Let's see- since the end of the (most) disappointing 2017 season, the Mets have released most of their coaching staff, fired their entire Training Staff (except independent trainer, Mike Barwiss), moved manager Terry Collins into the front office into a nebulous GM Assistant position, purchased a new AAA Minor League team in Syracuse, NY (Chiefs), and have hired new managers at both the big league level and AAA levels from outside the organization (Cleveland and Houston, respectfully). Not only that, they chose 2 managers who come from very successful programs and were highly coveted by other organizations (I'd heard that the Phils were VERY interested in Callaway.)
If nothing else, Sandy Alderson has put everyone on blast, from fans to journalists, that he's not going to stand for another mediocre season, doing at least everything he can (short of placing his players inside plastic bubbles) to help bring a better outcome to the team for the 2018 season.
I had Callaway at number 4 on my manager wish-list, behind Kapler, Cora and Ausmus; I am hoping now that Sandy will bring a top bilingual bench coach to the mix, someone like Sandy Alomar Jr, which should help unite a divided clubhouse and give Callaway a trusted lieutenant who also understands the game as well as anyone available! It's hard to say whether Kevin Long would want to come back to the team, knowing that he wasn't' appointed manager, and I have found that situation to be very awkward in over 30 years of hiring, training and promoting people. I believe that Callaway would have to really welcome Long back to the fold, much the way Francona welcomed Callaway to the Indians 5 years ago, with open arms and ears. Long knows the players and remains an excellent hitting tutor, although the employment market happens to include another person who matches those criteria, one Chili Davis, who would make a great replacement should Long or the team choose to go in another direction. I am already hearing that Long is interviewing with the Nationals, and am hoping they don't steal him away.
It's gratifying to see Sandy seeking solutions to the problems that the team's pitching staff faced last season in the form of Callaway; here's hoping he gets a chance in the Spring to get familiar with a number of the team's top minor league arms and helps draft programs to help them reach their peak performance too. THAT would really be a welcome site in both Queens and Florida for a change!!
Personally, after having a great guy/poor strategist like Terry Collins at the helm for the past 7 seasons, it's refreshing to see someone who is going to challenge convention and embrace analytics while addressing the biggest problem the team has had- THE PITCHING STAFF!!! If we hold Callaway to his word, and we have NO reason not to, we'll see a pitching staff that receives the personal attention and care that it deserves; to the fan, that would translate into not seeing a reliever worked until his arm falls off; watching guys like Robles and Smoker actually reach their potential; and helping at least a few of Harvey, Wheeler, Lugo, Gsellman, Matz and Montero progress to the point where they are either once again, or for a first time, a consistent and important part of the rotation and/or bullpen!! I'm excited by Callaway's enthusiasm, and the fact that he sat next to my favorite manager in baseball, Tito Francona, every day for the past 5 years only adds to that excitement. It's a great first step to bringing the team back to respectability, and to a renewed play-off push!
Next Step- THE WINTER MEETINGS!!!! Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water...
13 comments:
Hey David - this change is great - except for the docs who do pitcher surgeries, who might be a lot less busy going forward. I thought Collins should have been fired after abusing Familia (overused, then clot) and Sewald (84 pitches in 18 hours, but survived) in May.
Fix the pitching (not easy), we can compete. He'll pick a good pitching coach and we'll have two pitcher-savvy guys, not Warthen and the Abuser.
Let's go Allaway with Callaway in 2018.
David -
I just figured out one of the reasons I like this guy already... he is undefeated.
His first test will be in front of the beat slime after a losing stretch.
He will quickly wish he was back at Benny's Sports Bar throwing down a Fat Head's.
It will be interesting to see what becomes of pitcher health when they're no longer trying to throw the Warthen slider.
Reese -
good point... might have been the one thing that destroyed the 'Dream Rotation v3.0'.
As I said in an earlier post, it sure didn't help Warthen, who ended his career as a phenom pitcher due to- you guessed it- arm trouble!! Any yet here he was teaching a pitch that was devistating, but to batters and pitcher's arms alike...
In reference to the Warthen slider causing injuries.....
Are we just going to ignore the fact that deGrom threw the Warthen slider all year in 2017?
Velocity: 88-92mph
Usage: 22.9% of total pitches
AVG Against: .226 AVG
Whiff%: 13.3% of all swings
I guess the question is, did Warthen have his injured pitchers throwing sliders harder and more frequently than other pitching coaches? Anyone know?
Between a manager who understands analytics, bullpen management and getting a triple a franchise on the right side of the country this is wholesale change for the org. 21st century here we come.
@Tom
The Warthen slider does not require a pitcher to throw "harder"
The pitch is a middle ground hybrid between a traditional slider and a traditional cutter.
The primary difference is the placement of the fingers which REDUCES friction on the baseball causing less resistance thus more velocity.
So....no....I do not blame the Warthen slider for pitching injuries.
As for a comparison to pitching coaches elsewhere in the league. I am not aware of another team with a heavy emphasis on the "slider." I am aware of a handful of teams, specifically the Astros, who are emphasizing a reduction in the usage of Fastballs in favor of more breaking pitches. For the Astros they pushed their guys all season to keep FB usage below 50% with a heavy emphasis on more curveball usage.
Example A: Lance McCullers
Pre-analytics
FB Usage: 53%
CV Usage: 36%
CH Usage: 10%
Post Analytics
FB Usage: 41%
CV Usage: 49%
CH Usage: 11%
deGrom was able to throw it- not everyone can. No one utilized any of the modern scanning equipment to determine if the pitch was putting additional stress on the pitcher's body, as the Mets do not employ such scans the way the Red Sox, Astros and many other teams do. Warthen was well liked, and yet injuries to the pitching staff increased exponentially under his watch. He doesn't deserve anywhere near all of the blame, but he does deserve his share and moving forward is a positive thing!
Interesting, Chris and David. Let's see what Galloway does.
Just remembered: Mets finished 27 games behind Nats. Callaway has his work cut out for him.
Tom-- that's turning 14 losses into wins (less if any of those are over the Nats),
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