v Speaker 4>but for me, this is a super young team.

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<v Speaker 2>Being with New York and San Diego.

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<v Speaker 4>I've been with two extremely veteran teams, and even in

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<v Speaker 4>my fifth season, I've been one of the younger guys

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<v Speaker 4>on the team my whole time, and it's different. You know,

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<v Speaker 4>we got a lot of young guys that are, you know,

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<v Speaker 4>big pieces of this team, and I haven't.

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<v Speaker 2>Been a part of that.

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<v Speaker 4>So it's cool to see these young guys carry themselves

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<v Speaker 4>and what like what Jones said yesterday, going out there

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<v Speaker 4>giving us a big star and you know, it's fun.

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<v Speaker 2>It's fun to watch these guys.

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<v Speaker 1>What compired to just to learn a little bit more

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<v Speaker 1>about you. What are we going to hear coming out

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<v Speaker 1>of the bullpen? What's the walkout music this year? And

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<v Speaker 1>anything off the field that you like to do that

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<v Speaker 1>might interest people.

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<v Speaker 4>Walk out song, I just changed it to one of

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<v Speaker 4>one of Drake's news songs, So that's gonna be a

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<v Speaker 4>new one for me.

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<v Speaker 2>I was.

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<v Speaker 4>I was going with an Italian song back in San Diego.

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<v Speaker 5>That I used and speaking of my heart right now,

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<v Speaker 5>I was.

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<v Speaker 2>I was using that through the WBC this year.

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<v Speaker 4>They all Passo team just gave it to me as

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<v Speaker 4>ass cool songs. I rolled with that last year, but

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<v Speaker 4>switching it out now. But a couple of things off

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<v Speaker 4>the field I like to do. I love the golf,

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<v Speaker 4>I love to I love to play poker. I grew

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<v Speaker 4>up playing poker. My grandfather was a big poker player.

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<v Speaker 4>I watched him play poker a bunch, so just me

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<v Speaker 4>and my brother, it was used to play games at home.

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<v Speaker 4>I like playing cards in general, but golf and cards

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<v Speaker 4>I like to do that in my off time.

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<v Speaker 3>I have to ask, as a fellow Italian American myself,

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<v Speaker 3>what does it mean to represent Italian Americans in Major

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<v Speaker 3>League Baseball?

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<v Speaker 4>I mean, it's awesome getting a chance to play on

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<v Speaker 4>that team earlier this year was It's up there with

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<v Speaker 4>one of the best experiences I've I've had playing baseball,

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<v Speaker 4>and just an Italian American.

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<v Speaker 2>Community and family, Like.

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<v Speaker 4>We bonded super quickly, and I think that's just the

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<v Speaker 4>roots of being Italian.

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<v Speaker 2>We have so much in common.

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<v Speaker 4>It's such a big, like family environment, so we're quick

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<v Speaker 4>within those first two weeks to really feel like family

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<v Speaker 4>and it feels good to represent awesome.

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<v Speaker 1>Any favorite homemade dish.

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<v Speaker 4>I'm a I'm a big vodka sauce guy, so like

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<v Speaker 4>a field parm with some vodka sauce on it.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, Oh, absolutely, absolutely love that.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, hey man, we appreciate you joining the show and

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<v Speaker 1>welcome to Pittsburgh and you can't wait to see a

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<v Speaker 1>deal out there.

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<v Speaker 2>Absolutely, thank you guys.

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks man, be the

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<v Speaker 3>Parents can let me run the Yeah, my time is

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<v Speaker 3>like my money because I can't afford to waste uh

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<v Speaker 3>whyee years the lawyer take my date to my dates

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<v Speaker 3>or the stick by the plates in the