[SPEAKER_00]: Welcome into another interview edition of the Future Sox podcast. [SPEAKER_00]: My name is Elijah Evans and I am joined today by White Sox pitcher Shane Murphy of the Birmingham Barrens in AA. [SPEAKER_00]: Shane was recently named the July pitcher of the month of the White Sox organization. [SPEAKER_00]: Also the Southern League pitcher of the month. [SPEAKER_00]: And what has been a really impressive season all around.
[SPEAKER_00]: So we appreciate you happen on enjoying a situation. [SPEAKER_01]: No problem. [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you for having me. [SPEAKER_01]: I appreciate it's been a fun year so far for sure. [SPEAKER_01]: Just gotta keep it rolling. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, it definitely seems that way for you and for Birmingham as a whole as we were just kind of talking about pre-recording here.
[SPEAKER_00]: For, you know, starting before we get back into kind of your development of the past few years, just July itself, what has been kind of this month like for you and just having the amount of success you've had, but also being part of a team like you said that that's just on fire right now. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it's been fun, I think.
[SPEAKER_01]: More importantly, team first, winning first, creating a culture and the work atmosphere, that's excited to come to the yard every day and focus on what you need to do and [SPEAKER_01]: how you can better yourself to help the team win. [SPEAKER_01]: On top of that, I think adding into July success, like why don't we baseball about development, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: Like everyone has their own play and their own stuff they're working on, but and you try to take that into the game and there's a fine line of
[SPEAKER_01]: developing in the game too because you got to take stuff you're working on into the game for to eventually translate over but there's also the mindset switch when you're winning so much in the team mindset is win win and you're just competing you have a great group of guys it's almost less pressure in terms of like what I'm trying to do and where I'm trying to go and it's like all right let's [SPEAKER_01]: Let's pitch today to win a ball game and then the rest takes care of itself.
[SPEAKER_01]: So I just think that mindset really proves evident over everything else as well. [SPEAKER_01]: So it's been a culmination of things, but the bearings are hot for sure. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, no, it doesn't make sense that it makes it easier to do your job when you're just going out there and everybody's fired up and everybody's wanted to win and you've got, you know, new talent coming in that's wanting to win. [SPEAKER_00]: It's got guys that have been there.
[SPEAKER_00]: You've got kind of this really cool blend of some more experience guys, some younger guys and just this group that's just [SPEAKER_00]: clicking on all cylinders right now. [SPEAKER_00]: Sure. [SPEAKER_01]: For sure. [SPEAKER_01]: I think the additions of Antonachi obviously be a mod's been here for about a week and we can change now too and he's obviously as advertised, great player, great talent and then the staff.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's been a similar group of guys but adding pieces here and there some guys going back and forth to triple or some guys. [SPEAKER_01]: Plant and Franklin got promoted. [SPEAKER_01]: But no matter what, I think the back of it, our bullpen, Mark McLaughlin's been awesome. [SPEAKER_01]: Anyone that came up and filled the role is just filled the role.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like it hasn't been anything other than they've came in and done their job and the whole staff has done great work and everyone in the clubhouse is just, it's a great group of guys. [SPEAKER_01]: It's a lot of fun to be around. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, that's awesome man. [SPEAKER_00]: It's always good to hear. [SPEAKER_00]: And I'd say it was the same way last year in Birmingham from when I was here. [SPEAKER_00]: And for me that's too.
[SPEAKER_00]: So it's cool that we've got two seasons in a row where not the other affiliates are not happy and excited. [SPEAKER_00]: But like Birmingham is on the, you know, maybe the best to your stretch in the variance. [SPEAKER_00]: I've had it in quite some time. [SPEAKER_00]: That's for sure.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, no. [SPEAKER_01]: And I think double A is specifically like that level of play when you start one and at that level and there's more talent on the field and depths and like [SPEAKER_01]: I said the competition across the league as a whole is good. [SPEAKER_01]: So like having a good double a roster, good double a team to have it two years and where I think says a lot about where the organization that for sure. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I completely agree.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's something I've heard from many guys that that high AA jump is kind of one of the one of the key jumps in the minor league career of players of just making that kind of, you know, once you're in AA, you're with guys that are all on track to potentially be the big leagues, right? [SPEAKER_00]: And that's different from when you're, you know, still at like the complex or the single eye level where yeah, there's a talent, but it's definitely more raw at that point.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, very raw. [SPEAKER_01]: Here's, there's, it's a cleaner game. [SPEAKER_01]: I think that bats are cleaner hitters have more of an approach to have that are just everyone's more [SPEAKER_01]: It's clean as a whole, like hitters have an objective, there's deeper and more in-depth scouting reports, let's say, to an extent, a little more, like I said, winning based when you get to this level.
[SPEAKER_01]: So just all of that in the whole, it's a more complete baseball game, which makes with [SPEAKER_01]: Better competition, the lineup's are deeper, the defense. [SPEAKER_01]: I think defense stands out the most as well. [SPEAKER_01]: It's just a cleaner game as well. [SPEAKER_01]: The defense which obviously helps us and we have a great defense in Birmingham. [SPEAKER_01]: So pitching with that defense behind these, you're very confident out there, no doubt.
[SPEAKER_01]: But just all teams across the board, the whole league, it's just the competition from high to here is just a much bigger jump in terms of the game being played the right way. [SPEAKER_01]: less as you said, raw, there's the abilities all the same in professional baseball, but the consistency and the margin for air is way slower. [SPEAKER_00]: Yep, it makes perfect sense.
[SPEAKER_00]: And that kind of leads me into what I wanted to get into from there, which is your past couple years before we dive into more of the, you know, what you've literally done this year. [SPEAKER_00]: When you look back, kind of, you know, so just over three years ago, when you were drafted, fourteen rounder, [SPEAKER_00]: you know, coming out of obviously a, you know, comparatively some other guys you were playing in a small school and C.C. [SPEAKER_00]: level.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's different than, you know, some guys that come in from S.C.C. [SPEAKER_00]: and then you got the international guys coming in from those ranks, right? [SPEAKER_00]: So what has it been for you over the past just a couple years to kind of rise from, you know, you weren't canapolis in twenty three primarily. [SPEAKER_00]: You were primarily in Winston last year and then primarily Birmingham this year.
[SPEAKER_00]: So you've kind of had most of a year spent at each level the past three seasons. [SPEAKER_00]: What has that been for you just your development since being drafted by the organization? [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I think year one and could have a place was my first year. [SPEAKER_01]: So I had TJ, twenty twenty one missed all of twenty twenty two and they sell me throw in summer ball. [SPEAKER_01]: It was like me building up my TJ rehab phase. [SPEAKER_01]: I threw one innings two.
[SPEAKER_01]: I threw like seven innings. [SPEAKER_01]: I threw like two innings in college that year. [SPEAKER_01]: Like the last game of the year. [SPEAKER_01]: I got two innings. [SPEAKER_01]: I got a start from one inning and another start from one inning. [SPEAKER_01]: And then I went and played summer ball. [SPEAKER_01]: and the program I was left in the MLB draft. [SPEAKER_01]: It was late in the late night. [SPEAKER_01]: Like, no, it's coming off TJ.
[SPEAKER_01]: So I just continued my throwing progression there. [SPEAKER_01]: And I feel like four or five endings. [SPEAKER_01]: And thankfully, I got saw and put enough out there. [SPEAKER_01]: Um, that the lights are still a flyer on me. [SPEAKER_01]: And I'm super grateful, John, because Anis is an all-time scout. [SPEAKER_01]: And he followed me in high school, I think, too. [SPEAKER_01]: So just going into the twenty twenty three seasons, like my first full season, post TJ.
[SPEAKER_01]: So that's more so like, [SPEAKER_01]: not finding your footing but remembering and like you feel good like that first year I felt good no armistures I know I was going to be in Minneapolis the whole year because I was coming off PJ and I was on a strict end use limit and like just breaking down my development like it was communicated that like I was going to be in Minneapolis all year no matter how I did and I threw the ball [SPEAKER_01]: really well and canapolis at the end.
[SPEAKER_01]: I think I got a little tired under the first year. [SPEAKER_01]: They sent teams four or five times like learning how to adjust to that stuff and dive into reports. [SPEAKER_01]: But like my first full season I do this success for sure and just staying healthy was the most important part and then in the Winston.
[SPEAKER_01]: I was certain and the spring had like a little tendonitis, about flare up, nothing serious, but just lines will take care of it in the beginning of the year, missed two weeks and then looking out through about the whole year was the right thing to do. [SPEAKER_01]: I still ended up getting a hundred plus endings and got my workload in. [SPEAKER_01]: I struggled a little more in Winston. [SPEAKER_01]: I felt like I always threw the ball well.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like the whole year I never felt like I was throwing the ball poorly. [SPEAKER_01]: I just felt like it'd be one pitch two pitches of games that I really got beat on. [SPEAKER_01]: And it'd be whether a two run, three run double with two outs or two run Homer with two outs. [SPEAKER_01]: Like every time I felt like I got beat, it just was a bad time to get beat and not making a pitch when I needed to make it.
[SPEAKER_01]: But like as a whole, I felt like the process three years straight. [SPEAKER_01]: I felt like I've continued to put it. [SPEAKER_01]: like accumulate innings and reps and throw the ball well as a whole. [SPEAKER_01]: I'll just learn about lineups, learn about pitching, um, being around older guys, watching guys in spring training. [SPEAKER_01]: I remember this spring training.
[SPEAKER_01]: I made it, I made it a point to like get to get to the complex early because I see the big league sides doing all their workouts in the morning and then mine only workouts from the afternoon on the back shields because everyone's using the back shields, but I made it a point to get there early.
[SPEAKER_01]: and then do my stuff in the waiting room training room and then I have had like an hour in between our practice and our practice and I made it a point to go and watch like bullpens, watch live BPs, like I had some of my guys and so you know everyone coming up to the org and like atoms pull out like some of my closest friends are in big league camps so like just going over there and watching them throw to support but also knowing you can learn some just
[SPEAKER_01]: by being an ear and listening to people talking shatter and what they got on stuff. [SPEAKER_01]: So I think all of that plays into everything. [SPEAKER_01]: I'm just watching the game, pitching, figuring out what works for you, figuring out what does and not being afraid to try things. [SPEAKER_01]: And I think that's really been in terms of three-year development.
[SPEAKER_01]: Just being open to development, open to change in pitches, open in the adding and subtracting speeds on any pitch I can.
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't throw [SPEAKER_01]: I throw a eighty-nine to ninety-two like it's not it's no secret like I've picked I've picked I've picked my ass off of that in this day and age and overpowering arm or like a eye popping arm for sure, but I think what I do really well is a less valued thing in today's game or is more valued previously and prior just because everyone's stuff so nasty, but I still think there's an art to get in hitters out and
[SPEAKER_01]: pitching is pitching no matter what you're changing speeds and trying to keep the hitter off balance and stay off the barrel. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, on your percent, man, it's all it's all, you know, to each person, right? [SPEAKER_00]: I think the tournament is like it's not. [SPEAKER_00]: There is this, you know, craze over like, oh, that's the grossest, a hundred two mile an hour sinker that's moving. [SPEAKER_00]: And then people love that.
[SPEAKER_00]: And of course, you know, it's crazy. [SPEAKER_00]: But at the same time, there's still plenty of pictures in this day that are really successful by mixing and matching and utilizing everything they can. [SPEAKER_00]: And for you, being someone like last season, you said, you know, you got hit around a little bit more, yeah, compared to Kenapolis. [SPEAKER_00]: But you also were running on four percent walkway last season in the high level, which is incredibly low, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: So you were able to command at that level. [SPEAKER_00]: So then coming into the offices in this year, when you're looking at last year and you're saying, hey, I got hit a little bit harder, but I felt like I was going through and I got a hundred plus innings under my belt. [SPEAKER_00]: I wasn't, you know, I was commanding really well.
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, we're kind of the key things you were trying to build off and you talked about this a little the other day to the media, but what were the things you were trying to build off of coming off of last season heading into this year? [SPEAKER_01]: On the last year I was mainly just a three-pitch mix. [SPEAKER_01]: Most of the year fastball curveball change up which I've been my whole life and was they're all really good pitches for me and they still are.
[SPEAKER_01]: But I remember in Asheville. [SPEAKER_01]: Last year in high, I felt like I was putting up unreal numbers and I had one outing in Asheville, like middle of June, like fifty innings into the year. [SPEAKER_01]: I gave up like eight or nine earnings or ten earnings and like one and a third, two and a third just hitters park didn't have feel like everything was missing out, pushes Russian, bad mechanics day and they just tied me for like eight or nine earnings.
[SPEAKER_01]: I got three homers and like I watched [SPEAKER_01]: Not that it does matter and it doesn't, but when you're competitive and you're into it, it matters, but from a big picture it really doesn't, but I watch my ERA and the middle of June go from like a one nine to like a four one off of one outing. [SPEAKER_01]: I just like all right, like that's the South of the water and other rest of you are just [SPEAKER_01]: keep pitching your game, make quality outings.
[SPEAKER_01]: And if you keep doing that, your numbers are going to prove in month by month. [SPEAKER_01]: You're going to put up good numbers in a month calendar, which is most important. [SPEAKER_01]: And we're developing month by month, taking it for a snapshot. [SPEAKER_01]: The whole year is a snapshot breaking it down. [SPEAKER_01]: And after that, adding us, I was so frustrated. [SPEAKER_01]: I was like, the only runs I give up on home runs. [SPEAKER_01]: So Zeleski was in town that week.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I just remember going to him, I was like, is there any way I can throw a sinker? [SPEAKER_01]: Like, I know my forcing magically plays up, but like, everyone knows, especially facing that time three, four times in a year. [SPEAKER_01]: Like, everyone knows I'm trying to stick a forcing at the top and throw my change up and break and bulls off that and taunt on my curve bulls. [SPEAKER_01]: But I predominantly live forcing at the top.
[SPEAKER_01]: if the team or a hit or has an approach other son out for that pitch like it's getting hit the ISO on it is high the damage on it is high and I just wanted some to get off the forcing so yeah we can work with the sinkers like it would be hard because like I'm a spin-efficient guy like I'm a ride guy it's high arm size like sinker maybe hard but we tinkered around with stuff and like it never became good but it's just a much like just enough differential off the forcing just to give them a different look whether it's
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, for seems here on the barrel on the sinkers here, it's not a good patch, but it's just enough to give them a different look. [SPEAKER_01]: and throughout the last two months of the year I've really worked on that and I'm into the off season. [SPEAKER_01]: I continued that.
[SPEAKER_01]: Me and John, John was the pitching coach high last year and we worked on a slider all year long and I don't throw it a lot and mainly predominantly to lefties but I had a really good feel for the slider at the end of the year against lefties. [SPEAKER_01]: I was getting lefties out at a very, very successful clip with the slider and fastball and change up. [SPEAKER_01]: And I was like, well, I don't really throw this slider in or right.
[SPEAKER_01]: He's that often, but I know I have good enough field if throw it to lefties whenever I want. [SPEAKER_01]: When the lefties in the box, I know my slider is going to be there. [SPEAKER_01]: Whether it's a four percent, five percent usage pitch on the report, but I know I'm throwing that to slot lefties, and it's going to play. [SPEAKER_01]: So it's like, let's see how we can improve that slider. [SPEAKER_01]: Get it to move through it harder.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I kind of just developed in that cutter in the offseason. [SPEAKER_01]: So then that was like December one day just playing catch. [SPEAKER_01]: I was working a slider. [SPEAKER_01]: As I let's just rip this hard and see what the action looks like. [SPEAKER_01]: And from there on, I was like, all right, I've like this slider cutter pitch, a slutter pitch. [SPEAKER_01]: I'm working on the sinker. [SPEAKER_01]: And then just over time, reps reps reps.
[SPEAKER_01]: I feel like throughout this whole year. [SPEAKER_01]: The cutter has become its own pitch, the sliders become its own pitch and then sinkers to lefties have become a really good pitch too. [SPEAKER_01]: So I've kind of developed three fastballs all within the eighty seven to ninety one ninety two range and they all have distinct movements and play off the barrel and I can work with that in terms of tunneling and locating with my command.
[SPEAKER_01]: I feel like [SPEAKER_01]: So we're pitching now, like we're making everything like the same and moving them ball to all four closions of the play and I think it just makes it really hard to keep the hitter Hitter not guessing but just I'm trying to keep them off balance and give them a different look every time they're up at the play [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, that's a super good insight into what you're kind of building out there.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it sounds like at this point you have sort of almost six pitches that you feel comfortable throwing, which is a lot for a guy. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, for sure. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I definitely do. [SPEAKER_01]: I think on my report, I definitely have every game is anywhere from five. [SPEAKER_01]: five to six or seven pitches. [SPEAKER_01]: I like changing speeds with my curve balls, which with all the data, they get tagged. [SPEAKER_01]: That's a different pitch from that.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, but it's the same pitch to me. [SPEAKER_01]: It's just, I throw one at seventy eight, seventy nine. [SPEAKER_01]: I'll throw a curve both seventy two, seventy four. [SPEAKER_01]: Just try to change speeds and give them a different look. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, so two questions building off that for the slider and the cutter, you kind of, so you started with this slider you were mixing in, you developed it into a cutter.
[SPEAKER_00]: What is the differential there between the two for you and how do you kind of, if you're trying to throw one verse the other, is it more of just it happens or do you have a specific thing that the changes that from the other? [SPEAKER_01]: Um, early on it was this is my grip and I'm just going to rip it as hard as possible and it was very inconsistent.
[SPEAKER_01]: I always knew it was going to go right, which is what I wanted and I was going to have some depth with my wanted and I knew it would be anywhere depending on what I was ripping up between eighty three eighty six and then this year I can really just overwrap just to feel out front. [SPEAKER_01]: There's similar grips.
[SPEAKER_01]: I use the same seam in the same reference points for both pitches, but just spacing on the grip, and then just intense, staying supinated now, I really have it. [SPEAKER_01]: I know my cutter is going to be eighty-seven to nine, or eighty-six, eighty-seven to ninety, and I know my slider is going to be eighty-two to eighty-four, and they're very distinct, different shapes for sure. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, so you've kind of figured that out the different shapes as you go.
[SPEAKER_01]: So they're definitely their own two pitches now for sure. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, as someone who kind of was change up heavy early, do you feel like the sinker has just kind of played off that? [SPEAKER_00]: And it's similar, a different manner, but a similar manner to that kind of slider cuter differentiation, where you have the same movement profile, but it's that separation. [SPEAKER_01]: A hundred percent.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think my sinker and change of action have the exact similar metrics and just a good change of my opinion is looking exactly like the heater and just obviously you have outliers. [SPEAKER_01]: You got a good change of two ways. [SPEAKER_01]: You got that. [SPEAKER_01]: Deception wise and speed variation wise, and you can have profile and movement wise, and everyone's is different. [SPEAKER_01]: And mine's more of not like an eye popping metric change up.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's just, I think I throw it with a really good hand speed, and everyone I've ever talked to is always the feedback. [SPEAKER_01]: So it's been a looks exactly like your sheet, or so that's what I like, and that gives me confidence. [SPEAKER_01]: And then I can just rip it and be aggressive with it and trust the speed variation.
[SPEAKER_01]: but the sinkers definitely played into that sinker and change up in terms of spin orientation and access are much more similar but even not to the foreseen guys will tell me the change up looks similar to the foreseen but I think I just do a good job of selling it all with hand spewed and in time out front so
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, that's I mean, that's how you have to mix those three fastballs right, obviously you want them looking the same as they're coming out and being in similar range of yellow obviously a take down for the movement ones, but keeping them looking the same coming out of the hand.
[SPEAKER_00]: Do you do you have kind of a between those three fastballs now that you're working three fastballs in and there's [SPEAKER_00]: It's interesting, because I don't know if you've done this this, but it seems like a lot of guys in the socks organization particularly have developed these sinkers and cutters in the past year or two.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's become, I mean, I mean, I even talked and I talked as Leski at spring training and he was telling me the same thing kind of that there's a lot of guys working on fastball variations. [SPEAKER_00]: Do you think there is of the three? [SPEAKER_00]: Do you use them in different ways for celebrities and writers or are they kind of still all three you do as depending on the better?
[SPEAKER_01]: All through, definitely be utilized depending on what the batter's given me, what of throne, in terms of sequencing and location and how I can play tunnel each pitch off each other. [SPEAKER_01]: So all through, I always open. [SPEAKER_01]: I'll say the one thing I want to get more comfortable with, this Aussies and like heading into next year's, I really want to develop the hardest pitch to throw as a sinker or two-seamer glove side, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, I really [SPEAKER_01]: Martín Perez dominates the sinkers starting at the hip of a ride, even running it back over the plate, which allows the cutter in and the force even to open up even more, and then the change up and everything else down in the way plays even more. [SPEAKER_01]: I'm very comfortable ripping a sinker to lefties, just starting at middle third and just trusting the action.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's going to dive under a barrel and I'm trying to get a jam shot or a roll over. [SPEAKER_01]: But that's the one thing.
[SPEAKER_01]: Getting a glove side extended to a righty up and in and using that as a freeze pitch will just open up my arsenal even more in terms of changed speeds and keeping them off balance and going on with different looks I think that's that's the one thing command wise just timing wise and I can stick a fore seam up and in glove side that's like my cue that's my pitch if I can throw my fore seam up and in glove side that day I know my mechanics are insane I know I'm gonna have good command I know I'm gonna
[SPEAKER_01]: be where I want to be throughout the game. [SPEAKER_01]: And I think finding the queue and feel for that with my sinker is a little different just because you're staying supernated a little bit longer through the pitch. [SPEAKER_01]: Like I'm trying to see him shift it. [SPEAKER_01]: So like just buy on the can. [SPEAKER_01]: There's a little different bit of moving parts.
[SPEAKER_01]: So I really think this offseason just [SPEAKER_01]: every catch play, every session, just getting endless sinker reps up in here to ride you just to my catch partner this shoulder and just really find in that feel for that. [SPEAKER_01]: I think could be a huge step forward as well. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, definitely gloves head sinkers is tough man.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think that can't you can't find a ton of guys even at the big league level that are like consistently comfortable with that. [SPEAKER_01]: No, there's not many who do but [SPEAKER_01]: I also know my game is command and pitchability, so when I need to be where I want to be, which is in the big leagues and helping the team win, I know for me to contribute, that's the level I have to get to.
[SPEAKER_01]: Instead of me being like, oh, I'm a ninety-seven ninety-eight guy, I need to put a five figure out how I get to ninety-nine a hundred, I know. [SPEAKER_01]: I need to figure out how to execute that sinker glove side for me to take the next step in my development. [SPEAKER_01]: And that's like my key point of emphasis, I think, is just finding that field and repeatability.
[SPEAKER_00]: makes perfect sense when did you realize in your baseball journey that you were you know a command guy not just a command guy but that like you had a really strong ability to command the baseball because that's you know there's not a time of guys running walk rates that you're running in the minor league levels and as they rise up the ranks yeah honestly I don't I don't know guys lastly all the time like what did you do to do that and like
[SPEAKER_01]: I've always, I've just always been a strike thrower, like I've always just tried to keep my mechanics simple, like I've never, I got into like not weight training, but like I've gotten like the biomechanics, the throwing hard aspect, like growing up, like I never cared about throwing hard, like I always just thought it was cool to throw the ball, like exactly where I want, like competitions, like throwing a ball in a bucket from fifty yards away with like in high school and BP, like
[SPEAKER_01]: and just competitive cash pledge just being at a young age I've obviously older brother playing baseball and having successful career plays huge dividends into that like learning when you're the younger brother you have so many advantages just you're brought everywhere along all you have to do is watch like can't stay at home by yourself so my brothers playing baseball and high school I got to go with my parents and watch every game but I just think
[SPEAKER_01]: having competitive catch play from a super young age like just being the eleven twelve years old and just my whole entire and my focus was just like on catch play and just trying to execute that enough it's [SPEAKER_01]: like a process thing or anything. [SPEAKER_01]: I think maybe just we naturally mean in love with the game and naturally being a pitcher and being in love with pitching. [SPEAKER_01]: But I do remember me and my brother when we were super young.
[SPEAKER_01]: We used to have this front door and it like the front door of our house had like four little quadrants. [SPEAKER_01]: And I just remember all we would do is just throw tennis balls at the front door and see how many, like, however, we just have competitions from like, when I was six, seven years old, my first third throw and he was already twelve, thirteen.
[SPEAKER_01]: And we would just have competitions who could get the tennis ball on this square of the most, that's really the most from a certain distance. [SPEAKER_01]: And maybe little things like that when you're growing up and you're an adolescent and just like, play dividends and don't you become in the type of field? [SPEAKER_01]: You know, if that makes sense.
[SPEAKER_01]: Just like little things you do as a kid build in your motor patterns and find and feel out front and I just stuff like that I could play into it. [SPEAKER_01]: But I would say ever since high school, I've known I've been a strength that I've been a command guy for sure. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I've just had that feel for it. [SPEAKER_00]: And that's funny how those things when you hear a kid just kind of end up playing into your eventual self.
[SPEAKER_00]: Do you, you know, what do you feel about kind of your role, whether it be right now? [SPEAKER_00]: Obviously you're starting to make great starts, but you do have experienced last season and into this season. [SPEAKER_00]: Not as much this season more a little bit last season where you're piggybacking or you're coming out of the bullpen. [SPEAKER_00]: How do you feel about kind of the the routine of being a starter or the the ability to be kind of a bulk or relief guy?
[SPEAKER_01]: I think piggyback and the offspring training as out of the bullpen. [SPEAKER_01]: I was told I was going to be moved to the bullpen this year and that's the interesting place. [SPEAKER_01]: I got an opportunity and they know I think the org as a whole is confident. [SPEAKER_01]: I have an ability to get out and just eat their things.
[SPEAKER_01]: Um, and I said I was given an opportunity with a few injuries which are unfortunate, but I think I just I think piggyback in last year was I don't lot of fun enjoying it. [SPEAKER_01]: Um, I've been a starter in terms of high school like K tab last year towards the end of the year, but last year I started the year piggyback in Palette in Winston and like I have a super comfortable with that.
[SPEAKER_01]: So I think [SPEAKER_01]: I know deep down my role in terms of impacting a big league team and adding values just to get out whenever it's asked of me. [SPEAKER_01]: I'm not at best stuff flies. [SPEAKER_01]: I'm a fifth starter, four starter. [SPEAKER_01]: Like in terms of quote on quote, paper, stuff flies and what that looks like in terms of the business side.
[SPEAKER_01]: So I know I just wherever you give me the ball and when you give it to me, I'm gonna try to get a guy out and the competitiveness and the fun it is to just pitch and compete with a guy in the box. [SPEAKER_01]: I think it's very, I'm very flexible in terms of like, I really enjoyed piggyback in the spring working out of the bullpen. [SPEAKER_01]: I learned a lot about a bullpen routine, how to take care of your body, your arm, how to be ready mentally.
[SPEAKER_01]: So I think that was really good. [SPEAKER_01]: Reps and built-up foundation for me there too. [SPEAKER_01]: So I'm comfortable doing anything. [SPEAKER_01]: Starting to different, you guys, we have an in-depth routine when you're a starter and you can gain playing your week out in terms of strength and conditioning and training room wise, but in terms of pitching and getting out. [SPEAKER_01]: I think anywhere I'm very happy to just be on the map and get in the rock and compete.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I love that mindset. [SPEAKER_00]: And that's it's useful. [SPEAKER_00]: Obviously, as you know this right, and you see very self aware of these things like the White Talks of a lot of pitching and this is a lot of really good arms. [SPEAKER_00]: It doesn't know. [SPEAKER_00]: Some of them like at the end of the day, like there's a ton of guys that are going to get to the level and be pieces, but I've guys are going to be in that rotation when we see this.
[SPEAKER_00]: back to a place of being competitive in any pushing for postseason, which we're hoping as soon as next season, right? [SPEAKER_00]: But you know, that's, that's going to have to be a thing where there will be some guys to go in the bullpen and that's not a knock on anybody. [SPEAKER_00]: It's just, there's going to be a sort of bullpen rule and you can be a really effective in bullpen rule, right? [SPEAKER_01]: It's business.
[SPEAKER_01]: There's only twenty six jobs on the pitching staff and there's a lot of talent. [SPEAKER_01]: Everyone knows there's a lot of talent on our own, especially at the higher levels. [SPEAKER_01]: There's a lot of arms. [SPEAKER_01]: You look at the big league team. [SPEAKER_01]: How many guys are in year one year two with four, five, six more years to control to begin with in terms of getting into arm and then post arm. [SPEAKER_01]: So there's just [SPEAKER_01]: It's no science.
[SPEAKER_01]: The business is the business. [SPEAKER_01]: And you've got to understand wherever you're given an opportunity. [SPEAKER_01]: You've got to be grateful to make try to make the most of it. [SPEAKER_01]: And a job's a job. [SPEAKER_01]: And we get paid to win ball games. [SPEAKER_01]: And that's getting my role in that is getting out. [SPEAKER_01]: It's eating an inch, taking care of whoever I can take care of in the lineup and go from there.
[SPEAKER_01]: So I think it's just [SPEAKER_01]: Understand in the business where the organizations out, which is a fun place to be had, it's loaded with arm talent, loaded with young position playing talents. [SPEAKER_01]: So there's only so many jobs for every team, right? [SPEAKER_01]: Like, there's plenty of other guys in every other work, feel and are thinking of the same thing as well. [SPEAKER_01]: However, I must get out. [SPEAKER_01]: I'll be happy to get out.
[SPEAKER_01]: I try to keep the main thing, the main thing about pitching. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, that's definitely the best way to look at it.
[SPEAKER_00]: When we talk about this talent, what has been for you, as you have risen at three different levels the past few years, [SPEAKER_00]: What's it like for you working with all these different talented arms and kind of being able to just pick up things here and there from from guys you've been either either guys you would piggyback and or just as simple as just guys you've been able to watch throw every day and throw a week.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I think it's we have an absurd amount of talent the young guys we have us the same class of shalt so watch and shalt's grow. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, um, as it's from a young high school kid, the where he is now just his routine is commitment, his maturity is awesome. [SPEAKER_01]: Um, obviously the guys like shalt's and hey again and like [SPEAKER_01]: They're outliers, right? [SPEAKER_01]: Like they're, you know, nothing they do in terms of throwing a ball.
[SPEAKER_01]: I could ever do just because they're still ultra gifted and like deception. [SPEAKER_01]: Every pitcher throws different has their own way of movement. [SPEAKER_01]: So like I tend to lick them more guys in terms of picking stuff up like guys. [SPEAKER_01]: So I think I still want to mix this from me whether it's here or just watching. [SPEAKER_01]: I watch daily games every night.
[SPEAKER_01]: But just building [SPEAKER_01]: Building like a relationship with those guys has been awesome. [SPEAKER_01]: You just compete against each other, challenge and each other, picking each other up, it's been fun. [SPEAKER_01]: So we have a lot of talent, there's a lot to learn from, everyone moves in their own way in terms of routine and structure and weightlifting and also pitching and how there are and allows, how their body moves to naturally allow movement profiles to create.
[SPEAKER_01]: So you try to find guys that you're similar to and then bounce
[SPEAKER_01]: pounds ideas off of them and then you really just admire other guys and you try to pick up stuff from guys in the weight room, training room, teen, what they do for health care and stuff like that, more so behind the scenes you can really relate to everyone and then when it's on the field like some guys just move so naturally different than the way I would move per se or naturally give to certain things that's like you can talk about feel
[SPEAKER_01]: mainly sequences like pitching how to get hitters out and then like weight room stuff training room stuff what they're doing in the gym stuff like that is where you really learn and pick up different habits and look around and see what everyone's doing to make sure they're staying healthy or what it takes for them to get prepared every fourth fifth day or every game per se if you're bolting guys I think
[SPEAKER_01]: All that you take in the account, you're at the field all day long. [SPEAKER_01]: So you're with everyone watching everyone work. [SPEAKER_01]: It's super fun and learn in different movement, perhaps different movement patterns that could maybe help you throw something against the wall, see if it sticks or if it plays for you. [SPEAKER_01]: And if it doesn't, you keep tried and that's [SPEAKER_01]: It's the game of life honestly, so it's fun. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, it's awesome, man.
[SPEAKER_00]: Is there anybody that stands out to you this year from a guy that you maybe hadn't worked with, or seen quite as much of, and then in Birmingham, the season you've been like, oh, that's some gross stuff, or just impressive pitching? [SPEAKER_01]: Um, I mean, GT was his first, I know what, right? [SPEAKER_01]: It was his first season, but he was hurt a lot of the year. [SPEAKER_01]: And I got to know GT really well in spring, and I'm being here with him.
[SPEAKER_01]: I was just piggybacked to start, and then when he moved to the pan, I said, I slid in the rotation, but [SPEAKER_01]: There's nothing GT. [SPEAKER_01]: There's nothing I could do that would get to me to be like GT like extremely natural gifted flexible like TNA like flexibility like God given flexibility strength. [SPEAKER_01]: Um, just extension the way moves mechanically by mechanically as off the charts. [SPEAKER_01]: So like Washington is like an eye popping eye, obviously.
[SPEAKER_01]: And then you have like guys like like, hey, goodness. [SPEAKER_01]: So young. [SPEAKER_01]: He's in his first year of professional baseball like
[SPEAKER_01]: just as maturity has wanted to develop and grow and understand in the ups and downs and taking care of the body and how consistent he is and what he does and his dedication just stuff like that is super cool to wash like understanding the foundation like where he learned this from like Arkansas and like just see here stories about SEC just honestly just BS conversations where you just learn about a lot about what makes a guy and his who he is as a person it's a super cool so
[SPEAKER_01]: I think in terms of outlier stuff, like GT is like obviously unicorn, shult is a unicorn. [SPEAKER_01]: But I think everyone here is just super dedicated to their craft and everyone's pulling on the same side of the rope and everyone's in the way to room every day and at the field they're early and working their tail off to get better and everyone keeps their head down and just works so it's a fun environment. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, that's awesome man.
[SPEAKER_00]: They off the field stuff is good too. [SPEAKER_00]: You got it. [SPEAKER_00]: I mean at the end of the day, these are people. [SPEAKER_00]: I think that's one thing I always try to reiterate online and the crazy world we live in today is like baseball players. [SPEAKER_00]: You guys are people here. [SPEAKER_00]: Your normal dudes, you're just trying to get to know each other in the baseball.
[SPEAKER_00]: But also like there is that off field aspect and that brings me to what I always love to kind of finish up with people when I'm talking outside of baseball. [SPEAKER_00]: What is your life like, what do you kind of do to talk about your time when you're not just playing ball? [SPEAKER_01]: Sports, I'm a ball, watcher, I watch. [SPEAKER_01]: Baseball, golf, tennis, soccer, basketball, every sport. [SPEAKER_01]: That's all I've ever known. [SPEAKER_01]: It's just competition.
[SPEAKER_01]: So, I like to play golf. [SPEAKER_01]: I don't play as much golf in season. [SPEAKER_01]: I play it more in season. [SPEAKER_01]: A lot of guys play in season like every Monday, which is good. [SPEAKER_01]: That's more so mental幸 for them for them than anything. [SPEAKER_01]: But I try to just limit full recovery day. [SPEAKER_01]: I think I pick up a golf club and I just think that thing as far as I can every time.
[SPEAKER_01]: And that's not really good for my health in terms of a hundred forty two hundred sixty two game season. [SPEAKER_01]: So I try to stay away from it just because I don't have that go out and have a carefree round of golf game in me. [SPEAKER_01]: But guys do that. [SPEAKER_01]: I like to just, I watch a lot of TV shows, watch a lot of ESPN, watch a lot of Pat McAfee. [SPEAKER_01]: I'm really just a sports junkie so-and-so. [SPEAKER_01]: Hang out with family, talk with family.
[SPEAKER_01]: My brothers over in Korea, so when I find time to chat with them, pick up the phone and the morning call him, see how he's doing, playing ball. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, my fiance's in grad school at Rutgers, so I'm trying to support her in her career and everything that she's doing working her tail loss. [SPEAKER_01]: I'm really trying to just think of myself as a kind of a chill guy. [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know.
[SPEAKER_01]: I watch a lot of baseball, watch a lot of sports and just hang on and try to keep my circle close and keep in touch with my circle. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, it's not that it's not a bad thing. [SPEAKER_00]: Whenever people ask me what I do outside of baseball stuff, I'm always like, oh, football, basketball, whatever else. [SPEAKER_01]: I hear your team's out there. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, exactly.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's about eighty percent fantasy football talk and predictions to the year in the clubhouse and everything else is about baseball. [SPEAKER_01]: So we're getting to that point. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, we're guys are hungry for football, a lot of math drafts, a lot of [SPEAKER_01]: a lot of shit talking with the boys so it's good stuff. [SPEAKER_00]: It's a friendly reminder to everybody that you guys are doing the same thing most people here in the world.
[SPEAKER_01]: That's the truth. [SPEAKER_01]: We're all just humans, baseball. [SPEAKER_01]: We happen to be professional baseball players and we're good at it and we take a lot of pride and care in it but it's no different than the person who goes to their job in the office and takes a lot of pride and passion than we have. [SPEAKER_01]: We all like football, we all like sports, we all like hanging out and it's definitely, we're all just humans for sure. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, yeah, here you men.
[SPEAKER_00]: We'll finish up on this, any goals you got for yourself kind of just if the rest of the season and then heading into next year, you just try to keep it, keep it moving where you're at. [SPEAKER_01]: Definitely keep it moving, I think. [SPEAKER_01]: Adding going back to the just fine and feel first, two seems secret varieties, fine and where not even just executing that pitch but then learning and just figuring out whether it's watching film, watching other guys throw out.
[SPEAKER_01]: You learned so much, just watching a big league game and watching guys sequence and if you're really in depth of watching the game of how they're trying to get the hit or out. [SPEAKER_01]: So like how that could play to my arsenal and I could use it. [SPEAKER_01]: There's always looking and finding ways to add and subtract speeds to whether it's my curve balls, my change ups.
[SPEAKER_01]: Anything I can do to just change speeds, but I really want to continue working on the sinker. [SPEAKER_01]: I'm figuring out how that plays into my arsenal against varieties. [SPEAKER_01]: If I can master the execution of that glove side up and in as a freeze pitch. [SPEAKER_01]: And then for the rest of the years, just [SPEAKER_01]: win ball games. [SPEAKER_01]: I think the Baron's won a win. [SPEAKER_01]: Everyone in the clubhouse wants to win.
[SPEAKER_01]: What can I do to help team win and focus on where my feet are at and keep this thing rolling in terms of playing good baseball and team baseball. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, a little hunt for a back-to-back Southern League championship. [SPEAKER_00]: Oh, yeah. [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you so much. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, thank you so much for the time. [SPEAKER_00]: And you were super generous at the time. [SPEAKER_00]: Some really good insights. [SPEAKER_00]: We appreciate you joining.
[SPEAKER_00]: And obviously congrats to all the success this year and we're looking forward to seeing you keep it rolling here. [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you. [SPEAKER_01]: I appreciate it.