Dr. John Bagonzi

Baseball Time in Arlington - Q&A with Dr. John Bagonzi, who wrote “The Act of Pitching” and is considered one of the highest authorities on effects of pitching on arms.

“Q: What is your opinion regarding the development of breaking pitches in young players? I’ve had a front office person tell me that many of their scouts believe that if a young pitcher can’t “spin” a breaking ball by the age of 19, that they will almost never get it.

Coach Bagonzi: If a young pitcher doesn’t start to develop a curve early in his career (age 15-plus), I don’t think he will ever have a good one. So, I agree with your contact who says that if he can’t spin it by age 19, forget it, and I think that is why there are so many sliders (the “devil’s pitch”) – it’s the quick fix.

In fact, I talked with the pitching coach of the Rangers a few years back when they [still] trained in Port Charlotte, Florida, and asked him why there were so many sliders and so few curves among the Rangers’ pitchers, and he quite emphatically stated that the young pitchers’ “window of opportunity” was small and narrow, and the slider could be learned faster, and this became the “fix.”

That is why before a young pitcher signs, it would be good if he had a curve – a good, down-breaking 12-to-6 curve with crispness thrown for strikes. This enhances the fastball and its effect multifold. Pitching up and down trajectory-wise is a devastating event, even for the good hitter; the trouble is that few pitchers do it well. Those that do are generally winners and high strikeout guys. [Nolan] Ryan had a good curve, and this made him electrifying.

Curves are less stressful on the arm than sliders because of the deceleration of the arm on release. However, one has to be aware of losing arm speed on their fastball if too many curves are thrown. A curve should precede a slider in the learning business.”

Weekend Roundup

RightFieldBleachers.com – RFB interviews Brian of Phillies Nation to learn more before their 4-game set.

“The Phillies are nipping at Milwaukee’s heels right now, but it seems like pretty much all the legitimate playoff contenders are scuffling. To what do you attribute Philadelphia’s recent struggles?

I hate to say it, but Chase Utley. Chase has been really struggling lately – striking out and popping up in clutch situations, when earlier in the year he would have hit a home run. The rumor is that he is injured and being the hard-nosed player that he is, he is going to wait until the off season to deal with it. The Phillies starting pitching has been surprisingly consistent down the stretch thanks to a resurgence of Brett Myers, but the bullpen has had some troubles in the 8th inning recently.”

Baseball Digest Daily - Eric SanInocencio talks with Yankees hurler Phil Hughes and ESPN’s Orestes Destrade.

Baseball Prospectus (subscription) – David Laurila sits down with White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen.

Baseball Prospectus Unfiltered  - David Laurila asks some questions to Harold Baines on his hitting approach.

“DL:  In which ways did you evolve as a hitter over the course of your career?

HB:  I got smarter.  I didn’t just go up there swinging at every pitch that I saw; I sat on certain pitches.  Against a knuckleballer there’s nothing to sit on, you just go up there and try to hit the ball, but against most guys – like I said before, I’d usually give them one side of the plate.  I’d give them the inside, and I took the outside, because I believe that 80 percent of pitching is middle away.”

K-Rod, Joe Maddon, James Shields, & Jed Hoyer

Yahoo! Sports – David Brown of Yahoo! interviews K-Rod, who is now tied for the all-time lead in saves.

” Q: Is it true that your first glove was a milk carton?

FR: That is totally true.

Q: How long until it wore out?

FR: It would wear out quick; it would maybe last two or three games.”

BaseballProspectus.com (subcscription)- BP Radio gets the opportunity to interview Rays Manager Joe Maddon and Starting Pitcher James Shields.

Extra Bases – Questions for Red Sox Assistant GM Jed Hoyer.

“therooster: In a recent edition of Barstool Sports it was implied that you drafted Jed Lowrie primarily because he looks just like you. Fact or Fiction?

JH: Fact. Hitting ability was just a lucky coincidence of the pick. Our area scout in Northern California that year finished off his extensive background questionnaire on Lowrie by writing, ‘Basically, he is a clone of our own Jed Hoyer.’ I have gotten a lot of misguided autograph requests since Lowrie has been in the big leagues. It is impossible for me not to turn when someone yells ‘Jed, sign this’ because there aren’t exactly a lot of ‘Jed’s’ out there.”

Handful of links including DePodesta

It is about the money, stupid – IIATMS interviews Padres Assistant GM Paul DePodesta of “Moneyball” fame.

“IIATMS: With the increased reliance on data/statistics and the success of proponents of this approach (Epstein, Beane, yourself, etc.), many college grads are clamoring to enter the front office ranks. What advice would you give kids entering college regarding a course of study to prepare them to enter the business of baseball? For those leaving college? For those already working (not in baseball) but looking to leverage other experiences?

PD: My advice would be to look for another line of work. I say that jokingly, but with a hint of seriousness. These jobs are incredibly demanding not only for the individual but also for friends and family. It can be difficult to find any semblance of balance or perspective. As far as an area of study, I would recommend as wide an array of subjects as possible. What’s most important is an inquisitive and thirsty mind.”

RightFieldBleachers.com – RFB interviews exuberant Brewers fan Robert “The Maniac” Beaudoin.

“How long have you been going to Brewers games? And do you have a favorite game
of all time?

I’ve been going to games at County Stadium and Miller Park combined for 20 years. Although we lost that game, my most memorable moment was September 9, 1992, when my all-time favorite Brewer, Robin Yount, hit his 3,000th career base hit.”

MondesisHouse.com – MH interviews Pirates postgame host Rocco DeMaro.

“[MH]: So what’s your gut feeling: will we ever have the opportunity to attend a Pedro Alvarez Bobblehead Night at PNC Park someday, or will he end up back in the draft next year?

[RD]:Gut feeling? Gun to my head? No bobblehead. However…

I think Pedro WILL be ruled a Pirate in the near future (even if the arbiter rules that MLB broke the rules via the deadline extensions, said arbiter seems to have very little authority in terms of awarding relief in this case, hence a likely slap on MLB’s wrist and Pedro becomes a Pirate) but I also believe Pedro will be killed by an errant pitchfork thrown by an irate Bucs fan as he makes his way to PNC Park to finally sign the contract to which he has allegedly agreed to. A tragic ending.”

MondesisHouse.com – MH interviews Stan Savran and Guy Junker, who recently joined together for ESPN radio.

“MH: After a few years apart, you two were recently reunited, bringing joy to countless Pittsburghers. Were you able to instantly recapture your chemistry, or had Guy already been too corrupted by Eddy Crow?
GJ: Well, we didn’t have anything to do with that breakup. But there were times when I would call him on the phone; we’ll be watching some unbelievable sporting events, we’ll call each other. We stayed in close contact and always talked at the Steeler games and the press box at the Penguin games. I think it’s been a pretty smooth transition.”

Dom D’s Mets Fan Blog – Dom D talks with Mets beat reporter David Lennon.

” DD: What are the odds that the Mets sign Oliver Perez next season?

DL: Right Now, I’d say 20-1″

JoePosnanski.com – Joe does it again. Uses his creativity to put together something purely amusing with his “reverse” interview of Michael Rosenberg.

“QUESTION: That’s great. Really. It’s a great book. OK, can we start talking about other stuff now? Like, OK, what’s your favorite Pixifood?

MICHAEL: On one of my many drives back from Columbus, I suddenly found myself in the mood for Combos – those pretzels with cheese filling – for the first time in 15 or 20 years. So when I stopped for gas, I bought a little bag, because I figured if I bought a BIG bag I’d eat them all on the ride home and feel sick. I ate the first one and thought, “Why the hell did they wrap a pretzel around a piece of poisonous chalk?” It was beyond awful. I had a similar, though not as brutal, experience recently with a Charleston Chew.”

WashingtonPost.com – Chico Harlan interviews Jim Bowden, GM of the Washington Nationals.

“Q: Manny Acta — How do you think he’s done this year, and how does the front office feel about him?

I’m a big supporter of Manny. I think Manny has done an excellent job with this team. He stayed positive through the most difficult times. It’s hard to do. Like all of us that are young in the game, he continues to develop. You know, I told him the stories of when I was with the Pirates and we first hired Jim Leyland, and they lost 100 games and people were questioning him: Should he come back? And when he had the horses, Jim Leyland won. And I believe that when Manny Acta gets the horses, Manny Acta will win. … I support Manny Acta and the job he’s done.”

UmpBump.com – UmpBump talks with Paul Hagen of the Philly Daily News.

“Umpbump: Fair enough. We’ll agree to disagree. One last question: do you read blogs? And if so, which ones?

PH: As for blogs, I frankly don’t make a point of finding them. If I run across one or somebody brings one to my attention, of course I’ll read it.”

GasLampBall.com – GasLampBall serves up an MP3 interview of Kevin Towers.

Monday Mania

BaseballProspectus.com – (Subscription) David Laurila of BP interviews ex-Jays manager Cito Gaston.

CrawfishBoxes.com - CB posts the final installment of their interview with Zachary Levine.

“CFB: Ok, how do you think the Astros should move then?

ZL: I know one of the names being tossed around is CC Sabathia and I don’t think he’ll be an Astro next year. I think Ben Sheets is a much better choice and we have a much chance with sort of the recruiting and the lower price tag. It’s obviously a risk with his injuries, which makes me think that someone is going to overpay for him, but I guess that’s the theory with pitchers: you overpay for the end to get your money’s worth in the beginning. I think that as long as the years aren’t crazy on Ben Sheets’ contract, then I think it’s a worthwhile thing. I can see a rotation Oswalt, Sheets, Wandy, and Brandon Backe.”

MLB.com - Jeff Moeller interviews Twins outfielder Carlos Gomez.

“MLBPLAYERS.com: How much do you follow the Mets now?

Gomez: I follow them closely. I grew up in that organization. I see what my old teammates do. I have some conversations with Jose Reyes and those guys over the course of the season. I still have good relationships with many of those guys.”

MetsReport.com – WFAN has Jerry Manuel and Omary Minaya on and you can listen to mp3’s of the broadcasts here.

SportsHubLA.com - Brian Kamenetzky interviews Doug Padilla of the LA Newspaper Group via podcast. Check it out.

Sandy Alderson and Russ Grimsley

XXSportsRadio.com – XXSR interviews Sandy Alderson on many different topics including the Padres and the farm system.

Extra Baggs - Andrew Baggarly interviews Giants Single-A affiliate Augusta’s pitching coach Russ Grimsely to talk about the amazing season put in by prospect Madison Bumgarner: 15-3, 1.47 ERA, 21 BB, 164 K’s.

“Q: Can you break down what he throws and what he’s working on?
A: He’s worked on a slider. He had a curveball in the spring but it was erratic. It seemed more like a knuckle curve to me and he wasn’t consistent with it. The slider has gotten better. He’s around the plate with it. It’s got a sharper break and more tilt.

But the biggest thing is the changeup. He’ll need that for the higher levels and he understands that. Down here, he’s just throwing the ball by guys. The closer to home plate they get, the more he reaches back and goes after them. For 19, he’s a very mature, smart kid. He knows he’s got some things he’s got to work on to make himself a more complete pitcher, not just a thrower.”

Dane Johnson, Jim Abbott, and Buster Olney

BattersBox.ca - BB intervies Jays minor league pitching coordinator Dane Johnson:

“BB:  Brad Mills has two excellent pitches but his fastball is only average and he tends to pitch up in the zone with it.  Are you trying to get him to improve his fastball?

DJ:  He is working on it but I think it will work in the major leagues due to his other pitches, even if it is high it comes out like his curveball so it’s not obviously a fastball.  In general we would like every pitcher to get their fastballs down but in Mills’ case he should be OK.  With Mills command is the key for him to be successful.”

NY Times – Jack Curry interviews the great Jim Abbott, who was one of my all-time favorites growing up. We normally only post strictly Q&A interviews, but I really enjoyed this read.

“I’ve come to terms with the fact that I was born differently,” Abbott said. “That’s O.K. Baseball allowed me to work through that and prove myself. That’s given me great peace of mind in my life after baseball.”

GelfMagazine.com – GM interviews Buster Olney of ESPN. They touch on a few different topics including switching from strictly writing to television and whether Bonds will get inducted.

“Gelf Magazine: Was it a difficult transition to go from writing exclusively for print to being on television and other media?

Buster Olney: It took a lot of work. When I was just working in newspapers, my feeling was that television people were the lowest form on earth, and that it’s not that hard to do. Then you get into it and you realize that there is an art to it. Just like there is art to writing a good game story, there’s a good and bad way to get a point across in 30 seconds. It’s as much of an art form, just different.”

Hank Peters and Zachary Levine

BizOfBaseball.com – Aryeh Rabinowitz interviews Hank Peters, who has did more in his time than many other executives did as a whole. This is truly a great interview, with very thorough knowledgeable responses from Peters

“Bizball: What was your hardest decision as general manager?

Peters: I don’t know. Sometimes hard decisions were letting go of players that you have liked. Some of my toughest jobs were retiring Brooks Robinson and Jim Palmer. Those were tough things to do, but, I mean, the handwriting was on the wall in those cases. It was hard when I made the Reggie Jackson deal to give up Don Baylor and Mike Torrez, but you don’t get something without giving up something. As painful as that was, I went ahead and did it. Letting go of players that you might like personally – while realizing it might kind of benefit the ball club – it’s still a tough decision.”

CrawfishBoxes.com – CrawfishBoxes posts its second installment of an interview with Chronicle writer Zachary Levine. This post discuss some of the bigger issues of this season.

“CFB: Speaking of the draft, you already said you liked a lot of the moves, what do you think about the Ross Seaton signing – all the incentives, paying over the mark, the scholarship, etc. – do you think that there is any long-term ramifications for how our draft goes because of that?  Do you think its set an expectation for people that we draft?

ZL: That’s a good point.  It’s very easy for me to say that it’s a good move and they should pay whatever they have to pay to get these guys in, when it’s not my signature on the checks.  I think that if Drayton McLane is willing to acknowledge that whatever he paid to Ross Seaton is going to save him. In say four years Yovanni Gallardo is a big pitching free agent and he would go for $20 million and that year Ross Seaton comes up to the big leagues and you’re paying him the league minimum.  If [Drayton McLane] realizes that it’s that gamble that’s going to make this team smart with its money, then I have no problem with it.  I think that – everything that I’ve read has said – the way to build your franchise is around the younger guys, instead of waiting around for those sixth year guys who are going to break the bank.”

Cla Meridith and Jim Leyland

BaseballProspectus.com (subscription) – David Laurila interviews Padres reliever Cla Meredith.

“DL: What are you doing to fine-tune your delivery? I assume you’re working a lot with your pitching coach, Darren Balsey?

CM: Somewhat. Balsley is a great pitching coach, and I love him to death, but a lot of times, unless something really sticks out, it’s in your own court. He has a lot of confidence in what I’m doing out there, which is huge—you can’t ask for much more than that. He’s always telling you, “You’re okay, you’re okay.” But obviously a lot of the things I do, especially from having more of an unorthodox delivery and arm angle, I’ve had to figure out on my own. There’s nothing wrong with that, and Balsey is always there to help me out when it’s needed. He’ll point out some things that he sees that may not be normal.”

Boston.com – Nick Cafardo interviews Tigers coach Jim Leyland.

“What’s the future look like?

JL: “We have a lot of good pieces on this team. We’re not a perfect team or else we wouldn’t be in the spot in the standings we are now, but we do have a lot to work with going forward. We’re going to have to figure some things out. It was just one of those years where things just didn’t go right, but that’s happened to a lot of teams. It happened to the White Sox and they rebounded from it and have done very well. So we can rebound from this, too.”"