When I asked Kyle Lohse if he’ll be a pitching coach someday, his response was, “In some ways, I already am.” The 35-year-old right-hander is more than a mentor to the younger members of the Milwaukee Brewers’ pitching staff. Last season he led the club in innings pitched [198.2] and ERA [3.35]. Two years ago, with the St. Louis Cardinals, he threw 211 innings and had a 2.86 ERA. Lohse relies on control. Since breaking into the big leagues in 2001 he has walked just 2.5 batters per nine innings.

Lohse talked about his evolution as a pitcher, including the formative years he spent working with Dave Duncan, when the Brewers visited Fenway Park over the weekend. Read the rest of this entry »

Will Smith’s repertoire includes two- and four-seam fastballs, a slider, a curveball, and a changeup. How frequently he used each of those pitches changed markedly from 2012 to 2013. Last season he threw 14% more two-seamers and 15.9% fewer four-seamers. He also threw 18.3% more sliders and 5% fewer curveballs. His changeup became mostly an afterthought.

The results were striking. In his first season as a reliever, Smith lowered his ERA from 5.32 to 3.24 and upped his K/9 from 5.92 to 11.61. He did so while pitching for the Kansas City Royals. The 24-year-old southpaw is now with the Milwaukee Brewers, having been dealt in the offseason for Norichika Aoki.

I asked Smith about pitch usage prior to Friday’s game at Fenway Park. I began by inquiring about his scant use of two-seamers in his first two outings. He pointed to small sample size, adding that he‘ll throw more as the season goes along. Fair enough. He also mentioned feel and scouting reports. Again, fair enough.

His comments about last season were similar. Regarding slider and curveball usage, Smith said “That was just what the scouting reports called for and what I felt comfortable with. [The slider] was working for me and it’s hard to go away from something that‘s working. Same thing with my curveball. Some hitters are better curveball hitters than slider hitters, and a lot of the guys I faced were better curveball hitters.”

Knowing he would have faced a higher percentage of same-sided hitters as a reliever than he did as a starter, I asked if lefty-lefty match-ups were a big part of it. He said, “Yes, I would say so.”

Following our conversation, I went back to his stat page. I knew he dominated lefties last year — .157/.204/.353 in 77 plate appearances — but I hadn’t looked at his 2012 numbers. They weren‘t what I expected. In 101 plate appearances, lefties hit him to the tune of .356/.402/.495.

A follow-up seemed in order. After the game — a 6-2 Brewers win in which Smith threw 23 pitches — I dug a little deeper. I first asked about his fastball usage that day, as I couldn’t tell from the press box if he was throwing two- or four-seamers. “I threw more twos today,” he told me. Why? “Mostly scouting reports.“

According to PITCHf/x, Smith threw an equal number of two- and four-seamers on Friday, nine of each. He also threw three curveballs and two sliders.

Last year he utilized his slider nearly 30 percent of the time. Opposing batters hit .093 against it.

Scouting reports or feel? I didn’t press Smith on yesterday’s pitch selection, but I did regarding 2012 and 2013. Given the difference in results, both pitch-specific and overall, was he maybe downplaying feel? Was his slider simply his best pitch?

“It was more feel last year,” admitted Smith. “I didn’t have as much confidence with the slider [in 2012]. It was still kind of a new pitch for me, so I was trying to get used to it.”

His best pitch in 2014? We’re only a week into the season, so it’s too early to tell. But if Smith has the same feel for his slider as a year ago, expect him to be very good out of the Brewers’ bullpen.

——

Expectations are high for Maikel Franco. The 21-year-old third baseman is the top-rated prospect in the Philadelphia Phillies organization. Last year he hit .320/.356/.569, with 31 home runs, between high-A Clearwater and Double-A Reading. He’s beginning this season with the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

No one questions Franco’s bat speed or power. Both are plus-plus. There are, however, some concerns about his plate discipline. The free-swinging Dominican walked 30 times last year in 581 plate appearances.

I asked Franco if he’s too aggressive at the plate.

“Sometimes, yeah,” responded Franco. “Sometimes I feel like I’m too aggressive, but when that happens, I say to myself, ‘Just keep it nice and easy, he’ll come to you. Just be ready for everything.’ I’ve been here five years now. Coming to the USA, they said ‘Do it like you do.’ When I go out there, I try to see the ball good, swing, and try to make good contact.”

Franco does make contact. He fanned just 70 times last year. According to Lehigh Valley coach Mickey Morandini, the youngster has made great strides in the plate discipline department, despite his aggressive ways.

“I’ve really seen him grow,” said Morandini, who managed Franco in A ball. ““He wants to swing the bat, but his recognition of breaking balls is much better now. He used to swing at a lot of balls out of the zone, and he‘s learned how to lay off some of those pitches. One thing he does better than anyone I’ve seen in his age group is he’ll swing at a pitch out of the zone, and when he gets that pitch again, he won’t swing at it.”

IronPigs manager Dave Brundage has less experience working with Franco, but likes what he sees.

“What he mostly needs is experience,” said Brundage. “He has great hands, both offensively and defensively. He just needs to shorten things up a little bit and not try to do too much. That’s typical for a young player. They get to big league camp for the first time, like he did this year, and want to show everybody all at once what they can do. They maybe swing a little harder, wanting the ball to farther. But Maikel has the complete package. It’s just a matter of tightening things up, making sure his mechanics are sound and he’s staying within himself.”

In batting practice, Franco’s focus is all about discipline. Once the game starts, he goes back to what comes naturally.

“In the cage, I hit to the opposite field,” explained Franco. “Center field, right field, center field, right field. That’s what I’m thinking about in BP, But when I go out there [in the game], I know I can just throw my hands, so I don‘t think about anything. It’s just see the ball, hit the ball hard.”

——

Will Middlebrooks came up through the Red Sox system with a profile similar to Franco‘s. A power-hitting third baseman, he was the team’s top prospect despite plate discipline issues. To some extent, they’re still there. Middlebrooks has drawn 34 free passes in 675 big-league at bats. He also has 33 home runs and projects to hit many more.

Carlos Gomez is likewise not shy about letting it fly. His power has emerged in recent seasons — he went deep 24 times last year — but the Milwaukee Brewers outfielder has walked only 146 times in 2,737 plate appearances.

I asked Middlebrooks and Gomez how Franco might best be served going forward. Based on their own experiences, should the young Phillies’ prospect begin taking more pitches, or should he stick with what’s gotten him this far?

“I don’t know him, so I can only speak for myself, but I got better by figuring out my swing and figuring out my plan,” said Middlebrooks. “In the minor leagues, I felt like a lot of guys would try to get ahead with heaters, so I’d be up there hacking at heaters right from the first pitch. Instead of looking at one part of the plate, I’d see a heater and whether it was inner third or outer third, I’d hack at it. I hadn’t learned to zone guys up. Now I’ll take that pitch.”

I asked him if it’s easier to be patient if you’re allowed to be yourself at the plate. In other words, is it easier to be disciplined if you aren’t thinking about being disciplined?

“I think that’s true,” said Middlebrooks. “I feel if you’re told to be disciplined, you get passive. I dealt with that some. I was trying to be more disciplined, trying to see more pitches, and ended taking good pitches to hit. I was up there almost predetermined, like “I’m going to take here.’ I think you need to learn your zone and just be yourself.”

Gomez had a similar take.

“It’s hard to tell what he should do, because I don‘t know him,” said Gomez. “But if he’s got power… not everybody is the same. What makes me do better at the plate is when I swing aggressive and hard. I dominate when I swing at a ball I can dominate, not when I chase pitches. But I’m aggressive, so I look for a pitch I can drive out of the ballpark. I tried to be different, but it didn’t work. In the last year and a half, I’ve just been me.

“When I was younger, I wasn’t really told to see more pitches. It was more to hit the ball on the ground and run. When I first came up, they saw me as a speed guy, not a power hitter. Now I’m trying to hit a high line drive to the middle of the field, or a home run. They’re just letting me be myself. I think that‘s what you have to be.”

——

Players aren’t always themselves when they step between the white lines. Over the course of a long season, there are going to be times you‘re nowhere close to 100 percent. The issue isn’t always physical. It can also be mental, and sometimes it‘s not simple.

Mike Nickeas has been through the grind. Currently playing for Toronto’s Triple-A affiliate, the Buffalo Bison, the 31-year-old catcher is in his 11th professional season. Nickeas knows you occasionally have to fight demons in order to survive.

“I’ve seen guys get in the batter’s box and be tight,” said Nickeas. “It’s happened to me as well. You feel anxiety, and that hinders your performance. I’ve played with guys who have had to go on medication because they were mentally crippling themselves. I’ve also seen guys who aren’t as talented, yet they’re the best players on the field because their minds tell them they are. The psyche is really powerful. You can tell yourself anything you want, but if it’s not something you truly believe in your subconscious, it’s not going to do anything for you.

“Fear exists in baseball, and how you deal with it is personal. To each player it’s a different thing. If anyone on this field tells you he’s never experienced fear, whether it’s fear of failure, fear of success, fear of being hurt, he’s lying. And fear drives anxiety. You need to find ways to cope with that.”

——

J.A. Happ had to cope with fear last season. The Blue Jays left-hander was taken from the field on a stretcher after being hit in the head by a line drive in early May. He didn’t return to the mound until August. Following his return, I asked him about the mental demons Nickeas talked about.

“At this level, everybody has the physical tools to be successful, so the mental part of it is everything,” said Happ. “I’ve obviously had ups and downs with that. You’ve had success before, but for whatever reason, doubt creeps in and your confidence level isn’t where it needs to be.

“My experience [of getting by the line drive] was that I was just anxious to get back out there. I wasn’t real concerned about getting hit again. If I’d have thought about that, I think it would have crippled me as far as being able to execute and finish pitches.

“Does fear exist? It’s part of the game, whether it‘s fear of getting hurt or fear of giving up the big hit. Baseball humbles people. As far as throwing a pitch and giving up a big hit, it happens and you have to move on. You realize it’s not the end-all and be-all, but at the time it’s hard to convince yourself of that. Everybody wants to succeed. But in the grand scheme of things, there are more important things in life.”

Jordy Mercer is the new starting shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Clint Barmes is now a moving part, an accomplished glove man on call at multiple infield positions. The shift will have an impact on both sides of the ball.

From an offensive standpoint, the changing of the guard makes perfect sense. The 35-year-old Barmes is a .246/.294/.383 hitter in 1,040 big-league games and has been trending in the wrong direction. The 27-year-old Mercer has less of a track record — just 145 games — but has hit a solid .273/.325/.425.

Mercer will supply more bang for the Bucs, but he won’t replicate Barmes in the field. The 6-foot-3 Mercer isn’t a defensive liability, but he came up through the system as an offense-first shortstop who dabbled at second base and at third base. The player he’s replacing is a pitcher’s best friend.

“Clint Barmes is one of the best defensive players in baseball,” Scott Spratt, of Baseball Info Solutions, said. “Since 2010, only Brendan Ryan (73) and Andrelton Simmons (60) have more Defensive Runs Saved at shortstop than Barmes’ 50. He has tremendous range and has been an above-average contributor on balls to his left (+28 plays), straight on (+23 plays) and to his right (+8 plays).

“Jordy Mercer is still a bit of an unknown,” Spratt added. “He falls just short of 700 career MLB innings at shortstop, where we estimate he has cost the Pirates one run with his defense. With the caveat that the small sample could have an impact on this, Mercer’s biggest weakness appears to be his throwing arm. He has made eight bad-throw Defensive Misplays and Errors (DMEs) in his limited innings. That is approximately one bad throw per 87 innings at the position, which is the sixth-worst rate of the 51 shortstops who have 500 or more innings since 2012. Barmes has just 13 bad throw DMEs over that time in nearly 2,000 innings, which is one per 151 innings.”

Mercer merits a chance to show those numbers can be thrown out the window. He knows he’s not Barmes, but he’s not short on confidence. When I caught up to him in spring training, he fielded questions about his defense ability with self-assured honesty.

“I’m happy with my defense,” Mercer told me. “I’ve always considered it one of my strong suits. I’m not worried about that at all. Everybody is going to say, ‘He needs to improve, he needs to improve.’ Well, of course I need to improve. But I’m not going to stress about it. I’m going to do my job and continue to try to get better.”

Mercer has a good mentor. He also has the luxury of playing for a team that will optimize his opportunities to make plays.

“I’ve worked with Clint ever since I’ve been up here,” said Mercer, who debuted with the Pirates in 2012. “He’s taught me about different angles on balls, how to position guys, reads off the bat, pretty much everything. A lot goes into being at the right spot at the right time, and that‘s something he‘s really good at.

“Positioning is huge,” he added. “A batter will hit a ball where it might normally be a base hit, and you‘re right there. Instead of it being something you maybe can’t get to, you moved over a few steps and made the play.”

Mercer’s comment on positioning is especially pertinent. The number of balls he and Barmes get to aren’t solely a product of their individual skills. SABR president Vince Gennaro addressed the subject in a more general sense at last month’s SABR Analytics Conference: Does having better data on positioning reduce the premium we put on a fielder’s range and increase the premium we put on sure-handedness? In the opinion of ESPN’s Jon Sciambi, the answer is probably yes. Sciambi pointed to the Pirates infield as an example, saying last year’s team had three guys with average to below-average range — Barmes being the exception — yet played plus defense.

Barmes is on board with his team‘s probability-driven approach to defense, but cautions that data points only go so far.

“It’s safe to say positioning is what gives you range,” Barmes told me in Bradenton. “Putting yourself within a step or two of where the ball is going to be hit is the goal. It’s the key to making as many plays as possible.

“We have the percentages on each hitter and will position accordingly. But as the game goes on, things can change. Maybe the pitcher doesn’t have his command and is missing his spots. When guys are missing toward the heart of the plate, professional hitters are going to hit holes a lot easier. That makes it more difficult for us, as infielders, to know where to be on certain pitches.”

Jeff Locke knows the value of experience. He also has full confidence in Mercer.

“Barmes is so educated at playing his position,” the Pirates left-hander said. “He’s played a lot of games there, so his anticipation is really good. But Jordy isn’t much different. He’s just a younger version.”

I asked Locke to elaborate on the similarities between Barmes and Mercer.

“I can’t really say how they play individually, but I can collectively,” Locke said. “They’re both going to give us great defense every time out. Last year Jordy spent a lot of time mirroring, and learning from, Barmes.”

After pausing for a moment, the lefty continued.

“One thing I love about Barmes is that he’s not one of those guys where if there’s a slow runner it’s ‘pump, pump, I’ve got time.’ He likes to get the ball and get rid of it. I played with Jordy throughout the minor leagues and he’s not really any different. We don’t have much flash on this team. You’re not going to see glove flips and behind-the-back tosses. Our guys get the ball and make the out.”

I asked the two shortstops how their styles compare.

“There are some similarities, but there are some differences as well,” Mercer said. “The similarities are the way we take angles and how we position ourselves. The difference is — and he’ll tell you this, too — is that he’s an unorthodox fielder. I’m a more-traditional fielder.”

Barmes agreed: “I’ve heard the word ‘unorthodox’ a lot. I could probably sit here all day and come up with things I do a little differently as far as technique goes. Over the years, I’ve become comfortable doing things in a way a lot of guys may not teach.”

I asked Barmes for examples.

“More than anything, it’s probably my footwork and how I set up on a routine ground ball,” he said. “For most guys, the left foot is half a step in front of the right when they go down to field the ball. That ties me up, so I go the opposite. I like my right foot to be maybe half a step in front of my left foot. It frees up everything and I can watch the ball into my glove better. If it takes a hop, I’m able to react a little quicker.

“Another thing that’s helped my career is the backhand. That’s something I’ve worked with Jordy on. Instead of worrying about trying to get around balls — fighting to get myself in that position — when in doubt I’ll go to my backhand, The more I worked on it, the more confident I got. Then it became throwing on the run, putting my body in a good position to make a strong throw on a ball that’s going away from first base. But as for comparing Jordy and me, he has his footwork and way of throwing the ball, and I have mine.”

Clint Hurdle’s assessment of the two?

“They spent the entire season together last year and it’s been a work-in-progress — a learning-in-progress — for Jordy,” Hurdle told me. “Barmes has been there to offer advice, and Jordy has learned a lot by watching Clint play. But the skill sets are similar — the ability to throw on the run, the ability to backhand the ball across the body, the throws. Probably the biggest thing Barmes has helped Jordy with is establishing good angles and routes to ground balls. I’d say Jordy has a similar skill set on the defensive side of the ball than Barmes.”

Would the Pirates manager place Mercer on the same tier of defensive excellence as Barmes?

“No, it’s going to take time,” Hurdle said. “He has to get games under his belt and make plays.”

Barring the unforeseen, Mercer is going to get a lot of games under his belt on a team with World Series aspirations. There’s a high likelihood he’ll out-hit his predecessor — perhaps by a meaningful margin — but Pirates pitchers are used to elite defense in the middle of the diamond. How much Mercer contributes with his glove may go a long way in determining whether Pittsburgh returns to the postseason.

Seth Rosin is a Texas Ranger. At least for now. The 25-year-old right-hander learned yesterday he’ll be on the opening-day roster, but as a Rule 5 pick he will have to be offered back to the Phillies if he doesn’t remain with the big-league team all season.

Rosin‘s suitcase has been kept busy. Originally drafted by the Giants in 2010, he was traded to the Phiilies two years later. The Mets took him in last December’s Rule 5 and proceeded to sell him to the Dodgers. Rosin pitched well in spring training, but with no room in a loaded LA bullpen, they cut him loose. The Rangers picked him up on Wednesday.

Read the rest of this entry »

Ryan Kalish has freed up his mind and added fluidity to his swing. As a result, the 25-year-old outfielder has a chance to earn a roster spot with the Chicago Cubs. That’s only part of the story.

The once-highly-regarded prospect reached the big leagues with the Red Sox in 2010. His future looked bright, but instead of breaking out, he began breaking down. Injuries have dominated Kalish’s career. He missed all of last season and faced the possibility of never playing again. More on that in a moment.

The adjustments to Kalish’s left-handed stroke began in the off-season. Following a long stint on the shelf, he had to rediscover who he was.

“I was a little mechanical with everything,” said Kalish. “Coming back [from injuries] you think you’re going to just snap back into place. but it’s not that easy. A lot of baseball — especially the swing — is about fluidity and whatever feels most natural.

“Early in the off-season, I was just kind of taking a stride and swinging,” continued Kalish. “With fluidity, you have some sway, or what we like to call ‘swag.’ You have movement and flow. With everything that happened to me, I was concerned with all these little things. The advice I got was, ‘Hey, this is baseball and you have to be natural, you have to let your body do what it wants to do.’ You also have to free your mind. When you’re in the box, thoughts of what you’ve worked on have to go out the window. A lot of what we did as children, I’m trying to get back to now. Back then, we weren’t thinking about anything.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Bill Geivett says Brett Anderson will be successful pitching at Coors Field. The Colorado Rockies acquired the 26-year-old left-hander from the Oakland A’s this past December as part of a three-player deal. Hampered by injuries, Anderson appeared in just 16 games last season, and in 35 games during the past three years. When he’s healthy, he’s been effective. The former second-round pick has a 3.81 ERA and a 7.1 K-rate in 450 big-league innings.

Geivett knows those numbers, and more. His title in Colorado is senior vice president of major league operations. According to the Rockies media guide, he provides “direction and input with the roster.” Formerly the head of scouting and player development, he is entering his 14th season with the Rockies.

Geivett appeared on a panel at last weekend’s SABR Analytics Conference, in Phoenix. Afterwards, I had an opportunity to ask him about the acquisition of Anderson, and the impact of Coors Field on the organization’s decision-making process. Here is Geivett’s breakdown: Read the rest of this entry »

Dylan Bundy is on his way back to being Dylan Bundy. That’s great news for the Orioles, as the 21-year-old right-hander was the game’s top pitching prospect heading into last season. He underwent Tommy John surgery in June.

Bundy’s story is well-known. Drafted fourth overall in 2011, out of an Oklahoma high school, his work ethic and training regimen were front-page news. So was his mid-to-high-90s fastball. He made just 23 professional appearances before reaching Baltimore late in the 2012 season. One year ago this month, his elbow began to ache.

Bundy continues to progress. Exactly when he’ll be game-ready is unknown, but a mid-summer return seems likely. Bundy talked about his injury status, and how he approaches the game, just over one week ago. Read the rest of this entry »

Things didn’t work out for Manny Acta in Cleveland. The saber-savvy skipper was fired after the Indians finished the 2012 season 26 games under .500. In his three years at the helm, the Tribe went 214-266.

I caught up with Acta at this week’s SABR Analytics Conference, in Phoenix. My first question was straight and to the point: How good of a job did you do in Cleveland?

“I feel like I served the purpose,” opined Acta. “I went into a rebuilding job. Basically, we had our core players who were going to be successful for the franchise, and we did our thing to keep them in line and develop them.”

I asked Acta about the team chemistry.

“It was terrific,” said Acta. “A lot of the credit for that goes to the scouting and player development over there. It’s a character-oriented front office, which made my job easy. All I had to do was concentrate on managing the ballgame. I didn’t have many issues in the clubhouse. The Indians get high-character guys and do a pretty good job of weeding out the bad guys as they come up through the system.”

His response demanded a follow-up. In the opinion of some — both inside and outside the organization — Acta’s relationship with certain players was less than ideal. I asked him about that.

“When you don’t win, there is always going to be criticism,” answered Acta. “My second year, when we had that run, instead of criticism I had a lot of people talking me up. You have to take the good with the bad. When you leave a place, there are always going to be people saying things. You have to accept that and move on. I refuse to believe I was the cause of us not winning the division while I was there.”

Another follow-up: Were there issues with some players?

“You can never have 25 Boy Scouts,” said Acta.” But we didn’t have anybody where we couldn’t live through it. Much has been said about Chris Perez, but he made two All-Star teams while I was there. He was manageable.”

Acta is currently serving as an analyst for ESPN. He’d rather be managing in the big leagues. If he gets another opportunity, what will he do differently?

“I’ll probably loosen up a little bit,” said Acta. “I’m a guy who likes to do things right and players sometimes see that as… I just like to respect the game. Respect the way you wear your uniform and how you go about your business. But maybe that’s not a priority for guys anymore. Maybe I’d need to loosen up some of those rules and just let them concentrate on the ballgame.

“I’d possibly stop working so much as a coach,” continued Acta. “I used to spend a lot of time during batting practice hitting ground balls. When I get my next opportunity, I think I’ll let a coach do that. I’ll use that time to go into the outfield to talk to some of my relievers. During the game, you don’t get a chance to talk to them because they’re isolated out in the bullpen. There are little things like that I’d tinker with.”

——

Things didn’t work out for Chris Perez in Cleveland, either. They did to a certain degree — he logged a lot of saves — but there were implosions along the way. To say Perez was a lightning rod would be an understatement.

The Indians released Perez on Halloween. His outspokenness was likely a contributing factor. Ditto the drugs-and-dog controversy and Jekyll-and-Hyde pitching performances. On Christmas Eve, the Los Angeles Dodgers inked him to a free agent contract.

I asked Perez why he signed with the Dodgers.

“This is a good opportunity for me to re-establish myself,” said Perez. “It also gets me away from some of the negative perception I had in Cleveland. Last year, stuff happened and the reporters kind of piled on. Here, I can just fit in on a good team and do my thing.”

Perez wasn’t surprised to be let go by the Indians. He was somewhat surprised to land where he did.

“The Dodgers were nibbling right from the beginning, but when they signed [Brian] Wilson, I thought that was it,” said Perez. “But they called my agency and said they still wanted me. I was excited about that. There were a couple of teams I could have signed with. When I was in L.A. getting my physical, another National League team actually made an offer. A few American League teams had showed interest as well, one in the East and one in the West.

“Free agency is so fluid,” continued Perez. “One deal goes down and the dynamic changes. You kind of have to wait out the market. There were a ton of guys out there. Six or seven guys who had 20 saves last year were free agents. I was the youngest one, but I also had the most baggage.“

It’s not surprising that Perez owns up to the baggage. The straight-shooting reliever is likewise honest about his up-and-down 2013 season.

“The team was good last year, but I wasn’t good,” admitted Perez. “It sucked that I wasn’t my normal self. I was fighting little injuries the whole year. I got healthy toward the second half — July and August I felt really good — but that was arm-wise. My mechanics had changed to compensate for my injuries. When you’re the closer on a team trying to win for the first time in awhile, you need to take the ball and do your job. I didn’t always do my job.”

The beleaguered closer’s most notable blown save came against the White Sox in late September. He surrendered back-to-back home runs in the ninth inning, only to be bailed out by a Jason Giambi walk-off in the bottom half.
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“Oh man, he picked me up big on that one,” said Perez. “It was probably the best atmosphere I’ve been involved in, in the big leagues. Even so, it was lonely. I sat in the dugout, just hoping. I was excited when he went deep, but part of me still felt like crap. It was a huge win, yet I was the a—hole who gave up the home runs that made him have to hit a home run.”

——

Seattle Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik was a panelist at this week’s SABR Analytics Conference. Before he took the stage I asked him if he could share a story from his days as a scout. Here is what Zduriencik had to say:

“Back when I was a young scout with the Mets, I scouted the College World Series. Joe Magrane had been pitching and I was very impressed. This was right before the draft. I was in a bar after the game with Mike Roberts, a scout with the Cardinals. Hub Kittle walked in. Everyone knew Hub, with his big, raspy voice. I asked him, ‘Hub, what did you think of that big lefthander? He was pretty good, wasn’t he?’ Hub growled, ‘That big old donkey? Bah. You can have him.’ A day later, the St. Louis Cardinals took Joe Magrane in the first round. Hub was a big deal with the Cardinals, had been with them for years, and wasn’t giving away any scouting tips. I learned a lesson right there.”

——

The Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers will play in Sydney, Australia later this week. They’ll traverse numerous time zones and the international date line to do so. Needless to say, traveling halfway across the world will present a jet-lag challenge for both teams.

According to Dodgers catcher Tim Federowicz, the acclimation process is already under way.

“We had a meeting the other day about getting on Australia time as quickly as possible,” Federowicz told me on Thursday. “Starting today, we’re supposed to go to bed 30 minutes later. Tomorrow, 30 minutes later than that. Next day, another 30 minutes. When we get on the plane at midnight it will be 6 p.m. Australia time. We’re going to work out right after we land, so we don’t just go to sleep.”

Major League Baseball players are used to travel, but this is a whole new animal. Flying to Sydney isn’t like hopping on a plane in Los Angeles and waking up in New York.

“The farthest I’ve flown is to Hawaii,” said Federowicz. “That was from North Carolina and I think it was about nine hours. I had a middle seat, in a middle row, so it felt like a long flight.”

What is he expecting once the team reaches Australia?

“We’re playing at the cricket grounds, so I’m sure all the cricket fans will come watch us,” said Federowicz. “We’re playing Team Australia one game and then the Diamondbacks, so I’m assuming it will be sold out. It will be quite the experience.”

——

Kevin Kiermaier’s big league debut was unique among first games. The Tampa Bay Rays outfielder entered as a defensive replacement in the ninth inning of last year’s wild card tiebreaker, in Texas.

Forty-eight hours before taking the field, the 23-year-old had no idea it could happen. And he wasn’t a happy camper.

“It was crazy,” said Kiermaier. “I was down in Port Charlotte at a hitting camp. I’d had a good offensive year, so I was like ‘Why are they sending me to this hitting camp?’ I was pretty bitter about it, to be honest. Little did I know they had a plan the whole time. They wanted to keep me baseball ready, just in case.

“I got a call on Sunday night, around 11:30,” continued Kiermaier. “They put me on a plane to Texas the next morning. Once I got to the clubhouse, I talked to Joe Maddon and Andrew Friedman. They said, ‘Hey, we don’t know if we’re going to activate you or not, but give us about 30 minutes and we’ll call you back in. Sure enough, they called me back in and said I was going to be activated that night. They said whenever we get a lead, be ready.”

Game 163, ninth inning, the season on the line. The youngster was unfazed.

“We were up by three runs, so all the pressure was on them,” Kiermaier told me earlier this month. “I thought I was going to be nervous, but I honestly wasn’t. I’m confident in my abilities and felt like I belonged out there. [David] Price got them 1-2-3. I was hoping something would be hit my way, but the way he’d been throwing all night, it didn’t surprise me that nothing was.”

Given his defensive excellence and solid hitting skills, Kiermaier should have plenty of opportunities to make plays in the future. How many come as a defensive replacement remains to see seen. As for the games themselves, the stakes won’t be any higher.

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You won’t find many pitchers with a higher leg kick than Bronson Arroyo. The Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander told me the story behind it yesterday at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick.

“The leg kick came when I was about nine years old,” explained Arroyo. “It came out of trying to emulate Dwight Gooden. He was an absolute stud at the time, and my brain processed his big leg kick. He had a stiff leg that he kind of wrapped around, and this came out of that.”

After demonstrating Gooden’s delivery, Arroyo compared himself to A.J. Pierzynski.

“I was pretty much the same then as I am now,” said Arroyo. “I had a good feel for the game and would drop my arm angle. I would throw curveballs and do things with my delivery. It’s funny, I played against A.J. Pierzynski when I was 10, 11 and 12, and with him when I was 13. He was exactly the same way he is now. He was competitive as hell and wasn’t fun to play against. He talked a lot of s___. We‘re both pretty much the same as we were in Little League.”

Justin Nicolino has been called “an intelligent student of the game.” It’s an accurate description and a big reason the 22-year-old southpaw is one of the top prospects in the Miami Marlins organization. He thrives on more than guile. Nicolino has better stuff than most crafty lefties.

A second-round pick by the Blue Jays, in 2010, Nicolino was acquired by the Marlins in the November 2012 trade that sent over $150 million in salaries to Toronto in exchange for a plethora of young talent. The lefthander was outstanding last year in High-A Jupiter, logging a 2.23 ERA in 18 starts. In nine starts for Double-A Jacksonville his ERA was a learning-curve-influenced 4.96. In 327 professional innings, Nicolino is 24-10, 2.53 with a 7.9 K/9. Read the rest of this entry »

Anthony Seratelli graduated from Seton Hall in May 2005 and didn’t play baseball again until May 2006. The year off wasn’t by choice. The New Jersey native was bypassed in the amateur draft. He went to numerous open tryouts looking for an opportunity. He drove to Philadelphia, he flew to Chicago and Minnesota. No teams were interested in his services.

Seratelli is now 31 years old and in camp with the New York Mets. He has a legitimate shot of making the team as a utility infielder.

His professional journey started with the Windy City Thunderbolts of the independent Frontier League. It wasn’t organized ball, but Seratelli was living his dream. Read the rest of this entry »