1
00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:22,360
Speaker 1: Hello everyone, and welcome to another episode of A Ball

2
00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:25,119
Speaker 1: with eric Os. I am eric Os, and it is

3
00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:27,040
Speaker 1: good to have you with us this week, as we'll

4
00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:29,640
Speaker 1: be talking with the pitching coach, Mark D. Felice here

5
00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:32,120
Speaker 1: for the Clinton lumber Kings, a Single a affiliate of

6
00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:35,280
Speaker 1: the Miami Marlins. For a pitching staff that has quite

7
00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:38,960
Speaker 1: simply been put dominant over the last week or so,

8
00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:41,560
Speaker 1: and a big reason why has been the starting rotation.

9
00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:44,239
Speaker 1: They've been flirting with perfect games and no hitters. So

10
00:00:44,280 --> 00:00:46,720
Speaker 1: we were trying to decide on just the right pitcher

11
00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:49,280
Speaker 1: to talk to, and we decided they've all been so good,

12
00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:51,839
Speaker 1: let's just go to the pitching coach and Mark D. Felice.

13
00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:55,040
Speaker 1: But for the lumber Kings, it really started with Humberto Mahea,

14
00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:57,840
Speaker 1: who took a no hitter for the Clinton lumber Kings

15
00:00:57,880 --> 00:00:59,959
Speaker 1: into the seventh inning of Game one of a day

16
00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:03,120
Speaker 1: header against the Beloit Snappers. The Single a affiliate of

17
00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:06,560
Speaker 1: the Oakland Athletics, and Mahea, with that impressive performance, would

18
00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:08,959
Speaker 1: have his first complete game win by a lumber King

19
00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:12,600
Speaker 1: since twenty seventeen. And Marlins fans will know the name

20
00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:15,200
Speaker 1: Robert Duggar, who is now pitching in the Double A

21
00:01:15,319 --> 00:01:18,320
Speaker 1: ranks with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, so it was a

22
00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:21,120
Speaker 1: historical win for the lumber Kings. And two days later,

23
00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:23,640
Speaker 1: or rather two games later a day later, in that

24
00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:26,840
Speaker 1: five game series out in Beloit, Chris Vallimont almost was

25
00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:29,960
Speaker 1: more impressive than Mehea maybe wise. He went seven innings,

26
00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:32,440
Speaker 1: did not allow a hit, took a perfect game into

27
00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:34,839
Speaker 1: the seventh inning, and the lumber Kings as a team

28
00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:37,280
Speaker 1: would take the no hitter into the ninth with one

29
00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:39,880
Speaker 1: man out before Joseph Penya would have a single to

30
00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:42,160
Speaker 1: break it up, and that was the only hit that

31
00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:45,039
Speaker 1: was surrendered. A franchise for the lumber Kings that is

32
00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:47,760
Speaker 1: known for the no hitter, they have twenty five of

33
00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:50,480
Speaker 1: them going back to win. The Midwest League had formed

34
00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:53,120
Speaker 1: in nineteen fifty four, so lumber Kings are the only

35
00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:56,000
Speaker 1: charter member left in the Midwest League. But still they

36
00:01:56,040 --> 00:01:58,520
Speaker 1: nearly added their twenty six down in Beloit and then

37
00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:01,520
Speaker 1: carried it right into the Berlin B Series, which was

38
00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:04,800
Speaker 1: supposed to be a four game set in home against

39
00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:07,760
Speaker 1: the Bees in Clinton, but of course, because the rains

40
00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:11,760
Speaker 1: had found us again, it became just a three game meeting. Unfortunately,

41
00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:14,400
Speaker 1: it seems like every episode that we have talked to

42
00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:18,440
Speaker 1: you in Weather has been a key portion of the podcast,

43
00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:21,320
Speaker 1: and again that was the case. We record this on Sunday,

44
00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:24,000
Speaker 1: May twenty seventh, and we were rained out today here

45
00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:26,639
Speaker 1: in Clinton, so that four game series against the Burlington

46
00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:29,240
Speaker 1: Bees turning into three, but the lumber Kings will walk

47
00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:31,440
Speaker 1: away with a series win. They take two out of

48
00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:34,560
Speaker 1: three from the Burlington Bees after falling five to nothing

49
00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:38,000
Speaker 1: in game one. They came back with again great starting pitching.

50
00:02:38,040 --> 00:02:40,639
Speaker 1: It started with on Bert tell Mahea on Saturday night.

51
00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:43,800
Speaker 1: Mihia was seven innings of work, striking out nine batters.

52
00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:46,320
Speaker 1: That was just one off his professional career high, which

53
00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:48,960
Speaker 1: he set against the Burlington Bees, which was back on

54
00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:52,079
Speaker 1: May the fifteenth. Did not walk anyone during his time out,

55
00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:55,040
Speaker 1: allowing just two runs on five hits. He picked up

56
00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:56,800
Speaker 1: the win, but he is now five and zero to

57
00:02:56,840 --> 00:03:00,320
Speaker 1: start this season. And then Vallamont, who came right out

58
00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:02,760
Speaker 1: after him the following day on Sunday afternoon, as the

59
00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:06,280
Speaker 1: lumber Kings rebranded to the Clinton Elotes. While he turned

60
00:03:06,320 --> 00:03:08,839
Speaker 1: in six innings of work, allowed only one run which

61
00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:12,320
Speaker 1: was unearned, surrendered only one hit, struck out nine batters

62
00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:16,520
Speaker 1: and walked one. So Valamont also incredibly stingy as well,

63
00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:19,880
Speaker 1: but we've been talking to you about that all season long. Vaalamont, though,

64
00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:22,080
Speaker 1: got a no decision for his time out. Still the

65
00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:25,320
Speaker 1: era continuing to shrink for Valomont. His is down down

66
00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:27,520
Speaker 1: to two point four to three on the season with

67
00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:29,600
Speaker 1: a three to three record. He has been the lumber

68
00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:31,800
Speaker 1: Kings opening day starter and has not missed a start

69
00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:34,480
Speaker 1: since then for the lumber King Zone. With the rainout today,

70
00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:37,560
Speaker 1: back into the wild card race, though against the Burlington Bs,

71
00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:39,839
Speaker 1: currently sitting a game and a half back in those

72
00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:43,440
Speaker 1: wild card standings at twenty six and twenty third. As again,

73
00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:46,880
Speaker 1: we record this on Monday, Memorial Day, May twenty seventh,

74
00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:48,920
Speaker 1: and that is just a half game back a third

75
00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:51,560
Speaker 1: place against the Kane County Cougars, a team that is

76
00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:54,680
Speaker 1: seen quite their share of strong pitching, but in that

77
00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:57,520
Speaker 1: time the offense has gone down just a little bit,

78
00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:00,560
Speaker 1: really fallen off, and you could look at what the

79
00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:03,720
Speaker 1: lumber Kings have struggled with strikeouts. We've talked about it

80
00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:06,200
Speaker 1: quite a bit on the podcast. It's been at Achilles

81
00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:08,760
Speaker 1: heel for the lumber Kings down at the single A level,

82
00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:11,000
Speaker 1: and one of them is Sean Reynolds. We had them

83
00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:13,760
Speaker 1: out on the podcast in Bowling Green. Reynolds, who had

84
00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:17,320
Speaker 1: struck out four times on Sunday afternoon, which was the

85
00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:20,120
Speaker 1: sixth time this season that Reynolds had done that, is

86
00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:23,159
Speaker 1: now the first player in all of professional baseball in

87
00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:27,080
Speaker 1: twenty nineteen to reach the one hundred strikeout mark, and

88
00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:29,480
Speaker 1: he did so in just forty nine contests for the

89
00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:32,520
Speaker 1: lumber Kings. A power bat shirt seven home runs on

90
00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:35,400
Speaker 1: this season in twenty five RBIs but a swing and

91
00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:38,040
Speaker 1: a misrate for Sean Reynolds that has led to these

92
00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:40,960
Speaker 1: high strikeout totals, which we had come to expect given

93
00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:43,000
Speaker 1: the numbers that we had seen last season out in

94
00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:46,400
Speaker 1: Batavia with the Muckdogs. But always interesting when someone gets

95
00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:49,560
Speaker 1: to the one hundred strikeout ratio or milestone I guess

96
00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:51,479
Speaker 1: you could call it in the month of May, and

97
00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:53,760
Speaker 1: that is the case for Reynolds. It has been part

98
00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:56,479
Speaker 1: of a offensive slump for the lumber Kings as of

99
00:04:56,560 --> 00:04:59,560
Speaker 1: late over their last five games, in particular the team

100
00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:01,640
Speaker 1: they've played all right, they're three to two over those

101
00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:04,039
Speaker 1: five games, but again that is mainly built on the

102
00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:06,800
Speaker 1: pitching because as a team they're batting just two to

103
00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:09,560
Speaker 1: four and if you look a little bit closer at

104
00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:12,119
Speaker 1: the numbers, only five of the players the lumber Kings

105
00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:14,599
Speaker 1: have sent out there in those five games have had

106
00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:17,720
Speaker 1: averages in that limited sample size that are over two hundred,

107
00:05:17,960 --> 00:05:21,240
Speaker 1: and that is Jarin Cornescione, j d Osborne, Connor Scott,

108
00:05:21,279 --> 00:05:25,120
Speaker 1: Dimitria Sims, and Christopher Torres. Everyone else is below the

109
00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:27,880
Speaker 1: two hundred mark when it comes to batting average over

110
00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:30,200
Speaker 1: the last five games and has been a reason why

111
00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:32,840
Speaker 1: the lumber Kings have stalled. We mentioned the shutout loss

112
00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:36,080
Speaker 1: against the Burlington Bees on Friday night. That was their

113
00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:38,560
Speaker 1: third shutout loss of this season, first time they were

114
00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:40,680
Speaker 1: shut out and not losing two to nothing, a five

115
00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:43,560
Speaker 1: to nothing loss to the Burlington Bees. But luckily for

116
00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:46,840
Speaker 1: the lumber Kings, the pitching able to hold strong against

117
00:05:46,960 --> 00:05:50,360
Speaker 1: the lack of offense at times, but they've benefited from walks

118
00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:53,040
Speaker 1: and the lumber Kings certainly a patient team and that

119
00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:56,480
Speaker 1: was one of the ways they've been able to manufacture runs. Also,

120
00:05:56,839 --> 00:05:59,200
Speaker 1: maybe one that is a little frustrating for the likes

121
00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:01,680
Speaker 1: of Demetrius Cis, but he has been a magnet for

122
00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:04,360
Speaker 1: the baseball and we don't mean that defensively, we mean

123
00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:06,719
Speaker 1: it offensively. He just keeps getting hit on the hand,

124
00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:09,919
Speaker 1: the left hand in particular, and in the forearm area,

125
00:06:09,960 --> 00:06:11,680
Speaker 1: and we'd seen that grow to a little bit of

126
00:06:11,680 --> 00:06:14,520
Speaker 1: frustration for Demetrius. He just seems to not be able

127
00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:16,679
Speaker 1: to not be hit by a pitch. And we talked

128
00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:18,680
Speaker 1: with about it with Mark Jacobs when we had him

129
00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:20,800
Speaker 1: on the pregame show last week that he was a

130
00:06:20,839 --> 00:06:23,400
Speaker 1: little frustrated too, because you never want to see anyone

131
00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:25,960
Speaker 1: get hurt. And for Sims, who has been swinging a

132
00:06:25,960 --> 00:06:28,360
Speaker 1: hot bat, he's been around the three hundred average all

133
00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:31,080
Speaker 1: season long. He has still been battling through that with

134
00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:33,920
Speaker 1: what is just the grind of the baseball season, made

135
00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:36,360
Speaker 1: even more difficult by the pitches that have been run

136
00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:38,960
Speaker 1: in on that hand of his and on the forearm.

137
00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:41,159
Speaker 1: For Sims, as we mentioned though, he's one of the

138
00:06:41,279 --> 00:06:43,960
Speaker 1: handful of lumber Kings with a mark over two hundred

139
00:06:43,960 --> 00:06:46,279
Speaker 1: for the batting average over the last five games a

140
00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:48,920
Speaker 1: three point thirty three average, and so Sims has been

141
00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:51,359
Speaker 1: in the middle of the lumber Kings lineup and providing

142
00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:54,279
Speaker 1: rarely seen hits at times, but we were able to

143
00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:57,760
Speaker 1: see a nice performance from Gerar and Carnaciona always easy

144
00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:00,760
Speaker 1: to highlight him because he's always got something to talk about.

145
00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:03,880
Speaker 1: On his line three hit performance on a win for

146
00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:06,800
Speaker 1: the lumber Kings against the Burlington B's on Saturday night,

147
00:07:07,040 --> 00:07:09,680
Speaker 1: he scored three runs in the contest after reaching all

148
00:07:09,720 --> 00:07:12,040
Speaker 1: the time on singles in the third, the fifth end,

149
00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:14,040
Speaker 1: in the seventh inning. It was the first time in

150
00:07:14,080 --> 00:07:17,120
Speaker 1: the twenty nineteen season that the lumber King had scored

151
00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:21,000
Speaker 1: three runs in one game. So that was the offensive

152
00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:23,480
Speaker 1: report card for the Clinton lumber Kings. For the full

153
00:07:23,480 --> 00:07:26,080
Speaker 1: pitching report card, we're gonna let Mark de Phillis handle

154
00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:28,080
Speaker 1: it a little bit better than we can. We will

155
00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:30,600
Speaker 1: get into the sabermetric side of things a little bit,

156
00:07:30,840 --> 00:07:33,080
Speaker 1: as we ask Mark at the very end to just

157
00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:36,920
Speaker 1: explain to us what exactly a spin rate is and

158
00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:40,000
Speaker 1: what it means. Part of the new knowledge of baseball fans.

159
00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:42,600
Speaker 1: We have to educate ourselves on these things. And Mark

160
00:07:42,640 --> 00:07:44,800
Speaker 1: de fellies is to the rescue when we come back.

161
00:07:44,840 --> 00:07:47,120
Speaker 1: He will join us the lumber Kings pitching coach here

162
00:07:47,160 --> 00:07:49,640
Speaker 1: on a ball with Eric Os. We'll be back right

163
00:07:49,680 --> 00:08:16,840
Speaker 1: after this, and welcome back here on a Ball with

164
00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:19,280
Speaker 1: Eric Osper, now joined by the lumber Kings pitching coach

165
00:08:19,320 --> 00:08:21,560
Speaker 1: Mark D. Felice on a rainy day in Clinton as

166
00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:23,920
Speaker 1: we record this on Sunday, May twenty seven. Thanks for

167
00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:25,560
Speaker 1: coming on to the podcast side of things.

168
00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:27,880
Speaker 2: It seems like it's always raining in Clinton. I know.

169
00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:30,640
Speaker 1: I was just thinking about it that the podcast kind

170
00:08:30,640 --> 00:08:33,439
Speaker 1: of feels like a weather update from the first twenty

171
00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:36,079
Speaker 1: minutes of it because the lumber King's postponed again today.

172
00:08:36,120 --> 00:08:38,959
Speaker 1: But we'll be talking baseball, we promise, so warmer thoughts

173
00:08:38,960 --> 00:08:40,960
Speaker 1: at least in our minds. We're talking, of course, with

174
00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:42,640
Speaker 1: the pitching coach, so that's a good place to start.

175
00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:44,719
Speaker 1: The pitching side of things. Lumber Kings, who have been

176
00:08:44,720 --> 00:08:47,080
Speaker 1: throwing the ball really well as of late. Let's just

177
00:08:47,120 --> 00:08:49,760
Speaker 1: go over perfect games and no hitters, the close calls

178
00:08:49,760 --> 00:08:51,680
Speaker 1: that were to be out in Beloit. What have you

179
00:08:51,720 --> 00:08:53,880
Speaker 1: seen so well? I guess from the starting rotation as

180
00:08:53,880 --> 00:08:54,199
Speaker 1: of late.

181
00:08:54,679 --> 00:08:57,600
Speaker 2: I'll tell you what Mehea, I think he was the

182
00:08:57,600 --> 00:09:00,400
Speaker 2: one that started off. But he's been throwing the ball very,

183
00:09:00,480 --> 00:09:04,880
Speaker 2: very well. The command of his fastball has been something

184
00:09:04,920 --> 00:09:08,199
Speaker 2: that puts a smile on my face. I mean, that's

185
00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:11,000
Speaker 2: the one thing at this level moving forward is you

186
00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:13,480
Speaker 2: have to teach these guys fastball command. He does that

187
00:09:13,640 --> 00:09:17,240
Speaker 2: very well. He's able to add angle to his fastball.

188
00:09:17,280 --> 00:09:19,000
Speaker 2: He's got to feel for the top of the zone

189
00:09:19,040 --> 00:09:21,000
Speaker 2: with his fastball, and he hits on all of his

190
00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:23,720
Speaker 2: secondary pitches. He throws his change up, he throws a slider,

191
00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:26,040
Speaker 2: and he throws his curveball for strikes. So when you

192
00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:29,040
Speaker 2: can do that keep hitters off balance, you're going to

193
00:09:29,080 --> 00:09:30,800
Speaker 2: have success, especially at the lower levels.

194
00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:33,760
Speaker 1: Yeah, and going over Mahea because you're kind of referencing

195
00:09:33,760 --> 00:09:35,559
Speaker 1: that start that he had out in Beloit, which was

196
00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:37,160
Speaker 1: game one of a double header. When we had him

197
00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:39,280
Speaker 1: on the pregame show, he asked him exactly what was

198
00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:41,560
Speaker 1: working so well. He said it was that curveball, and

199
00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:43,400
Speaker 1: we could see it with the strikeouts because it's kind

200
00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:45,520
Speaker 1: of that twelve to six, you know, like nose to toes,

201
00:09:45,559 --> 00:09:47,960
Speaker 1: so it's easy to spot, even for a broadcaster. It

202
00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:50,760
Speaker 1: doesn't take an advanced scout to see that the curveball

203
00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:52,760
Speaker 1: is being thrown. And he said that he was having

204
00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:56,400
Speaker 1: maybe some difficulty with the changeup in that appearance, but obviously,

205
00:09:56,440 --> 00:09:58,320
Speaker 1: the curveball was able to bail him out. Does that

206
00:09:58,400 --> 00:10:00,640
Speaker 1: kind of speak to how well he is throwing the

207
00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:03,240
Speaker 1: ball because maybe not having all of those pitches to

208
00:10:03,280 --> 00:10:04,840
Speaker 1: work with in and out and he takes a no

209
00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:07,880
Speaker 1: hitter into the seventh inning and turns in eight solid innings.

210
00:10:07,559 --> 00:10:09,280
Speaker 2: When you have a lot of weapons the way he

211
00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:12,679
Speaker 2: does and one's not working the other, the others just

212
00:10:12,720 --> 00:10:15,320
Speaker 2: seemed to kind of just do the job. And that

213
00:10:15,480 --> 00:10:18,439
Speaker 2: day his breaking ball was unbelievable. He did. I think

214
00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:22,240
Speaker 2: he threw like four maybe five change ups, but he

215
00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:24,280
Speaker 2: picks his spots with it. Obviously, if with a heavy

216
00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:28,760
Speaker 2: left handed lineup, he probably would throw probably anywhere between

217
00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:32,280
Speaker 2: ten to fifteen change ups. Valamont's a guy that we've

218
00:10:32,280 --> 00:10:34,440
Speaker 2: been really kind of preaching change ups with. He's another

219
00:10:34,480 --> 00:10:38,720
Speaker 2: guy that throws very, very good breaking balls. As you

220
00:10:38,720 --> 00:10:41,920
Speaker 2: saw last night, he was able to throw that curveball

221
00:10:41,960 --> 00:10:44,920
Speaker 2: over to get ahead. I think his first pitch strike

222
00:10:44,960 --> 00:10:47,920
Speaker 2: percentage is like eighty one percent yesterday, which was which

223
00:10:47,960 --> 00:10:50,080
Speaker 2: was amazing. It actually makes my job a lot easier

224
00:10:50,080 --> 00:10:52,319
Speaker 2: when guys are able to throw strikes and able to

225
00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:54,480
Speaker 2: throw their secondary pitching, and then it all of a

226
00:10:54,520 --> 00:10:56,640
Speaker 2: sudden becomes more of the mental side of the game

227
00:10:56,679 --> 00:10:59,240
Speaker 2: with sequencing and what we're actually trying to do to

228
00:10:59,280 --> 00:11:01,760
Speaker 2: the hitter up there. You look at where they are

229
00:11:01,800 --> 00:11:03,920
Speaker 2: in the box, you know, if they have an open

230
00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:06,679
Speaker 2: or close stance, where they're where their hands are, and

231
00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:09,440
Speaker 2: you basically work per pitch. I mean, it's nice to

232
00:11:09,440 --> 00:11:11,320
Speaker 2: have a game plan going in. Okay, this is what

233
00:11:11,360 --> 00:11:12,800
Speaker 2: I'm gonna do early in the count, this is what

234
00:11:12,840 --> 00:11:16,040
Speaker 2: I'm gonna do late, but it could change, you know, second,

235
00:11:16,160 --> 00:11:18,199
Speaker 2: third time through a lineup. You kind of you don't

236
00:11:18,240 --> 00:11:20,800
Speaker 2: want to try to reinvent yourself, but if teams start

237
00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:23,400
Speaker 2: making that adjustment, you're you're gonna be able to have

238
00:11:23,440 --> 00:11:26,520
Speaker 2: to make that adjustment yourself or you're gonna get hurt.

239
00:11:26,720 --> 00:11:28,120
Speaker 2: And I think you did a really good job of

240
00:11:28,160 --> 00:11:28,880
Speaker 2: that yesterday.

241
00:11:28,960 --> 00:11:31,360
Speaker 1: Yeah, you're mentioning Chris Vallimon because he's been with the

242
00:11:31,400 --> 00:11:33,760
Speaker 1: lumber King since Opening Day was the opening day starter.

243
00:11:33,880 --> 00:11:35,679
Speaker 1: What have you felt like are the adjustments that he's

244
00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:38,080
Speaker 1: had to make because he's been through now teams it

245
00:11:38,120 --> 00:11:40,520
Speaker 1: seems like two times through the season, so he's kind

246
00:11:40,520 --> 00:11:42,600
Speaker 1: of familiar to these bats, and what are the some

247
00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:45,760
Speaker 1: of the I guess the chess match the mental gymnastics

248
00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:47,760
Speaker 1: that go on now that he is a familiar arm

249
00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:50,240
Speaker 1: here in the Midwest League because his success is still there. Right,

250
00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:51,320
Speaker 1: he's been so consistent.

251
00:11:51,400 --> 00:11:55,120
Speaker 2: With analytics now they not only have a book on somebody,

252
00:11:55,120 --> 00:11:57,640
Speaker 2: but you can actually go to the websites and see

253
00:11:57,679 --> 00:12:00,920
Speaker 2: where this guy likes to throw. You know, the tendencies

254
00:12:00,960 --> 00:12:03,320
Speaker 2: early in the count, late in the count. What's his

255
00:12:03,720 --> 00:12:07,320
Speaker 2: usage as far as curveball percentage, change up percentage, fastball

256
00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:10,920
Speaker 2: percentage late in the count. So it's nice to have

257
00:12:11,400 --> 00:12:13,360
Speaker 2: those analytics and to look at them because you can

258
00:12:13,400 --> 00:12:15,840
Speaker 2: actually almost play off of that a little bit. And

259
00:12:15,880 --> 00:12:17,960
Speaker 2: the second half it's like, okay, we have all this

260
00:12:18,160 --> 00:12:20,920
Speaker 2: data of what you've done did the first half, and

261
00:12:20,960 --> 00:12:24,720
Speaker 2: it's not trying to make too many adjustments, but if

262
00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:26,880
Speaker 2: we need to, then we can just basically go to

263
00:12:26,880 --> 00:12:29,240
Speaker 2: the analytics and say, okay, this is what we did.

264
00:12:29,280 --> 00:12:31,280
Speaker 2: Maybe we can start pitching a little bit differently this

265
00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:33,960
Speaker 2: time around second you know, second half of the season.

266
00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:38,080
Speaker 2: But they always say the toughest, not the toughest, But

267
00:12:38,360 --> 00:12:40,760
Speaker 2: it's tough to get to the big leagues. It's tougher

268
00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:42,760
Speaker 2: to stay in the big leagues just because if you

269
00:12:42,800 --> 00:12:44,800
Speaker 2: have a you know, a five and eight, a ten

270
00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:46,920
Speaker 2: year career, I mean, the book is out on you

271
00:12:46,960 --> 00:12:49,360
Speaker 2: with how you like to pitch, and it's just kind

272
00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:53,440
Speaker 2: of getting better every year and not really just being

273
00:12:53,480 --> 00:12:55,880
Speaker 2: complacent the way you throw the ball. It's like it's

274
00:12:56,080 --> 00:12:58,840
Speaker 2: every year you're learning new things. I mean I was

275
00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:00,840
Speaker 2: like that throughout my career. It's like I had to

276
00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:03,560
Speaker 2: adapt or die, so to speak. And I just started

277
00:13:03,559 --> 00:13:06,160
Speaker 2: adding more movement to my fastball because my fastball was

278
00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:09,360
Speaker 2: very straight when I was younger, and you know, I

279
00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:12,240
Speaker 2: could pinpoint it in and out, but it lacked movement.

280
00:13:12,320 --> 00:13:15,800
Speaker 2: And as I progressed, that movement helped, I think, get

281
00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:17,640
Speaker 2: me to the big leagues with the cut fastball.

282
00:13:17,760 --> 00:13:19,280
Speaker 1: How do you how do you go about teaching that

283
00:13:19,440 --> 00:13:21,600
Speaker 1: and learning that just adding that movement to the to

284
00:13:21,640 --> 00:13:23,559
Speaker 1: the repertoire. I guess early on you can kind of

285
00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:25,480
Speaker 1: feel like you can just throw it past guys right,

286
00:13:25,559 --> 00:13:27,320
Speaker 1: so it doesn't need to have that movement. And then

287
00:13:27,320 --> 00:13:29,680
Speaker 1: you realize that, you know, major leaguers, as Bobby Cox

288
00:13:29,679 --> 00:13:31,360
Speaker 1: once said, could time a jet if you gave them

289
00:13:31,520 --> 00:13:33,320
Speaker 1: long enough time to do it. So how do you

290
00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:36,319
Speaker 1: go about learning that because it almost seems like speed,

291
00:13:36,360 --> 00:13:38,640
Speaker 1: almost right, something that you're born with, but it's something

292
00:13:38,640 --> 00:13:40,000
Speaker 1: that you mentioned you could pick up on.

293
00:13:40,280 --> 00:13:42,240
Speaker 2: I was a bit of a tweaker. I mean, even

294
00:13:42,360 --> 00:13:44,720
Speaker 2: even in my throwing programs, and even on you know,

295
00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:47,439
Speaker 2: the bullpen mound, I would I would use different grips,

296
00:13:47,559 --> 00:13:50,359
Speaker 2: you know, and see how it would move. You know,

297
00:13:50,440 --> 00:13:53,080
Speaker 2: as you drop your arm slot, it adds armside runs.

298
00:13:53,120 --> 00:13:54,760
Speaker 2: So I would mess around with my arm slots a

299
00:13:54,800 --> 00:13:57,360
Speaker 2: little bit. At the younger levels, we really kind of

300
00:13:57,400 --> 00:13:59,920
Speaker 2: want to refine the delivery to kind of make it

301
00:14:00,880 --> 00:14:03,680
Speaker 2: something that's repetitive so we can command those pitches. But

302
00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:06,680
Speaker 2: as you get older and you start really being more

303
00:14:06,760 --> 00:14:08,800
Speaker 2: comfortable with your body and the way it works and

304
00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:10,760
Speaker 2: this and that, you can manipulate the ball a little

305
00:14:10,760 --> 00:14:14,320
Speaker 2: bit easier. I guess, And you know, I got a

306
00:14:14,360 --> 00:14:16,480
Speaker 2: hold of this cut fastball. I guess when I was

307
00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:18,640
Speaker 2: about twenty nine years old. I spent ten years in

308
00:14:18,679 --> 00:14:21,040
Speaker 2: the minor leagues, and it was when I was twenty

309
00:14:21,120 --> 00:14:23,360
Speaker 2: nine I learned the cutter, and two years later I

310
00:14:23,360 --> 00:14:25,640
Speaker 2: was in the big leagues. And it was a pitch

311
00:14:25,720 --> 00:14:28,200
Speaker 2: that that kind of separated me from the rest of

312
00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:30,560
Speaker 2: the pack, so to speak. We're always talking about separators

313
00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:34,440
Speaker 2: like stock righties throw eighty eight to ninety two ish,

314
00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:36,280
Speaker 2: you know what I mean. Guys that throw a little

315
00:14:36,320 --> 00:14:38,920
Speaker 2: bit harder than that. You know, you're ninety four, ninety five,

316
00:14:39,040 --> 00:14:41,320
Speaker 2: ninety six. They were put in a different category, guys

317
00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:43,320
Speaker 2: that can throw the two seam or the cutter, the

318
00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:46,960
Speaker 2: guys that have pitchability. You know, how are you separating

319
00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:49,200
Speaker 2: yourself from from guy that's an or guy to a

320
00:14:49,240 --> 00:14:51,480
Speaker 2: guy that you know turns himself into a prospect. So,

321
00:14:52,120 --> 00:14:53,560
Speaker 2: you know, it kind of a light went on in

322
00:14:53,640 --> 00:14:55,200
Speaker 2: my head as far as what I needed to do

323
00:14:55,280 --> 00:14:57,840
Speaker 2: to get better, and it's getting better every year. You know.

324
00:14:57,880 --> 00:15:01,080
Speaker 2: It's just every year is an opportunity to not add

325
00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:03,320
Speaker 2: a pitch, but just refine your pitches, to get a

326
00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:06,320
Speaker 2: little bit better with command, to get that curveball over,

327
00:15:07,400 --> 00:15:10,720
Speaker 2: you know, with strike percentage more frequently. So if you

328
00:15:10,760 --> 00:15:13,000
Speaker 2: can do that, you can move through levels, and then

329
00:15:13,040 --> 00:15:16,000
Speaker 2: it just becomes the competition aspect of things like what's

330
00:15:16,040 --> 00:15:18,960
Speaker 2: going on between the lines. I always I always preach

331
00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:24,080
Speaker 2: to the guys there's there's the training mindset and then

332
00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:26,720
Speaker 2: the trusting mindset of things like training is everything we

333
00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:29,480
Speaker 2: do in the grass that the throwing programs guys want

334
00:15:29,480 --> 00:15:32,880
Speaker 2: to do long toss programs. We banged our flat ground

335
00:15:33,080 --> 00:15:35,520
Speaker 2: because basically, it teaches us to be late. When you

336
00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:38,160
Speaker 2: hit the your front side of the foot hits the

337
00:15:38,200 --> 00:15:41,520
Speaker 2: dirt on a slope, it's a little bit, you know,

338
00:15:41,640 --> 00:15:44,040
Speaker 2: more of a decline. So we do all of our

339
00:15:44,080 --> 00:15:46,160
Speaker 2: work on the mound now, so if guys want skill work,

340
00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:48,080
Speaker 2: they'll do it off the mound. We call it skill

341
00:15:48,120 --> 00:15:51,080
Speaker 2: work now instead of instead of flat ground. So a

342
00:15:51,080 --> 00:15:52,640
Speaker 2: lot of guys are throwing off the mound and just

343
00:15:52,680 --> 00:15:57,560
Speaker 2: gaining that consistency in that feel, and you know, do

344
00:15:57,640 --> 00:15:59,960
Speaker 2: it in the grass and it translates to the bullpen

345
00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:03,000
Speaker 2: and hopefully we've done enough reps where we can we

346
00:16:03,040 --> 00:16:06,960
Speaker 2: can take that out to a competition level between the lines. Now,

347
00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:09,840
Speaker 2: that's where you get game speed. You always try to

348
00:16:09,840 --> 00:16:11,960
Speaker 2: replicate game speed in the bullpen, but you can never

349
00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:13,920
Speaker 2: really get there. I mean, when the heart starts going

350
00:16:13,960 --> 00:16:16,000
Speaker 2: and you're you're ramped up to one hundred hundred and

351
00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:19,120
Speaker 2: five percent, that's when you really need to start calming

352
00:16:19,160 --> 00:16:21,800
Speaker 2: your nerves, calm your heart rate down and be able

353
00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:24,960
Speaker 2: to just pitch and it's been nice to see some

354
00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:26,920
Speaker 2: of the guys this year be able to do that.

355
00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:29,800
Speaker 2: I think at younger levels, when you become a professional,

356
00:16:29,840 --> 00:16:32,880
Speaker 2: it's like added pressure on you to perform. Okay, they

357
00:16:32,880 --> 00:16:34,440
Speaker 2: gave me a bunch of money, I got to do this,

358
00:16:34,440 --> 00:16:36,960
Speaker 2: this and this. But you know, my job as a

359
00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:40,200
Speaker 2: pitching coach is just to have them relax focus, you know,

360
00:16:40,320 --> 00:16:42,240
Speaker 2: just to remind them that it is still a game.

361
00:16:42,880 --> 00:16:45,000
Speaker 2: It's a game you've played since you were younger, and

362
00:16:45,080 --> 00:16:48,560
Speaker 2: everything that goes on out there, it's just it's it's

363
00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:51,840
Speaker 2: you getting better. It's part of the process. And you

364
00:16:51,880 --> 00:16:54,080
Speaker 2: know sometimes you're going to take your lumps during the process.

365
00:16:55,120 --> 00:17:00,320
Speaker 2: But when you struggle and you come across times where

366
00:17:00,960 --> 00:17:03,840
Speaker 2: you know you've learned a lot because you kept throwing

367
00:17:03,880 --> 00:17:05,880
Speaker 2: this certain pitch or this and that, you know it's

368
00:17:05,920 --> 00:17:09,280
Speaker 2: just experience for the next level and you just learn.

369
00:17:09,359 --> 00:17:11,040
Speaker 2: You just use it as a learning experience to get

370
00:17:11,080 --> 00:17:12,240
Speaker 2: better each and every time.

371
00:17:12,520 --> 00:17:14,560
Speaker 1: We're again talking with the lumber Kings pitching coach here,

372
00:17:14,600 --> 00:17:16,440
Speaker 1: Marty Felice, you kind of hit on it a little

373
00:17:16,440 --> 00:17:18,840
Speaker 1: bit from your personal experience the cutter, which I've always

374
00:17:18,880 --> 00:17:21,360
Speaker 1: been interested in as a pitch because you don't hear

375
00:17:21,400 --> 00:17:23,600
Speaker 1: about a lot at the single A level, and you

376
00:17:23,640 --> 00:17:25,600
Speaker 1: mentioned finding it at twenty nine years of age, so

377
00:17:25,640 --> 00:17:27,560
Speaker 1: that's not an age that we see too often here

378
00:17:27,600 --> 00:17:29,600
Speaker 1: in the Midwest League. I think, actually we can't buy

379
00:17:29,680 --> 00:17:34,040
Speaker 1: league rules, but just in developing that pitch, it obviously

380
00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:35,919
Speaker 1: works off the fastball. But then you go to the

381
00:17:35,920 --> 00:17:38,240
Speaker 1: major leagues and you've got careers that are entirely built

382
00:17:38,240 --> 00:17:41,040
Speaker 1: on it. Mario Rivera famously only through cutters and it

383
00:17:41,200 --> 00:17:43,800
Speaker 1: worked out all right for him. He's in Cooperstown right now.

384
00:17:44,080 --> 00:17:46,400
Speaker 1: So why is it is that taking so long? Usually

385
00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:49,000
Speaker 1: the development you hear guys talking about the pitch they're

386
00:17:49,040 --> 00:17:51,119
Speaker 1: working on in single is usually the change up, but

387
00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:53,760
Speaker 1: the cutter just kind of comes late, usually I guess

388
00:17:53,760 --> 00:17:56,000
Speaker 1: at the double A level or so on, so to speak.

389
00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:56,679
Speaker 1: But why is that.

390
00:17:56,840 --> 00:18:00,919
Speaker 2: Any pitching coordinator that you talk to, they talk about

391
00:18:00,960 --> 00:18:04,640
Speaker 2: the cutter as something that they'll learn down the road.

392
00:18:04,720 --> 00:18:09,080
Speaker 2: It's not a developmental pitch, as in, we're going to

393
00:18:09,160 --> 00:18:11,080
Speaker 2: teach these guys right out of the bat when they

394
00:18:11,080 --> 00:18:13,760
Speaker 2: get to us from high school or college. It's usually

395
00:18:13,800 --> 00:18:16,560
Speaker 2: something later down the road that guys start developing, maybe

396
00:18:16,560 --> 00:18:19,879
Speaker 2: in double A or even Triple A some guys in

397
00:18:19,880 --> 00:18:21,879
Speaker 2: the big leagues. I mean, if you look at CC Sabathia,

398
00:18:21,960 --> 00:18:24,320
Speaker 2: he didn't have a cutter when he was actually first

399
00:18:24,359 --> 00:18:26,000
Speaker 2: in the big leagues, and now he throws a lot

400
00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:30,360
Speaker 2: of cutters. Cole Hamill same way, John Lester, same way.

401
00:18:30,400 --> 00:18:34,040
Speaker 2: All these guys throw cutters. They call him career savers.

402
00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:37,200
Speaker 2: You know, when velocity starts dropping and we want to

403
00:18:37,200 --> 00:18:40,480
Speaker 2: start adding more movement to our fastball, then guys start

404
00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:43,320
Speaker 2: going more towards the cutter. Two seamer used to be

405
00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:45,520
Speaker 2: like the pitch back in the day, but now it

406
00:18:45,560 --> 00:18:47,560
Speaker 2: seems like it's more the cut fastball.

407
00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:49,760
Speaker 1: Yeah, the day like ten years ago, right, because I

408
00:18:49,840 --> 00:18:52,040
Speaker 1: was tim Linsecom's big pitch was the two seamer. It

409
00:18:52,040 --> 00:18:54,440
Speaker 1: seemed like it worked off his four seemer exactly.

410
00:18:54,560 --> 00:18:57,040
Speaker 2: So you know, it was just the right time in

411
00:18:57,080 --> 00:18:59,640
Speaker 2: my career to learn it. I think I had kind

412
00:18:59,640 --> 00:19:02,400
Speaker 2: of play to to Triple A, and I was bouncing around,

413
00:19:03,119 --> 00:19:06,000
Speaker 2: you know, to different organizations, and I'd always go down

414
00:19:06,200 --> 00:19:08,520
Speaker 2: and play in Mexico in the winter ball. And I

415
00:19:08,560 --> 00:19:11,560
Speaker 2: met a Mexican pitching coach in two thousand and six

416
00:19:12,359 --> 00:19:15,920
Speaker 2: and he liked my fastball. He didn't like my slider,

417
00:19:16,160 --> 00:19:19,119
Speaker 2: and he goes, there should be a little bit of

418
00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:22,800
Speaker 2: I guess my fastball was probably around ninety ninety one

419
00:19:22,800 --> 00:19:24,920
Speaker 2: and my slider was like eighty eighty one. He said,

420
00:19:24,960 --> 00:19:28,080
Speaker 2: your slider should be a little bit closer speed wise

421
00:19:28,119 --> 00:19:30,560
Speaker 2: to your fastball, probably around eighty forty five. And he's like,

422
00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:32,960
Speaker 2: I'm going to teach you this cut fastball. Hopefully it

423
00:19:33,080 --> 00:19:36,240
Speaker 2: blends into your slider. And he taught it to me

424
00:19:36,320 --> 00:19:39,920
Speaker 2: that night. Threw it in the bullpen, throw pretty well

425
00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:41,960
Speaker 2: to the fact where I thought I could command it

426
00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:44,920
Speaker 2: in the game. Two days later, I pitched in one

427
00:19:44,920 --> 00:19:46,880
Speaker 2: of the games with the cutter. I punched out nine

428
00:19:46,920 --> 00:19:49,200
Speaker 2: guys with it, so and it's not even a pitch

429
00:19:49,240 --> 00:19:51,320
Speaker 2: that you really strike guys out with. It's supposed to

430
00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:54,640
Speaker 2: be a contact pitch, like we contact. But mine moved

431
00:19:55,920 --> 00:19:58,960
Speaker 2: pretty good and I kind of I kind of just

432
00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:02,399
Speaker 2: adapted it. And when I didn't get signed, well, I

433
00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:04,640
Speaker 2: did get signed that year because I was a free agent.

434
00:20:04,640 --> 00:20:06,520
Speaker 2: I signed with the Chicago Cubs and I got released

435
00:20:06,560 --> 00:20:08,680
Speaker 2: out of spring training. I ended up in independent baseball

436
00:20:08,680 --> 00:20:11,080
Speaker 2: in two thousand and six, and I play. I pitched

437
00:20:11,080 --> 00:20:13,719
Speaker 2: for the Camden River Sharks in the Atlantic League, and

438
00:20:13,760 --> 00:20:16,080
Speaker 2: I threw the cutter probably eighty to eighty five percent

439
00:20:16,119 --> 00:20:17,600
Speaker 2: of the time because I knew this was going to

440
00:20:17,640 --> 00:20:19,320
Speaker 2: be a special pitch and I wanted to use it

441
00:20:19,320 --> 00:20:21,439
Speaker 2: a lot and perfect it. So I was able to

442
00:20:22,040 --> 00:20:24,600
Speaker 2: command it glove side armside, I could rise it, and

443
00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:26,920
Speaker 2: I could actually, you know, add depth to it, kind

444
00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:28,720
Speaker 2: of like a slider. So when I got back into

445
00:20:28,760 --> 00:20:31,400
Speaker 2: affiliated ball, when the Brewers signed me the following year,

446
00:20:32,200 --> 00:20:33,919
Speaker 2: I was armed with this cutter and I kind of

447
00:20:33,920 --> 00:20:36,320
Speaker 2: flew through their minor league system from DOUAA Triple and

448
00:20:36,320 --> 00:20:37,960
Speaker 2: I made my major league they'd be on two thousand

449
00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:40,160
Speaker 2: and eight, so I it was kind of a career

450
00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:41,960
Speaker 2: saver and it kind of actually made my career.

451
00:20:42,119 --> 00:20:42,320
Speaker 3: Yeah.

452
00:20:42,600 --> 00:20:45,760
Speaker 1: Yeah, it looked like it lived up to the advertisement.

453
00:20:45,840 --> 00:20:47,480
Speaker 1: I guess gets a big shout out to the coach

454
00:20:47,520 --> 00:20:48,680
Speaker 1: out in Mexico.

455
00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:50,640
Speaker 2: Too, Adolpho Navarro. I'll never forget his name.

456
00:20:50,680 --> 00:20:52,919
Speaker 1: There we go. Well, the clint lumber Kings two. We

457
00:20:52,920 --> 00:20:55,280
Speaker 1: were talking with Alex Vessio. We had a community outing

458
00:20:55,400 --> 00:20:58,280
Speaker 1: up in Chadwick, and he was talking about the change

459
00:20:58,359 --> 00:20:59,840
Speaker 1: up a little bit in how you control it and

460
00:21:00,119 --> 00:21:01,960
Speaker 1: getting out in front of the pitch, and it was

461
00:21:02,040 --> 00:21:04,760
Speaker 1: kind of interesting just from the bullpen perspective. Vessia, who

462
00:21:04,800 --> 00:21:06,560
Speaker 1: comes out of the lumber Kings bullpen as a left

463
00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:09,040
Speaker 1: hander and has been pretty effective this season, just kind

464
00:21:09,080 --> 00:21:11,080
Speaker 1: of learning that pitch and what he was saying that

465
00:21:11,119 --> 00:21:13,800
Speaker 1: when these roving scouts come through, and he'd also throw

466
00:21:13,800 --> 00:21:16,280
Speaker 1: in his pitching couch. Mark Dave Felis into the conversation,

467
00:21:16,440 --> 00:21:19,159
Speaker 1: is saying that Marlin's are wanting them to throw pitches

468
00:21:19,200 --> 00:21:21,440
Speaker 1: that maybe they don't have that much confidence in, because

469
00:21:21,440 --> 00:21:23,320
Speaker 1: that's when you're supposed to work on it in a game.

470
00:21:23,560 --> 00:21:25,399
Speaker 1: So I'm wondering if you could speak about that on

471
00:21:25,400 --> 00:21:28,239
Speaker 1: the development side of things, because you know, pitching, they

472
00:21:28,240 --> 00:21:31,080
Speaker 1: always say, is such a big mental sport, right, and

473
00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:34,160
Speaker 1: having to work through maybe a couple of bleeder singles

474
00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:35,960
Speaker 1: and now all of a sudden, the confidence gets shot

475
00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:37,960
Speaker 1: maybe a little bit for no reason, even though you're

476
00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:40,000
Speaker 1: being whipped by the wet noodle, so to speak. But

477
00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:41,920
Speaker 1: I was wondering how you could speak about that, and

478
00:21:41,960 --> 00:21:44,359
Speaker 1: the Marlins in particular, that if you don't have that

479
00:21:44,520 --> 00:21:46,960
Speaker 1: great change up right away, to keep throwing it in order,

480
00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:48,679
Speaker 1: because that's how you get better. As you mentioned it,

481
00:21:48,680 --> 00:21:50,040
Speaker 1: that's how it worked for you in the cutter.

482
00:21:50,240 --> 00:21:54,400
Speaker 2: Absolutely. I remember when I was younger, a pitching coordinator

483
00:21:54,440 --> 00:21:56,520
Speaker 2: told me that I wasn't able to throw any other

484
00:21:56,640 --> 00:21:59,720
Speaker 2: secondary pitches besides a changeup, so I was just armed

485
00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:02,119
Speaker 2: with the basketball change up for a whole start, and

486
00:22:02,160 --> 00:22:03,960
Speaker 2: he kind of proved his point as far as just

487
00:22:04,080 --> 00:22:06,000
Speaker 2: we don't care about what happens. We want you to

488
00:22:06,040 --> 00:22:10,040
Speaker 2: develop the pitch. Vallemont's last game, I'm sorry, not the

489
00:22:10,080 --> 00:22:12,960
Speaker 2: game last, not the game yesterday, but the game before that.

490
00:22:13,040 --> 00:22:16,320
Speaker 2: Our pitching coordinator, Chris Mahaalik, said that he needed to

491
00:22:16,359 --> 00:22:19,160
Speaker 2: throw between fifteen to twenty change ups, and he actually

492
00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:21,920
Speaker 2: threw nineteen. So it was one of those things where

493
00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:24,080
Speaker 2: we're like, we don't care what happens. We want you

494
00:22:24,119 --> 00:22:25,879
Speaker 2: to throw it to left handers and right handers to

495
00:22:25,920 --> 00:22:28,240
Speaker 2: get comfortable with it, and you have to use it

496
00:22:28,280 --> 00:22:30,360
Speaker 2: in game. You know, you can throw it as much

497
00:22:30,359 --> 00:22:33,600
Speaker 2: as you want during your throwing program and in the bullpen,

498
00:22:33,680 --> 00:22:36,520
Speaker 2: but you really won't be able to get the feel

499
00:22:36,920 --> 00:22:39,320
Speaker 2: of just in game, when everything's one hundred percent and

500
00:22:40,080 --> 00:22:42,960
Speaker 2: you're going hard. You can't get that feel anywhere else

501
00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:45,480
Speaker 2: than in game. So I mean VESSI was a guy

502
00:22:45,520 --> 00:22:48,919
Speaker 2: that you know, he's kind of been refining his slider

503
00:22:48,960 --> 00:22:51,760
Speaker 2: a little bit too. His slider was more loopy and

504
00:22:51,800 --> 00:22:53,919
Speaker 2: slurvy because he has the curveball on the slider, so

505
00:22:53,960 --> 00:22:57,040
Speaker 2: they sort of kind of blended together. So we got

506
00:22:57,080 --> 00:22:59,320
Speaker 2: it where he was staying behind his slider a little bit.

507
00:22:59,400 --> 00:23:01,760
Speaker 2: Now his slider's up to about eighty forty five, which

508
00:23:01,920 --> 00:23:04,280
Speaker 2: it was probably around seventy nine eighty miles an hour,

509
00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:07,639
Speaker 2: so the change up and the slider for him. Relievers

510
00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:10,360
Speaker 2: are the type where you know, if you have two

511
00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:13,600
Speaker 2: pitches fastball, change up, fastball, slider. We see Mitzel with

512
00:23:13,640 --> 00:23:16,240
Speaker 2: the changeup, which is devastating to both rightis and lefties.

513
00:23:16,960 --> 00:23:19,880
Speaker 2: If you can add that third pitch with Mitzel, it's

514
00:23:19,920 --> 00:23:22,520
Speaker 2: like if we can add that breaking ball to something

515
00:23:22,560 --> 00:23:25,879
Speaker 2: that's a weapon to right handers because lefties essentially, I

516
00:23:25,880 --> 00:23:28,120
Speaker 2: think they're they're hitting under one hundred off of him,

517
00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:32,800
Speaker 2: and I think he's punched out probably two guys per

518
00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:35,679
Speaker 2: inning right now, which is unbelievable. I think in our

519
00:23:35,720 --> 00:23:38,560
Speaker 2: analytics department he's like leading the organization and q e RA,

520
00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:42,320
Speaker 2: but you know, with guys in the bullpen, like, the

521
00:23:42,440 --> 00:23:44,760
Speaker 2: change up is important to an aspect, but if you

522
00:23:44,800 --> 00:23:47,560
Speaker 2: can have that go to secondary pitch where you come

523
00:23:47,600 --> 00:23:49,680
Speaker 2: in and boom, I'm hit me with that. But as

524
00:23:49,680 --> 00:23:52,480
Speaker 2: a starting pitcher, definitely, you know in the Marlins organization,

525
00:23:52,840 --> 00:23:55,720
Speaker 2: you need to throw a change up that second, third,

526
00:23:55,840 --> 00:23:57,840
Speaker 2: fourth time through in order if you're pitching, you know

527
00:23:57,920 --> 00:24:00,399
Speaker 2: deep into the game you're gonna be neat. You're going

528
00:24:00,480 --> 00:24:03,600
Speaker 2: to need to, you know, have something that mimics that fastball,

529
00:24:03,640 --> 00:24:05,960
Speaker 2: because everybody can see a breaking ball out of the hand,

530
00:24:06,119 --> 00:24:09,560
Speaker 2: you know, the dot, you know, the overhand curveball, the slider.

531
00:24:10,280 --> 00:24:12,240
Speaker 2: But the change up is you know, with the arm

532
00:24:12,280 --> 00:24:14,399
Speaker 2: speed as the fastball is, and if it's a straight

533
00:24:14,440 --> 00:24:17,600
Speaker 2: change or a little bit armside run, that messes hitters

534
00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:21,600
Speaker 2: up completely. So you know, we always teach kids when

535
00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:24,640
Speaker 2: they're real young, like ten, eleven, twelve years old, because

536
00:24:24,640 --> 00:24:26,720
Speaker 2: we always say that the breaking ball kind of you know,

537
00:24:26,760 --> 00:24:28,800
Speaker 2: they're not developed enough to kind of throw it. What's

538
00:24:28,840 --> 00:24:31,159
Speaker 2: the first pitch that we teach them is the change up.

539
00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:33,959
Speaker 2: So you're basically when you're younger, you're you're competing with

540
00:24:34,040 --> 00:24:35,800
Speaker 2: just a fastball and change up. And then when guys

541
00:24:35,800 --> 00:24:38,119
Speaker 2: start discovering the breaking ball. All of a sudden, we

542
00:24:38,200 --> 00:24:39,840
Speaker 2: just move away from the change up. But it's the

543
00:24:39,880 --> 00:24:40,880
Speaker 2: best pitch in baseball.

544
00:24:40,960 --> 00:24:43,560
Speaker 1: Well, we had a Dick Scott out here too, one

545
00:24:43,600 --> 00:24:46,440
Speaker 1: of the well rovering instructor but a little bit higher

546
00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:48,679
Speaker 1: up on the hierarchy for the Miami Marlins, and that

547
00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:51,080
Speaker 1: as the director of player development for the Marlins, and

548
00:24:51,160 --> 00:24:53,000
Speaker 1: he was telling us just about the construct of the

549
00:24:53,040 --> 00:24:55,600
Speaker 1: team and having a lot of starting pitchers, which again

550
00:24:55,640 --> 00:24:57,880
Speaker 1: we were rained out today recording this on Sunday, May

551
00:24:57,920 --> 00:25:00,159
Speaker 1: twenty seven. So a lot of double headers or what

552
00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:02,359
Speaker 1: the lumber Kings have found themselves in. Has that been

553
00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:05,359
Speaker 1: a strength to kind of just from a team perspective

554
00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:07,119
Speaker 1: to kind of lean on knowing that you have a

555
00:25:07,160 --> 00:25:09,639
Speaker 1: guys that can go quite a few innings and we

556
00:25:09,840 --> 00:25:11,359
Speaker 1: see it in piggyback starts as well.

557
00:25:11,400 --> 00:25:15,040
Speaker 2: It definitely helps. We have a I guess a five

558
00:25:15,080 --> 00:25:17,440
Speaker 2: man rotation and then two out of the five or

559
00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:20,560
Speaker 2: or in piggybacks now with Jones and Soriano and then Tanner,

560
00:25:20,640 --> 00:25:25,359
Speaker 2: Andrews and Walters. But it could be frustrating at times

561
00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:28,280
Speaker 2: just to get the relievers in. So if mehe and

562
00:25:28,359 --> 00:25:31,960
Speaker 2: Valmont and even Guerrero go seven or eight innings, that's

563
00:25:32,080 --> 00:25:34,359
Speaker 2: that's three innings you're left with and then all of

564
00:25:34,400 --> 00:25:36,919
Speaker 2: a sudden, you got two games with a piggyback. So

565
00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:40,119
Speaker 2: it's nice on rainouts and stuff like that, But in

566
00:25:40,160 --> 00:25:44,400
Speaker 2: the same sense, I mean, just just having an eight

567
00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:46,640
Speaker 2: man or a seven man bullpen would would be nice,

568
00:25:46,680 --> 00:25:48,320
Speaker 2: just to pitch a guy in inning here, inning there,

569
00:25:48,560 --> 00:25:50,520
Speaker 2: get him a couple of days rest thrown back out there.

570
00:25:50,680 --> 00:25:52,760
Speaker 2: But the way the way our starters are throwing right now,

571
00:25:52,760 --> 00:25:54,960
Speaker 2: it's like if we're grabbing innings, you know, here and there.

572
00:25:54,960 --> 00:25:57,120
Speaker 2: I'm just trying to, you know, just get guys into

573
00:25:57,119 --> 00:25:59,520
Speaker 2: clean up innings sometimes just to get them some work.

574
00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:02,439
Speaker 1: Fortunately, that'll mean another doubleheader for the lumber Kings. With

575
00:26:02,480 --> 00:26:04,640
Speaker 1: the rainout today, we've got Humbert to Mehia right over

576
00:26:04,720 --> 00:26:06,720
Speaker 1: her shoulder here, so I wanted to touch on him

577
00:26:06,760 --> 00:26:09,800
Speaker 1: just one more time too, because when we saw out

578
00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:11,720
Speaker 1: in at Dayton, it had come out of the bullpen.

579
00:26:11,880 --> 00:26:13,679
Speaker 1: So this was one of those arms that can go

580
00:26:13,760 --> 00:26:15,760
Speaker 1: long in the games. But he said he could really

581
00:26:15,800 --> 00:26:17,879
Speaker 1: just tear it loose because it was only three unions

582
00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:20,240
Speaker 1: of work. So the fastball was up in velocity. Where

583
00:26:20,280 --> 00:26:22,440
Speaker 1: did you feel like that worked into because it seemed

584
00:26:22,440 --> 00:26:24,199
Speaker 1: like that was the start of this hot run that

585
00:26:24,320 --> 00:26:26,560
Speaker 1: is now really encompassed all of the month of May

586
00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:27,200
Speaker 1: for Mihia.

587
00:26:27,240 --> 00:26:28,960
Speaker 2: He threw really well that day. We were just trying

588
00:26:28,960 --> 00:26:31,439
Speaker 2: to get him some work to get him to start,

589
00:26:31,520 --> 00:26:34,000
Speaker 2: I think a couple days later, so they said no

590
00:26:34,040 --> 00:26:36,560
Speaker 2: more than forty five pitches then, and I think in

591
00:26:36,640 --> 00:26:38,360
Speaker 2: his mindset, he was just going to go out there

592
00:26:38,359 --> 00:26:40,040
Speaker 2: and just just kind of blow it out a little bit,

593
00:26:40,119 --> 00:26:43,080
Speaker 2: and I think he found another gear, honestly, And I

594
00:26:43,080 --> 00:26:46,439
Speaker 2: don't think he ever threw I guess average fastball I

595
00:26:46,440 --> 00:26:48,400
Speaker 2: think was almost ninety five that day, and I don't

596
00:26:48,440 --> 00:26:51,440
Speaker 2: think he ever kept his intensity going through a three

597
00:26:51,520 --> 00:26:53,920
Speaker 2: inning stretch before. So I think we kind of locked

598
00:26:53,960 --> 00:26:56,520
Speaker 2: in on something. But ever since that day, You're right,

599
00:26:56,600 --> 00:26:59,280
Speaker 2: I think he's been pitching a lot more lights out

600
00:26:59,359 --> 00:27:01,679
Speaker 2: and I think it's kind of bled into you know,

601
00:27:01,720 --> 00:27:04,240
Speaker 2: the rest of the pitching staff. I'm a big proponent

602
00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:07,040
Speaker 2: on you know, we're a big family here, and you know,

603
00:27:07,760 --> 00:27:11,760
Speaker 2: my attitude kind of affects other guys, and people's attitude

604
00:27:11,760 --> 00:27:13,400
Speaker 2: on the team kind of effects. So when we start

605
00:27:13,400 --> 00:27:16,480
Speaker 2: getting into a winning sort of way, and or pitching

606
00:27:17,440 --> 00:27:20,280
Speaker 2: people lead by example. You know, I've seen guys kind

607
00:27:20,280 --> 00:27:22,679
Speaker 2: of become leaders, you know, on the field and you

608
00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:25,280
Speaker 2: know during our our early work and this and that,

609
00:27:25,400 --> 00:27:27,879
Speaker 2: but to lead by example, to take the mound and

610
00:27:28,040 --> 00:27:29,440
Speaker 2: to grab the ball and be like, you know what,

611
00:27:29,560 --> 00:27:31,640
Speaker 2: I'm good today. You know, I got I got eight

612
00:27:31,640 --> 00:27:34,600
Speaker 2: plus or whatever. That's it's it's infectious, you know what

613
00:27:34,600 --> 00:27:36,520
Speaker 2: I mean. It starts kind of bleeding into other guys.

614
00:27:36,560 --> 00:27:39,040
Speaker 2: And if we can get that, you know, that good

615
00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:42,840
Speaker 2: you know, rivalry going between our starting pitchers, like I'm

616
00:27:42,840 --> 00:27:44,320
Speaker 2: gonna go out and throw eight innings or I'm going

617
00:27:44,400 --> 00:27:46,200
Speaker 2: to go out and have a complete, you know, complete game,

618
00:27:46,240 --> 00:27:48,399
Speaker 2: because I know they talk about certain things. You know,

619
00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:50,440
Speaker 2: it's only going to breed success. So it's been nice

620
00:27:50,440 --> 00:27:51,000
Speaker 2: to kind of watch.

621
00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:52,880
Speaker 1: We're gonna ask you that because usually you hear from

622
00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:55,600
Speaker 1: hitters that hitting can be contagious, and that seems to

623
00:27:55,600 --> 00:27:57,240
Speaker 1: be the case too with pitching. And I think the

624
00:27:57,480 --> 00:27:59,480
Speaker 1: recent run the lumber Kings are on just kind of

625
00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:01,440
Speaker 1: speaks to them that we're talking here. With the lumber

626
00:28:01,520 --> 00:28:03,639
Speaker 1: Kings pitching coach at Mark de Felice wanted to get

627
00:28:03,680 --> 00:28:06,480
Speaker 1: your thoughts on some of the bullpen arms, in particular

628
00:28:06,560 --> 00:28:08,600
Speaker 1: c J. Carter, because I know there is no such

629
00:28:08,680 --> 00:28:11,359
Speaker 1: thing as a closer in single a because that role

630
00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:13,879
Speaker 1: is not defined. But he does tend to come in

631
00:28:13,880 --> 00:28:16,600
Speaker 1: and to save opportunities and he is the easiest guy

632
00:28:16,640 --> 00:28:19,040
Speaker 1: to spot in the bullpen because of that lower arm angle.

633
00:28:19,440 --> 00:28:22,920
Speaker 1: What is that any change in coaching philosophy and how

634
00:28:22,920 --> 00:28:25,760
Speaker 1: you deal with CJ. Carter because it's a little submarinis,

635
00:28:25,840 --> 00:28:27,080
Speaker 1: although not totally right.

636
00:28:27,440 --> 00:28:31,119
Speaker 2: I've had I've had a pitcher in the past that

637
00:28:31,240 --> 00:28:34,480
Speaker 2: was a little bit lower I think than Carter on

638
00:28:34,520 --> 00:28:35,800
Speaker 2: some of the pitches, So I kind of have a

639
00:28:35,800 --> 00:28:38,800
Speaker 2: little bit of experience as far as when things start

640
00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:41,720
Speaker 2: going awry and then we have to focus back on delivery,

641
00:28:41,760 --> 00:28:44,640
Speaker 2: Like what's the main focus. It's staying back, it's getting

642
00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:48,000
Speaker 2: out in front. Earlier in the season when it was cold,

643
00:28:48,200 --> 00:28:50,560
Speaker 2: I think guys with movement and stuff, the ball just

644
00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:53,520
Speaker 2: doesn't move as well. And I think he struggled early

645
00:28:53,560 --> 00:28:55,440
Speaker 2: on just because of the weather and stuff. And then

646
00:28:55,480 --> 00:28:58,040
Speaker 2: once he was able to start, you know, getting into

647
00:28:58,840 --> 00:29:01,120
Speaker 2: a good routine off the mount, I'm like, listen, we're

648
00:29:01,120 --> 00:29:03,840
Speaker 2: gonna need for you to have that feel every time

649
00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:05,720
Speaker 2: to just get off the mound like every other day,

650
00:29:05,720 --> 00:29:07,160
Speaker 2: every day if you want to. I don't care if

651
00:29:07,160 --> 00:29:09,320
Speaker 2: you do skill work every day. So he just started

652
00:29:09,320 --> 00:29:11,320
Speaker 2: getting off the mound more, it started warming up a

653
00:29:11,360 --> 00:29:13,480
Speaker 2: little bit, and his balls just started moving. You know,

654
00:29:13,560 --> 00:29:17,040
Speaker 2: he's got the overhand breaking ball and the fastball he

655
00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:19,840
Speaker 2: throws to left handers mixed in with a change up,

656
00:29:20,040 --> 00:29:22,520
Speaker 2: and he's got the sidewinding fastball and the slider he

657
00:29:22,560 --> 00:29:25,200
Speaker 2: throws to righty. So he's got a mix of pitches

658
00:29:25,240 --> 00:29:28,440
Speaker 2: which is unbelievable, and he's pretty consistent with it. He's

659
00:29:28,480 --> 00:29:29,880
Speaker 2: a guy that kind of lives up in the zone

660
00:29:29,920 --> 00:29:31,800
Speaker 2: with his fastball. It's almost like a softball, like they

661
00:29:32,320 --> 00:29:37,360
Speaker 2: throw that rising softball. His fastball actually rises. So you know,

662
00:29:37,360 --> 00:29:40,600
Speaker 2: he's an analytic dream. Honestly, when you talk about, you know,

663
00:29:40,640 --> 00:29:42,640
Speaker 2: pitching up and guys with spin rate, because he's got

664
00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:44,520
Speaker 2: probably one of the highest spin rates on our team,

665
00:29:45,080 --> 00:29:49,000
Speaker 2: but for him to command all his secondary pitches from

666
00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:51,560
Speaker 2: different armslots, it's pretty amazing. Honestly.

667
00:29:51,800 --> 00:29:53,840
Speaker 1: Well, I'll let you go with this too. You mentioned

668
00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:56,480
Speaker 1: spin rates because when we had to do the school

669
00:29:56,560 --> 00:29:58,720
Speaker 1: days here in Clinton, I have to teach the kids,

670
00:29:58,720 --> 00:30:00,240
Speaker 1: and I talk to them about spin rates, so I

671
00:30:00,280 --> 00:30:02,120
Speaker 1: really just mention what it is, and usually I get

672
00:30:02,160 --> 00:30:04,080
Speaker 1: a lot of kids scratching their heads. I was wondering

673
00:30:04,080 --> 00:30:05,920
Speaker 1: if you might be able to explain it a little

674
00:30:05,920 --> 00:30:08,600
Speaker 1: bit better, because they are telling us that the higher

675
00:30:08,600 --> 00:30:10,400
Speaker 1: the spin rate, the more difficult it is to see

676
00:30:10,400 --> 00:30:12,440
Speaker 1: the ball, and the results of the hitters go down

677
00:30:12,480 --> 00:30:14,720
Speaker 1: a little bit, I suppose. And what goes into that,

678
00:30:14,800 --> 00:30:17,080
Speaker 1: And how do you you coach to that to maybe

679
00:30:17,320 --> 00:30:18,880
Speaker 1: raise a spin rate, if there is such a.

680
00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:22,040
Speaker 2: Thing, how you coach to that? I am still learning, Okay,

681
00:30:22,280 --> 00:30:24,560
Speaker 2: I'll tell you exactly what spin rate is. When you

682
00:30:24,640 --> 00:30:29,920
Speaker 2: identify a pitcher that has spin rate, they're able to

683
00:30:29,960 --> 00:30:33,320
Speaker 2: pitch up in the zone a lot more frequent and

684
00:30:33,360 --> 00:30:36,680
Speaker 2: with success more than guys with lower spin rate. What

685
00:30:37,080 --> 00:30:39,520
Speaker 2: it means to have spin rate is that your ball

686
00:30:39,720 --> 00:30:42,480
Speaker 2: has the appearance of rising, but it stays on the

687
00:30:42,520 --> 00:30:45,240
Speaker 2: same plane where guys with low spin rate have a

688
00:30:45,240 --> 00:30:47,280
Speaker 2: little bit of a drop off. So, as a hitter,

689
00:30:47,720 --> 00:30:51,640
Speaker 2: when you see a fastball, your eyes tend to go

690
00:30:51,680 --> 00:30:54,200
Speaker 2: to a certain spot that you know that the ball

691
00:30:54,280 --> 00:30:56,720
Speaker 2: will end up well. This ball has a tendency to

692
00:30:56,880 --> 00:30:59,840
Speaker 2: ride on the same plane. So that's why you see

693
00:30:59,840 --> 00:31:03,160
Speaker 2: a lot of bats miss guys with high spin rate

694
00:31:03,480 --> 00:31:05,480
Speaker 2: is because they're thinking that the ball is going to

695
00:31:05,520 --> 00:31:08,160
Speaker 2: be here or it's a little bit higher. So if

696
00:31:08,200 --> 00:31:10,080
Speaker 2: you can if you can hit the top of the

697
00:31:10,160 --> 00:31:12,600
Speaker 2: zone with your fastball with a high spin rate, guy,

698
00:31:13,000 --> 00:31:15,160
Speaker 2: they say, it's almost unheadable. And to tell you the truth,

699
00:31:15,200 --> 00:31:17,680
Speaker 2: I've seen the guys that like Zach Wolfe has a

700
00:31:17,760 --> 00:31:19,440
Speaker 2: high spin rate as well, and he pitches up in

701
00:31:19,480 --> 00:31:21,280
Speaker 2: the zone. So we're gonna go ahead and let those

702
00:31:21,280 --> 00:31:24,719
Speaker 2: guys do that. I was always brought up you need

703
00:31:24,760 --> 00:31:27,080
Speaker 2: to create angle with your fastball and live down. Now

704
00:31:27,080 --> 00:31:29,280
Speaker 2: it's you know, we have the analytics and the hot zones,

705
00:31:29,360 --> 00:31:32,560
Speaker 2: this and that. You know, as baseball's kind of evolve,

706
00:31:32,680 --> 00:31:35,320
Speaker 2: so we're kind of seeing that trend where okay, guys

707
00:31:35,320 --> 00:31:37,160
Speaker 2: that can do it, let's go ahead and let them

708
00:31:37,200 --> 00:31:39,160
Speaker 2: do it. Then we'll tunnel that breaking ball right off

709
00:31:39,200 --> 00:31:39,360
Speaker 2: of that.

710
00:31:39,840 --> 00:31:42,880
Speaker 1: Well. Appreciate you explaining that, because it seems like every

711
00:31:42,880 --> 00:31:45,080
Speaker 1: week there's a new stat a new thing to look

712
00:31:45,080 --> 00:31:47,640
Speaker 1: at with the analytics and just the nature of baseball

713
00:31:47,680 --> 00:31:49,760
Speaker 1: as it is. Mark Dave Flee, thanks so much. For

714
00:31:49,800 --> 00:31:51,400
Speaker 1: taking the time here on a rainy day in Clint

715
00:31:51,440 --> 00:31:52,600
Speaker 1: to talk with us here on a ball.

716
00:31:52,680 --> 00:32:20,080
Speaker 3: I appreciate Eric, thank you, and welcome back on a

717
00:32:20,280 --> 00:32:21,400
Speaker 3: ball with Eric Os.

718
00:32:21,440 --> 00:32:23,800
Speaker 1: You just heard from the lumber Kings pitching coach Mark

719
00:32:23,840 --> 00:32:27,160
Speaker 1: k Felis on what has been a very impressive group

720
00:32:27,240 --> 00:32:29,960
Speaker 1: of lumber Kings pitchers in the bullpen and also in

721
00:32:30,000 --> 00:32:33,560
Speaker 1: the starting rotation, mentioning Humbert's Omaha and Chris vallomont as

722
00:32:33,600 --> 00:32:35,400
Speaker 1: of late who have been red hot for the lumber

723
00:32:35,520 --> 00:32:38,040
Speaker 1: Kings and that starting staff, and we did touch on

724
00:32:38,160 --> 00:32:41,120
Speaker 1: before the interview, just the full report card for the

725
00:32:41,120 --> 00:32:44,440
Speaker 1: Clinton lumber Kings with what has happened with them offensively,

726
00:32:44,480 --> 00:32:46,360
Speaker 1: although they've been able to play through it thanks to

727
00:32:46,400 --> 00:32:48,800
Speaker 1: that strong pitching. Still a team though that the lumber

728
00:32:48,880 --> 00:32:51,600
Speaker 1: Kings have been picking up ground on the Burlington Bees,

729
00:32:51,640 --> 00:32:53,480
Speaker 1: a series that had come to an end due to

730
00:32:53,520 --> 00:32:56,440
Speaker 1: the reign, a game sooner than we had expected. But

731
00:32:56,760 --> 00:33:01,080
Speaker 1: twenty six and twenty five three on the season, so

732
00:33:01,200 --> 00:33:03,960
Speaker 1: three games over five hundred are the lumber Kings and

733
00:33:04,080 --> 00:33:07,360
Speaker 1: in that wildcard place. Here in the single A ranks,

734
00:33:07,400 --> 00:33:09,800
Speaker 1: we play by halves and if you're not familiar with

735
00:33:09,840 --> 00:33:12,920
Speaker 1: that as a Major League Baseball fan that just look

736
00:33:12,960 --> 00:33:15,440
Speaker 1: for the strike seasons, that's when they had also played

737
00:33:15,640 --> 00:33:18,400
Speaker 1: seasons based on halves. Here in the single A level

738
00:33:18,640 --> 00:33:21,000
Speaker 1: are in the Midwest League. Our first half will be

739
00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:24,200
Speaker 1: coming to an end following Sunday, June sixteenth game, which

740
00:33:24,240 --> 00:33:26,440
Speaker 1: gives us about three weeks left of baseball, and the

741
00:33:26,520 --> 00:33:28,480
Speaker 1: lumber Kings are a game and a half back in

742
00:33:28,520 --> 00:33:31,280
Speaker 1: the playoff race for the wild card when it comes

743
00:33:31,280 --> 00:33:34,520
Speaker 1: to the division though that's kind of been run away

744
00:33:34,560 --> 00:33:36,800
Speaker 1: with right now by the Quad Cities River Band. It's

745
00:33:36,840 --> 00:33:40,000
Speaker 1: a team that is thirty one and fifteen as we

746
00:33:40,080 --> 00:33:43,560
Speaker 1: record this on Monday, Memorial Day, May twenty seven. That

747
00:33:43,680 --> 00:33:45,520
Speaker 1: is a six and a half game lead on the

748
00:33:45,520 --> 00:33:48,360
Speaker 1: Clinton lumber Kings, five games on the Burlington Bs and

749
00:33:48,440 --> 00:33:50,880
Speaker 1: second place team that has really not played a whole

750
00:33:50,880 --> 00:33:53,120
Speaker 1: lot of home games, and they have just gotten back

751
00:33:53,120 --> 00:33:56,360
Speaker 1: into their ballpark after the flooding down in Davenport. Still

752
00:33:56,360 --> 00:33:58,719
Speaker 1: it has not bothered them at all. Quad Cities, if

753
00:33:58,760 --> 00:34:01,800
Speaker 1: you talk to players and coaches around the Midwest League,

754
00:34:01,800 --> 00:34:04,640
Speaker 1: will tell you maybe the most talented team here at

755
00:34:04,680 --> 00:34:06,920
Speaker 1: least through the first half, and that is why it

756
00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:09,760
Speaker 1: looks like they'll be coasting to a first half division title,

757
00:34:09,920 --> 00:34:11,960
Speaker 1: and that race that is developing in the West is

758
00:34:12,000 --> 00:34:14,640
Speaker 1: for that wild card kind of bunched up between the Bees,

759
00:34:14,840 --> 00:34:17,160
Speaker 1: the Single, a affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels, the

760
00:34:17,239 --> 00:34:20,600
Speaker 1: King County Cougars, the Single a affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks,

761
00:34:20,760 --> 00:34:23,919
Speaker 1: and the Clinton lumber Kings. Well on the transaction side

762
00:34:23,920 --> 00:34:26,319
Speaker 1: of things, though, the lumber Kings have been a very

763
00:34:26,360 --> 00:34:29,399
Speaker 1: busy team and this series it was back to back

764
00:34:29,480 --> 00:34:31,839
Speaker 1: days of roster moves, and we always like to keep

765
00:34:31,840 --> 00:34:34,000
Speaker 1: you abreast of the faces that come in and out

766
00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:36,759
Speaker 1: here in Clinton, so we can tell you that Brian Hernandez,

767
00:34:36,960 --> 00:34:40,040
Speaker 1: he has been sent down to extended spring training following

768
00:34:40,520 --> 00:34:43,440
Speaker 1: a demotion, which meant that Davis Bradshaw, who is supposed

769
00:34:43,480 --> 00:34:45,880
Speaker 1: to be here in Clinton in fact to start this season,

770
00:34:46,160 --> 00:34:48,759
Speaker 1: He was then promoted to the Clinton lumber King from

771
00:34:48,760 --> 00:34:51,640
Speaker 1: extended spring training on that same day, part of corresponding

772
00:34:51,719 --> 00:34:55,240
Speaker 1: moves that switch the outfield situation around for the Clinton

773
00:34:55,320 --> 00:34:58,560
Speaker 1: lumber Kings. But Bradshaw, as we mentioned, supposed to be

774
00:34:58,640 --> 00:35:00,840
Speaker 1: out here after spring training, but then had suffered a

775
00:35:00,920 --> 00:35:03,480
Speaker 1: leg injury. Hey that we had been looking forward to

776
00:35:03,480 --> 00:35:06,960
Speaker 1: seeing a very speedy outfielder. He had stolen several bases

777
00:35:07,040 --> 00:35:09,640
Speaker 1: last year between his time in the GCL with the

778
00:35:09,640 --> 00:35:12,000
Speaker 1: Marlins and in the Batavia Muckdogs in the New York

779
00:35:12,040 --> 00:35:15,520
Speaker 1: Penn League, twenty stolen bases total. He batted three seventy

780
00:35:15,560 --> 00:35:18,120
Speaker 1: six and the GCL with the Marlins and three twenty

781
00:35:18,160 --> 00:35:21,120
Speaker 1: four with the Batavia Muckdogs in the New York Penn League.

782
00:35:21,120 --> 00:35:23,840
Speaker 1: An eleventh round selection by the Miami Marlins in the

783
00:35:23,880 --> 00:35:27,719
Speaker 1: twenty eighteen Bradshaw is now here in Clinton with Brian

784
00:35:27,760 --> 00:35:31,520
Speaker 1: Hernandez demotion to extended spring. Then the following day, which

785
00:35:31,600 --> 00:35:33,719
Speaker 1: was on May twenty fifth, the lumber Kings saw the

786
00:35:33,719 --> 00:35:37,000
Speaker 1: promotion of Sean Gunther, and a very well deserved one.

787
00:35:37,040 --> 00:35:40,440
Speaker 1: Gunther who has been so sharp or was so sharp

788
00:35:40,480 --> 00:35:43,160
Speaker 1: for the lumber Kings in relief, a left handed option

789
00:35:43,320 --> 00:35:46,520
Speaker 1: for the manager Mike Jacobs, had an era that was

790
00:35:46,600 --> 00:35:49,800
Speaker 1: sub two and so a well deserved promotion up to

791
00:35:49,840 --> 00:35:52,279
Speaker 1: the high a Jupiter Hammerheads. What it had meant was

792
00:35:52,280 --> 00:35:55,239
Speaker 1: the lumber Kings receiving a new picture from Jupiter. A

793
00:35:55,280 --> 00:35:58,560
Speaker 1: demotion for Elkin Alcala, who had arrived for the lumber

794
00:35:58,640 --> 00:36:01,480
Speaker 1: Kings on the twenty fifth. As part of this corresponding move,

795
00:36:01,719 --> 00:36:04,600
Speaker 1: he got into the game yesterday on Sunday afternoon at

796
00:36:04,640 --> 00:36:07,520
Speaker 1: May twenty sixth, and in his lumber Kings debut, he

797
00:36:07,560 --> 00:36:09,800
Speaker 1: picked up the save. So his first of this season

798
00:36:10,080 --> 00:36:12,880
Speaker 1: did have a rough start too. At Spencer Griffin tripled

799
00:36:12,960 --> 00:36:15,200
Speaker 1: against him off the wall in center of very hard

800
00:36:15,280 --> 00:36:17,680
Speaker 1: hit balls, just the second pitch that Alcala had thrown

801
00:36:17,719 --> 00:36:19,920
Speaker 1: in a lumber Kings uniform. It would lead to a

802
00:36:20,000 --> 00:36:22,359
Speaker 1: run on a sacrifice fly, but he would pick up

803
00:36:22,360 --> 00:36:25,080
Speaker 1: the save then getting a couple more flyball outs to

804
00:36:25,160 --> 00:36:28,120
Speaker 1: preserve that one run win for the Clinton lumber Kings

805
00:36:28,280 --> 00:36:30,759
Speaker 1: three to two in their victory on Sunday over the

806
00:36:30,760 --> 00:36:34,400
Speaker 1: Burlington BS So new faces and a winning streak for

807
00:36:34,440 --> 00:36:37,160
Speaker 1: the Clinton lumber Kings, or at least a more successful

808
00:36:37,200 --> 00:36:39,879
Speaker 1: run as of late. It was game number forty nine

809
00:36:39,960 --> 00:36:42,160
Speaker 1: of their one hundred and thirty nine game schedule. They

810
00:36:42,160 --> 00:36:45,480
Speaker 1: completed on Sunday. We'll be posting this on Wednesday, and

811
00:36:45,520 --> 00:36:47,239
Speaker 1: that will mean the lumber Kings will be on the

812
00:36:47,320 --> 00:36:50,480
Speaker 1: road against the Wisconsin timber Ratlers. The single a affiliate

813
00:36:50,680 --> 00:36:53,440
Speaker 1: of the Milwaukee Brewers. It is going to be a

814
00:36:53,440 --> 00:36:55,400
Speaker 1: bit of a mix up in the rotation, so before

815
00:36:55,400 --> 00:36:57,480
Speaker 1: we let you go, we'll tell you about that it

816
00:36:57,560 --> 00:36:59,600
Speaker 1: is going to be Jake Walters who is going to

817
00:36:59,640 --> 00:37:02,520
Speaker 1: be back into the starting rotation on Wednesday, so you

818
00:37:02,560 --> 00:37:05,040
Speaker 1: can listen to that debut when the lumber Kings are

819
00:37:05,120 --> 00:37:08,319
Speaker 1: up in Grand Shoot, Wisconsin, Walters will now be piggybacking

820
00:37:08,360 --> 00:37:10,920
Speaker 1: to start with Tanner Andrews and will also of course

821
00:37:10,960 --> 00:37:14,040
Speaker 1: have Humberto Maheo, which will wind down that rotation for

822
00:37:14,080 --> 00:37:17,239
Speaker 1: the Clinton lumber Kings and series in Wisconsin as they

823
00:37:17,280 --> 00:37:20,279
Speaker 1: continue to try and see the offense pick up and

824
00:37:20,360 --> 00:37:23,080
Speaker 1: match the success of the pitching staff as of late.

825
00:37:23,120 --> 00:37:25,279
Speaker 1: A big thanks to the guests today and Mark de

826
00:37:25,360 --> 00:37:28,320
Speaker 1: Felice for taking the time on what was another wet

827
00:37:28,320 --> 00:37:32,640
Speaker 1: one in Clinton. A postponement on Memorial Day, May twenty

828
00:37:32,680 --> 00:37:36,320
Speaker 1: seventh will shamelessly plug our broadcast side of things. Of course,

829
00:37:36,360 --> 00:37:38,440
Speaker 1: you can listen to all the lumber Kings action in

830
00:37:38,480 --> 00:37:42,400
Speaker 1: twenty nineteen with yours truly, Ericos on the call. For

831
00:37:42,480 --> 00:37:45,279
Speaker 1: those of you within the broadcast range, you can tune

832
00:37:45,280 --> 00:37:48,880
Speaker 1: into one hundred point three FMWCCI, or for those of

833
00:37:48,920 --> 00:37:51,759
Speaker 1: you outside of the broadcast range, can find us on

834
00:37:51,880 --> 00:37:55,239
Speaker 1: the interwebs at Lumberkings dot com via the tune in

835
00:37:55,320 --> 00:37:58,279
Speaker 1: radio app for all lumber Kings Action one hundred and

836
00:37:58,280 --> 00:38:01,040
Speaker 1: thirty nine game schedule. Now. Lumber Kings will have their

837
00:38:01,600 --> 00:38:05,080
Speaker 1: fiftieth on Tuesday against the Wisconsin tim Bratlers, starting a

838
00:38:05,120 --> 00:38:07,759
Speaker 1: three game series before they return home to then take

839
00:38:07,800 --> 00:38:09,920
Speaker 1: on the Kane County Cougars for a series that will

840
00:38:09,960 --> 00:38:13,440
Speaker 1: start on Friday, May thirty. First, with what is going

841
00:38:13,480 --> 00:38:15,839
Speaker 1: to look like a humbert till maheas started everyone being

842
00:38:15,880 --> 00:38:19,319
Speaker 1: pushed back now a day following the rain out here

843
00:38:19,360 --> 00:38:22,080
Speaker 1: in Clinton. It'll likely then mean that Chris Vallamont gets

844
00:38:22,120 --> 00:38:25,399
Speaker 1: to start on Saturday against the Kane County Cougars. Those

845
00:38:25,440 --> 00:38:27,440
Speaker 1: will be night games at six point thirty for the

846
00:38:27,600 --> 00:38:30,279
Speaker 1: start times here in Clinton, so hopefully maybe we'll see

847
00:38:30,280 --> 00:38:32,520
Speaker 1: it at the ballpark. We're always looking to see new

848
00:38:32,560 --> 00:38:35,000
Speaker 1: faces here, but if not, we can see you on

849
00:38:35,120 --> 00:38:37,960
Speaker 1: the radio with our lumber Kings broadcast that will do

850
00:38:38,000 --> 00:38:40,520
Speaker 1: it here for episode number nine of a ball with

851
00:38:40,719 --> 00:38:43,040
Speaker 1: Eric Os, I want to thank everyone for listening to

852
00:38:43,120 --> 00:38:45,600
Speaker 1: this episode and hopefully you enjoyed it and we'll have

853
00:38:45,680 --> 00:38:48,640
Speaker 1: you back next week. Not sure exactly who will be

854
00:38:48,680 --> 00:38:51,200
Speaker 1: talking to but only time will tell. We'll let the

855
00:38:51,200 --> 00:38:53,680
Speaker 1: games decide. We'll talk to you in a week with

856
00:38:53,719 --> 00:38:55,359
Speaker 1: our next episode of A Ball