Author Archive: David Laurila

Kevin Towers is smarter than the so-called experts. That isn’t meant sarcastically. The Arizona Diamondbacks’ GM knows what he’s doing, and has both the background and track record to prove it. Skeptics panning his recent moves don’t have his 16 years of experience as a big-league general manager, nor have they been a minor-league pitching coach or scouting director.

Why did Towers trade highly-regarded pitching prospect Trevor Bauer for a young shortstop many feel has a limited offensive ceiling? He has addressed that question myriad times, but a truer understanding goes beyond the specifics of any individual deal. It lays in his overall philosophy, which he discussed shortly before taking time off for the holidays.

Read the rest of this entry »

Chris Reed isn’t your typical top-rated prospect. Born in London, England, he has a record of just 1-9 since the Los Angeles Dodgers drafted him 16th overall in 2011. A closer in his junior year at Stanford, the 22-year-old southpaw transitioned to a starting role this season with High-A Rancho Cucamonga and Double-A Chattanooga. Limited to 77 innings, Reed proceeded to make 11 relief appearances in the Arizona Fall League.

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David Laurila: Why did the Dodgers send you to the Arizona Fall League?

Chris Reed: I actually asked them if I could play winter ball. There were a couple of reasons. One was to throw a few more innings, since my innings count was low. The other was to work on my secondary pitches. Those would be my slider, which I lost about halfway through the year — in Chattanooga — and also my changeup. It’s important to have three pitches as a starter.

DL: How did you end up throwing fewer innings than planned?

CR: It was basically the setback I had in May. That’s what started it, and maybe I just came out of the gate a little too hot. I wasn’t used to [starting] and was throwing too much in between starts. Because of that, they wanted to take things cautious and make sure I made the necessary adjustments to pro ball. From there, it was a decision by upper management to leave me at three innings. I was going to build up from there, but then I experienced some blisters.

DL: Was the setback basically a dead arm?

CR: It was some shoulder soreness. It wasn’t serious, but it was enough to skip a few starts and make them cautious about my transition. My shoulder is fine. There are no lingering problems.

DL: Why did you lose the feel for your slider?

CR: Right before the Future’s Game. I had a start in Chattanooga and it was about 100 degrees with 100% humidity. Read the rest of this entry »

Ryan Hanigan might be the most underrated catcher in baseball. He is definitely one of the most studious and verbose. The 32-year-old Cincinnati Red knows the game, and he can break down the nuances of his craft — and his pitching staff — with the best of them.

Signed by the Reds as a non-drafted free agent in 2002, Hanigan made his big-league debut five years later and has since become a stalwart on both sides of the ball. A well-above-average defensive catcher who threw out 48 percent of runners trying to steal this year, he boasts a .370 lifetime OBP.

Hanigan recently addressed a number of subjects, including where he hits in the batting order, who has the nastiest stuff on the staff, and the challenges Aroldis Chapman will face as a starting pitcher.

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David Laurila: Do you pay attention to advanced stats?

Ryan Hanigan: I have an understanding of sabermetrics and a lot of the terms people are using to categorize what matters, and is what is actually going on. There’s definitely something to it, so I’ve thought about it in terms of the type of player I’ve been, and what I’m trying to become. It factors in to the organization’s perception of you, as well as Major League Baseball’s.

Some of the new stats are more tangible, at least to the stat-specific people of this world. Baseball is moving more towards that, although there are obviously still a lot of people who don’t believe in that stuff. They look at things more old-school.

DL: As a guest on Ken Broo‘s Sunday morning sports show [AM-700 WLW] I’ve suggested you hit second in Dusty Baker’s batting order. What are your thoughts on that?

RH: There’s logic to it. That said, I’m paid to play and the decision, ultimately, isn’t for me to make. That’s up to the manager. Dusty is going to hit me where he wants to hit me, and the last thing I want to do is step on anybody’s toes. It’s not my job to try to change the status quo.

At the same time, the type of hitter I am… I’ve always considered myself a good hitter. Read the rest of this entry »

The Mariners could use some roster upgrades, but no less important is the need for several of their current players to improve. In some cases — youngsters Dustin Ackley, Jesus Montero and Justin Smoak are prime examples — a physical adjustment could be what it takes. Seattle skipper Eric Wedge addressed the subject during this month’s winter meetings in Nashville, Tenn.

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David Laurila: In your press conference, you said Justin Smoak made some mechanical changes this year. What were they?

Eric Wedge: He lowered his hands a little bit and did a better job of finishing his swing. He put himself in a better position to see the baseball, which is half the battle. He did a lot of work — a lot of tweaking — and it paid off for him.

DL: What goes into the decision to make mechanical adjustments?

EW: You have to work off what you see and make educated decisions. It’s a combination of film and what you see [in live action]. You have to communicate with the player and the coaches, and when everybody feels the time is right to do something, you do it. What you don’t want is to do it too early.

DL: Is there a relationship between mechanics and approach?

EW: The approach is more of the intangible. It’s a mindset; it’s your game plan as you head up to home plate. The tangible side of it is the physical and fundamental side — the hands, the swing, the lower-half — and it all works together.

When you talk about a young player starting to figure it out, there are a lot of things he has to master. That’s what [Smoak] has been battling with, and I think he’s just about to get over that hump.

DL: Are there times you want both the mechanics and approach to change?

EW: Yes, and he’s one of them, but sometimes it’s just one or the other. Sometimes a guy has a nice swing, but mentally he’s not doing what he needs to do in regard to his approach, his game plan or his discipline in sticking with that game plan. There’s a lot going on and that’s why it’s so tough to hit. Ultimately, you need everything working together.

DL: Has Dustin Ackley made any mechanical changes? Read the rest of this entry »

Taijuan Walker is more than the top pitching prospect in the Seattle Mariners organization. The 20-year-old right-hander is among the best in the game. With only 126 innings under his belt he remains a work in progress, but his ceiling is sky high.

A two-sport star at Yucaipa (California) High School — he also excelled in basketball — the 6-foot-4 Walker was taken 43rd overall in the 2010 draft. Blessed with athleticism and aptitude, as well as a mid-to-high-90s fastball, he profiles as a front-line starter.

Walker talked about his repertoire, which includes a newly-added pitch, during the Southern League playoffs.

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Walker on his changeup: “My changeup has gotten a lot better since spring training and the end of last year. I’m comfortable throwing it in any count now. I’ve made really big strides with it.

“It’s just a regular straight change, a four-seam circle. I’ve tried many grips and this is pretty much the comfortable one and the one I like. Plus, I throw a lot of four-seam fastballs, so a four-seam changeup is going to benefit me more.

“You have to throw it like your fastball. You have to keep the same arm speed and let the grip do all the work. Sometimes I’ll throw it a little too hard, but I’m mostly been pleased with it. It ranges anywhere between 84 and 90, and I get a little downward movement and some arm-side run. Not a lot, but just enough.”

On his curveball and feel: “This year I didn’t really trust my curveball, so I kind of got away from it. I just wasn’t confident in it. In my last couple of starts, it’s been much better though. I’ve been trusting it more and throwing it more. Instead of trying to make it break, I’m letting the grip do its work. It’s going to be one of my key pitches. Every day I’m working on it, trying to perfect it.

“I was a big basketball player in high school and my pitching coach last year, Rich Dorman, would always use a lot of basketball analogies with me. He used them to help me understand pitching. When you throw a baseball, you feel it off your fingertips, just the same as when you’re shooting a basketball. You feel where the ball is going to go, whether you’re going to miss right or miss left. Same with pitching, inside or out.”

On his fastball: “Velocity is one of the biggest keys to my fastball. I can get away with missing my spot sometimes, just because I have the velocity that I do. I think I’ve topped out at 99 this year. But I can’t always get away with it, so I’m working on making my location better.

“You don’t ever want to be too fine. That’s when you get yourself in trouble. If you’re a hard thrower and can get your fastball in the area of the location where your catcher sets up, you should be fine most of the time.”

On missing bats and maturing as a pitcher: “There are times and places where you want to pitch to contact, but there are other times… it depends on what type of pitcher you are, if you’re a power pitcher, or not.

“I don’t really pay attention to it too much, but it’s always good to get more ground balls than fly balls. If the wind is blowing straight out, and you’re a fly ball pitcher, that can kind of hurt you. Plus, with runners on, you can get double plays.

“I think this year was big for me. I feel like I’ve had to learn how to pitch and not just be a thrower. In Double-A, you can’t just throw fastballs and get away with it. You really have to pitch. You have to mix your pitches and throw off-speed in hitters’ counts. This league helped make more of a pitcher.”

On his newest pitch: “I just added a cutter a few weeks ago. In high school I threw a slider, and I wanted to add it back, but they wouldn’t let me. Now that I’m at a higher level, they’re allowing me to work on this pitch. Not as my strikeout pitch, but just to have it. It’s another look. I feel it can be a good contact pitch, off my fastball, to get a ground ball. Or maybe I can get a broken bat or a pop out. I’ve been throwing it from 88 to 92, but I’m still working on it and trying to figure out how much break I need on it and how hard I need to throw it.”

Dave Raymond won’t be returning to the Houston Astros radio booth next season. Along with broadcast partner Brett Dolan, he was informed that his contract will not be renewed. [Milo Hamilton, who shared air time with the two, is retiring.] There is irony involved in the decision.

A member of the Astros radio team from 2006-2012, the 40-year-old Raymond was seemingly a perfect fit for the club’s analytics-driven approach. A graduate of Stanford University and former business reporter for Forbes Magazine, he is among the more saber-savvy broadcasters in the game. Unlike the old-school Hamilton, he speaks the same language as the Houston front office.

Raymond, an undervalued asset in the broadcaster free-agent market, is currently in search of his next opportunity.

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David Laurila: What are your thoughts on the Astros having adopted an analytics-based approach?

Dave Raymond: “I thought it made a lot of sense when they first started moving in that direction. Before the sale closed, it was made clear in what direction the team would be headed. They would be looking for a young, analytics-based general manager, and would shift aggressively to the new philosophy. It was a good idea, especially given the status of the franchise at that time. They were depleted in prospects, and the major-league roster was either aging rapidly or just deteriorating in terms of production. It was obvious they were going to have to do some drastic maneuvering.

“Having watched what has happened in the last 12 to 18 months, it’s been really dramatic. I’m sure anybody in the industry would echo that sentiment. I didn’t know they would be as aggressive as they’ve been, or that they would have had as much success moving guys and adding so many young bodies. They’ve pulled off several one-for-two, and one-for-three, trades. It’s simple law of averages. If they can bring in three younger options for one body — they realize all three aren’t going to make it big — but if one of them does, maybe they make some real headway.

“It was a bold move, although it’s tough for the fan base, because there is such little hope of winning in the near term. Long term, it will more than likely suit them well.”

DL: Compared to many broadcasters, you have a good understanding of analytics. Read the rest of this entry »

Bob Melvin was named American League Manager of the Year after leading the overachieving Oakland A’s to a playoff berth. It was an honor well-deserved. The 51-year-old former big-league catcher knows how to nurture young talent, and the squad he skippered was laden with first- and second-year players. Melvin discussed five rookie members of his pitching staff during last week’s winter meetings.

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David Laurila: Tommy Milone, Jarrod Parker and A.J. Griffin all had relatively low strikeout rates. What does that mean for their success?

Bob Melvin: It means they can get deeper in games, and with younger guys, you really want them to cut down on their pitch counts.

As far as Tommy Milone, he’s more touch-and-feel, put the ball in play and keep it in the big part of the ballpark. He’ll use his changeup. He’s not really a strikeout guy, even though he has the ability to strike guys out.

A.J. Griffin has four pitches and he’s very unpredictable about when and where he is throwing them.

I think you’ll see Jarrod Parker potentially strike more guys out. His changeup is a strikeout pitch. He’s getting much better about the command of his fastball and where he wants to throw it. His velocity was 89-92 at times last year. Other times it was 92-95 and when it was 92-95 he was striking guys out.

DL: Are strikeouts and ground-ball rates less important in your home ballpark? Read the rest of this entry »

This past summer, Bo Porter — who then was the third-base coach for the Washington Nationals — sat down to discuss the philosophies he’d bring to a big-league managerial job. Earlier this week, he followed up on that interview, this time as manager of the Houston Astros.

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Porter on the Astros way: “Jeff [Luhnow] and the entire group we have is extremely entrenched into the analytical side of the game, which is something I’m extremely interested in. There are a lot of values that can be found when you look at the analytical side and get away from just the numbers everybody looks at every day. In doing so, you’re able to understand the true value of a player. That’s going to help us from an organizational standpoint.”

On the interview process: “We had extensive conversations about my [philosophies] and we were all on one sheet of music. I sat down with [Director of Decision Sciences] Sig Mejdal, even after the interview process. We’ve had probably three or four sit-down meetings, talking about roster construction and available players. We’ve looked at our overall needs, our overall goal and how different players fit into our system.”

On in-game decisions: “When you talk game-by-game, a lot of the analytic portion goes into the decision-making. When you get into the ebb and flow of the game, the skillsets of the players will dictate what you’re able to do. That’s whether it’s the skillset of your players or the players you’re playing against.”

On defensive shifts: “That’s something from an organizational standpoint. We will shift different players. You look at the portion of the field that needs to be defended. I’ve always been one with the Hayden Fry philosophy that you scratch where it itches. You should always defend the greater portion of the field in which the hitter has the greatest probability of hitting the ball to.”

On third base coach Dave Trembley: “Dave and I go way back. He actually was a manager of mine in the minor leagues. When I’d come into the ballpark, he’d be sitting in his office going over all the numbers. His resume speaks for itself. He’s a former major-league manager who has held pretty much every on-the-field job in Major League Baseball, so he has a tremendous knowledge of the game. It’s a great advantage for us to have a guy like Dave at third base.”

On being on the same page: “When you talk about front-office dynamic and management, you want to be on the same sheet of music. That’s one of the beautiful things in the relationship we have here in Houston. We have a great front office. Our baseball operations do a great job from the research standpoint and an advance-scouting standpoint. They’re going to arm our staff with a lot of material that will allow us to be successful, and we’re going to invite that material with open arms. We’re going to use it to our advantage to help the Houston Astros win baseball games.”

The Seattle Mariners probably need offensive production more than they need to upgrade defense at the catcher position. That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t make a move to upgrade defense at the catcher position. General manager Jack Zduriencik faces that quandary at this week’s winter meetings, and possibly beyond.

Jesus Montero and John Jaso are currently in line to share catching duties, and neither is a Gold Glove candidate. They can, however, swing the bat. The underrated Jaso hit .276/.394/.456, while Montero, who possesses a high offensive ceiling, hit .260/.298/.386, with 15 home runs.

If the Mariners do acquire a defensive-minded catcher, it will likely be as a platoon partner for Jaso, with Montero seeing most of his action at first base and/or DH. Similar to the deal that brought Jaso over from Tampa Bay last November, the player would also fit the undervalued-asset category. Kelly Shoppach, a solid defender who hits well against left-handed pitching, is the type of player that fits that description.

Zduriencik was asked about the team’s catching situation, and what went into the Jaso trade, in a lobby conversation at Nashville’s Gaylord Opryland Hotel.

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Zduriencik on acquiring Jaso for Josh Lueke on November 27, 2011: “In the Jaso case, we had a need and [the Rays] liked the arm they got. We liked that Jaso gives you really good at bats. Plus, a left-handed-hitting catcher is a nice commodity to have.

“We do our due diligence in any trade. You dot your Is and cross your Ts. You have the baseball people look at the statistical analysis side of it, and you talk to your people who have seen the player on the field. You also try to get background information, to find out his makeup.

“Sometimes things move really fast and you just have to make decisions. Read the rest of this entry »

The list of pitchers Alan Ashby caught in 17 big-league seasons from 1973 to 1989 is an impressive one. The former Astros, Blue Jays and Indians backstop called games for some of the most dominant pitchers of his era. He also put fingers down for some pretty colorful characters. Now 61 years old, he works as a radio broadcaster for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Ashby talked about catching some of baseball’s finest during a visit to Fenway Park earlier this summer. A primary focus was “the best of the best,” which included Nolan Ryan’s fastball — not the most explosive he caught — and Mike Scott’s mystery pitch.

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David Laurila: Who were the smartest pitchers you caught?

Alan Ashby: “Let me start backwards on that one. Guys like Nolan Ryan — who I caught for nine years — there just aren’t many guys like Nolan Ryan. Nolan is a street-smart guy, a bright guy, but it didn’t take a lot of smarts with his stuff. He could pitch — and did for much of career — away, away, away. Let’s just say he was smart enough to know he could do that, because nobody could hit the stuff.

“Guys who had to move it around, like a Vern Ruhle or a Ken Forsch, had to utilize guile on the mound. If that translates into intelligence and smarts, so be it. A lot of guys who don’t have good stuff are applying everything they’ve got, intelligence-wise and otherwise. I could come up with a list of names of guys to put on that list.

“The guys that generally aren’t on the list are people like Nolan Ryan, J.R. Richard and Joe Niekro. They had very unique stuff. Mike Scott, in his heyday, was another.”

DL: How did Ryan’s fastball differ from Richard’s fastball? Read the rest of this entry »