Q&A: - RP - Brandon Sage

Mack:  -  Morning again folks... we continue with our minor league Q&A's with one of my favorites to come out of Savannah this season, relief pitcher Brandon Sage.


Hey Brandon, are you home yet or do you wanna run some wind sprints with me tomorrow around noon? 


Sage:  - Ha ha,  I am back home in sweet home Alabama enjoying my family time. No wind sprints for me it's time to rest awhile.


Mack: -  Brandon, one of the reasons I love a 50 round draft is people like you. Not everybody get to grow up in big cities with big schools. Some live in small towns like me that have schools with a limited student base and play sports against schools with marginal talent.



In your case, you did get to show your talent at the University of Southern Alabama, but it only resulted in being drafted in the 37th round.



Do you think there are a lot of people out there in smaller schools that just never got the opportunity to show their stuff? .

Sage:  - Well, I would have to say that there are surely a significant number of college athletes that attend division I schools as well as division II that never get the chance at the next level. I have not had the chance to see very many division II games so it would be hard to compare the two. I can say that playing college baseball in the Sunbelt Conference and playing SEC teams mid week will give you a chance to challenge yourself in each outing. There are not very many weak teams in a schedule. I can only assume that professional scouts have to have higher standards for the division II players because of the strength of schedule. Maybe one advantage of playing at a bigger school is the chance to have a great outing against a well developed team. I was drafted in the later rounds of the draft. It pretty much motivated me to prove myself. As you mentioned, not everyone gets the chance to perform at the next level. .


Mack:  - You signed almost immediately after the draft and the Mets assigned you to Brooklyn, where you went 3-3, 2.03 in 16 outings; however, you only had 15-Ks in 31.0-IP. Was this just an adjustment thing to the grind? .


Sage:  - Playing in Brooklyn was very exciting. The fans where great. I would have to say the major adjustment for me was learning to pitching inside. In college, I didn't really go in on hitters very often. The ball flies much better off of aluminum bats versus wood. I have never really been a strikeout pitcher in my career, even though those numbers were low even for me. But, I must say I have improved as a pitcher overall throughout the last few seasons.


Mack: - This past year, you were on one of the best pitching staffs I have ever seen on a Mets affiliate, the Savannah Sand Gnats and your season was one to be proud of: 3-6, 3.07, 49-K, 0nly 12-BB, 58.2-IP, 1.07 WHIP.



You say you're not a strikeout pitcher but I'd take those stats. In your opinion, what's your go-to pitch? .

 Sage: -  I would have to say my slider is now my go to pitch. As for our pitching staff, our starters were very consistent for the most part. its easier for guys to come in from the bullpen when the starter goes seven strong. that also keeps the bullpen fresh and available for the next day when you don't have to look for four or five innings from the pen.


Mack: -  Amen to that.



Brandon, it looks like you're on to St. Lucie come the spring. What are you going to work on this summer in the off-season so you get off to the same fast start you had in 2010? .


Sage: - Aside from the off season lifting/conditioning schedule, I am going to work hard on developing my change up. I feel like that will help me tremendously.


Mack:  - Kewl.  Listen, thanks for another interview and have fun this winter. I'll see you in Lucy in March.

Old Sage stuff...

Sage was selected by the Mets in the 37th round of this year’s draft.


From his school’s web site on draft day: Coach Kittrell on Brandon Sage – “Brandon Sage is a hard-throwing left-hander that is developing a change-up. He’s showing a lot of leadership skills, and we expect big things out of Brandon this year.”


Fall 2008: Made four appearances and posted a 3.21 ERA in 14.0 innings pitched ¨ Struck out 12 and issued just three walks ¨ Ranked third on team behind Greg Johnson (.929) and Matt Jackson (1.05) with a 1.07 WHIP ¨ Allowed just one hit and struck out four in 3.0 innings in first intrasquad game (9/19) ¨ Allowed two runs on three hits in 3.0 innings in game two of Red and Blue World Series (10/5) ¨ Started game five (10/11) and allowed three runs in 5.0 innings of work, but did not factor in the decision ¨ In second game of doubleheader vs. Meridian (10/18), started and picked up win with just one hit allowed in 3.0 innings ¨ Struck out four and did not issue a walk.


Sage played the 2009 season for Brooklyn and got off to a wonderful starts. He appeared in 6 games, had an ERA of only 2.03, and an even smaller WHIP of 1.19. One down side, only 15-Ks and 11-BB in 31.0-IP.


From: http://www.brooklynpaper.com/ : He can jam a left-handed batter with a slider, freeze a lefty with a curve — and take down a deer at 40 yards with a bow and arrow. Meet “Hunterman,” the lefty specialist in the Cyclones bullpen and the deadliest deerstalker this side of the Brooklyn Bridge. Hunterman — Brandon Sage, if you insist — is holding lefties to a .071 average and has a 0.64 ERA, second on the Clones. Clearly, the Mets got something right when they drafted the 22-year-old in the 37th round, despite his 4.64 ERA for the University of South Alabama. The 6-foot-2 southpaw doesn’t talk much, but he quickly earned the trust of manager Pedro Lopez with his aggressive approach on the mound and the affection of his teammates with his slowwww ’Bama drawl.


1-1-10 Forecast: This is about as best as it gets for a 37th rounder, and Sage will move on to probably Savannah for his 2010 season. Everyone loves a lefty specialist and, hopefully, the Mets have found one.


7-17-10: - Sage got off to a great start for Savannah in 2010 and, at one point, had the lowest WHIP in the complete organization. Then June happened... three appearances... a 10.80 ERA. Right now, he's 2-5, 4.41, in 2228-K in 34.2-IP.


10-2-10: - 2011 Forecast: - As mentioned before. the drafting of Sage has been an extremely pleasant surprise. He came out of the box in 2010 for Savannah and led the team for the first  month of the season with the lowest WHIP. This is a control reliever who keeps the ball moving and down, and you can't have enough of them on your team. He will be an asset for St. Lucie in 2011.