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Episode #019: Endy Chavez- Former MLB Player

March 2021 By Evan

Ep. #019: Endy Chavez- Former MLB Player

Join Evan and Endy Chavez, as Endy shares his baseball journey, what influenced him to become an Outfielder, great moments from across his professional playing career and making “The Catch”. Endy also shares his experiences now as a Coach for the Mets organization as well as key insight, tips and advice for youth ball players dreaming to play professionally one day. 

What You’ll Learn:

03:49   What influenced Endy to become an Outfielder

06:29   His journey to Professional Baseball

10:53   His first MLB game experience

15:02   What contributed to success with the 2006 Mets

16:31   On making “The Catch”

23:30   The must-see recreation of “The Catch 2021”

25:24   What contributed to his success as a player

26:49   Endy’s approach at the plate

29:11   Key qualities every young player must have to play at a high level

33:28   Tips for becoming a stronger Outfielder

35:29   Joining the Mets organization as a Coach

38:11   What Endy enjoys most being a Coach and things he’s learned

40:15   Advice to youth baseball players dreaming of playing in the bigs

Thank you for being here with us!  Evan and the Born To Baseball Team are looking forward to celebrating your success and sharing this journey together.

If you enjoyed this episode we’d be really grateful if you’d rate the show and leave a review on Apple or wherever you’re listening here.  This will help other ballplayers find the Born To Baseball Podcast and give us more chances to shout out our listeners!  

Now, let’s play ball!

Read show notes here.

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Episode 019_ENDY CHAVEZ_FORMER MLB PLAYER

The transcription below was provided for your convenience through an automated service. Please excuse any unintended errors made in the process.

Evan 0:00

This episode of born to baseball is sponsored by the BTB Travel team and training tracker. Are you a parent or player searching for a travel team or training facility in your area? Or are you a coach looking to expand your reach? Then you have to check out the BTB triple t tracker at borntobaseball.com. Make sure your team is represented. Let's go.

Unknown Speaker 0:23

Calling all ballplayers. Are you ready to take your game to the next level? Were you born to baseball? Then bring it in? it's game time. Check it out.

Evan 0:40

Hey guys, and welcome to the born to baseball podcast. I'm Evan and today we have Endy Chavez with us. Endy Chavez has played over 13 years of Major League Baseball with several different organizations. He's played 21 years of professional baseball since his minor league debut in 1997. Baseball fans of all ages are familiar with one of the best catches in New York Mets history made by Endy in game seven of the 2006 NLCS. Endy, I really appreciate you coming on today.

Endy 1:11

My pleasure, man. I hope you like it and everyone enjoys it.

Evan 1:16

Yeah, no, I'm really excited. I would like to start off with learning more about your baseball journey. You grew up in Venezuela. When did you begin playing baseball?

Endy 1:27

Oh, very early. I think I was kind of six years old. And I always loved baseball from the beginning. And, you know, I think that was one of my wish to be a pro player. So like I say, like, every kid wants to do it. But I didn't know if that was going to be possible. But, you know, when I started growing up, I get more, how you say focused on what I want. So, and it's still baseball. So um, you know, preparing myself training alot and I started practicing in an academy and you know, get the best out from from the academy and be a better baseball player too. So I can sign pro baseball, and that's what I did and here I am.

Evan 2:29

Yeah, yeah. So what was your training like, as a kid?

Endy 2:35

Well, like a normal kid. I didn't use that kind of training that you can see in social media right now. I think my training was more, you know, playing every sport... soccer, basketball, baseball, riding bike, and stuff like that. I enjoyed myself as a kid. I was doing what kids are supposed to. I understand, you know, life now is a little, You know, a lot changes. Like kids from eithgt,nine years old they are already getting training like pro players, and all that kind of stuff. So a lot of people ask me how you see the kids and all that kind of stuff. And I'm like Oh, he's just 10 years old. Let him be a kid. You know. I cannot tell you if he is going to be in the majors or not. Because it's too early. So yes, let him be a kid and enjoy it.

Evan 3:38

Yeah. No, you talked about playing all different sports. And that contributes to just being an athlete. And that ultimately helps them yeah.

Endy 3:47

Oh, yeah. I love basketball. So,

Evan 3:49

yeah. So did you always want to be an outfielder from a young age?

Endy 3:55

Well, yes. That's what I was playing from the beginning. I remember the first position that I played was first base. And because I didn't know what position to play, and I asked my dad, and he said, a leftycan play first base, so I don't think I liked too much. ground balls. So... the ground ball was hard. Every time I missed it hit me on my leg or on my arm. It kind of hurt. So I didn't like it that much. So I asked my dad again, lefty can play another position and he said yeah, right field. And I'm like where is that? And he said, in the back of the field, and I'm like Yeah, I want to go back. I didn't want to be any more in the front so I start playing right field. And I liked more the flyballs. So I;m like yeah, this is what I like. So then the coach say oh, you can catch a lot of fly balls, so you're going to play in centerfield. And I'm like, NO my dad told me lefty's can play in right field. And he said no, a lefty can play also in center field and I'm like Okay, well I'll play.

Evan 5:14

no, that's awesome. That's awesome.

Endy 5:16

Yeah.

Evan 5:17

Who are some of the like the major league guys you looked up to when you were a kid?

Endy 5:22

Ken Griffey, Jr. I like him. Well, I was like growing up. I think I was what 12,13, something like that when I loved Ken Griffey Jr. as a player. And I wanted to be like him.

Evan 5:36

No, he's definitely a great player. Great player.

Endy 5:38

Yeah.

Evan 5:40

When did you know you wanted to play like professional baseball?

Endy 5:45

Like I said, when I was very, very little I dreamed to be in the major level, like, you know, a big league player. But like I said, that's a dream that we have as a kid. But when I was about 16 years old, I realized that I really want to be a professional baseball player and try to make it to the major league level.

Evan 6:12

Well, it's awesome that you were able to achieve that goal and get there to that level.

Endy 6:17

Oh, yeah. It takes a lot of work. But it's not impossible.

Evan 6:21

It's worth it. So can you tell us about like the moment you found out you were getting signed by a major league organization?

Endy 6:29

Oh, yeah. I was, uh, the Mets the New York Mets. When, first of all, I was in the Colorado Rockies. Academy. And when the the Academy was closed, they say we're going to close so we want to see you next year. And I'm like, okay, I keep training so they can see me next year. And you know, before like, I think a week before they opened, the Mets showed up and they signed me. And I told him well, I think the Colorado Rockies are waiting for me to show up this year. They said they are gonna sign me and they're like don't show we're gonna sign you. And I'm like, okay, I stay here. So I signed with the Mets. That was pretty exciting. And you know, my whole town was, you know, very, very happy. And it was a fun experience.

Evan 7:32

No, that has to be a special moment there.

Endy 7:35

Oh, yeah, definitely. Very nervous too.

Evan 7:40

So, as you said, you were signed by the Mets and you were picked up by the Kansas City Royals in the rule five draft. You went back to the Mets and then traded to the Royals before making your MLB debut. That's a lot of change. How did you manage to stay positive during that time?

Endy 7:57

Well, um, you know, first of all, when I was the first four years with the Mets, I was in rookie ball, middle A, and single A, and that year, you know, you just want to play and do the best year you can have, have the best year. And year was the rule five draft and the Mets, they didn't plut me on the 40 man roster. So that's when the Kansas City Royals picked me in the rule five. And I'm like wow, for the major league level and I, I can't believe it you know, I was very excited. And the thing was like, the rule five, You have to be on the 25 man roster the whole year. So if, they take you out you have, I had to go back to the Mets. And it was very exciting. And I'm like oh, a full year in a major league season. But when I was in spring training, all that kind of stuff, the last day of spring training, they called me in the office and they said I didn't make the team. And but they were so happy because I trained me and I'm gonna start in dougle A. And you know, that was a big hit for me because I was very excited that I'm going to be in the major league level and now I'm not. So it caused a lot of frustration in that moment. for me. I feel like I can't play baseball anymore. It was a big hit. So I started in double A and I played two months in double A and finally they called me to the major league level after two months.

Evan 9:55

I know it was a big hit. Like you said when you didn't make that MLB team but you Pushed through and you're able to make it later on.

Endy 10:02

Yeah, and the thing is, like, I saw the major league level so close, and then when they put me in double A I saw it, I see the the major league so far, that I was like, you know, my dream is gone, you know, I'll never be able to make it. So, you know, I start playing again. And I had that surprise that I got called up to major league level. So I played a month and three weeks when they called me up, and then they sent me down to AAA. And that's when I get more confident. And I say, Well, if I already was there, I know I can be back. So I started working harder, and made it again to the major league level.

Evan 10:51

Yeah, that's awesome. In 2001, you made your MLB debut with the Kansas City Royals, what were some of your emotions leading up to that first game?

Endy 11:02

Woof! It was a lot of excitement because I was double A like I said, and I remember, I flew from Arkansas, to Texas. And that was my first stadium when I played ever, at the major league level and you know, everything was so different everything, even the hotel, and I'm like, Whoa, yeah, this is nice. So I get to the field, to the stadium. And saw the lineup and the board, on the board, and I saw my name, playing left field, No centerfield and hitting ninth. And I'm like, wow, I'm playing so I get ready. I went to the field, take batting practice and I started the game. And when I when my to my first at bat I was a lot of nervous. I want you know, to show everybody that I can play in the major league level. And everything was so no, alot, alot of adrenaline in there. Yeah. And it's, a lot of things happened in my head. So I can't believe I'm there. And like I said, I saw for the first time. I saw the big cat Andres Galarraga, A-Rod, Rafael Palmiero . I saw all those guys that I've only seen on TV. So I'm playing against them so, To be honest, I don't feel like a real baseball player feel more like a fan in there. But the thing is when I start playing, and I get my first hit I think it was in the 3rd at bat. You know, I like I released a lot of pressure. So I remember I made it to second base with a base hit. and RBI. And A-Rod came to me and asked me Oh, your first base hit. Okay, congratulations. Where are you from? I'm from Venezuela. Venezuela, Okay. Oh, congratulations. You know, here it's the same baseball. The only difference that we are here is everybody got money. And I'm like, okay, you know, and I like wow he was so nice to me. And then, you know, that moment I'm never gonna forget.

Evan 13:41

Oh, yeah, no, that must have been incredible.

Endy 13:45

Yeah.

Evan 13:46

So, as you progressed in your career, you were picked up by the Montreal Expos and recorded the final out and Expos history before their transition to the Washington Nationals, which had to be a cool experience. And soon after that you made your way to the Mets. Were you excited when you first learned you were going to play for the New York Mets?

Endy 14:06

Oh, yeah, like I say, I like to be back home, you know, and I was very excited. And I know New York is a city where the people like the competition, There's a lot of latin fans in there that know, know the game. So you're not going to fool those guy like, oh he's good, he's not good, he can play he cannot play. So I'm like you know, you have to play you have to show that you can play in New York. And, and I like this kind of challenge. And I was happy and like I said, I like that kind of challenge. And I had a very, very good year that year.

Evan 14:57

Yeah, New York baseball. It's definitely exciting., definitely exciting

Endy 15:01

Yeah,

Evan 15:02

The 2006 Mets were a really strong team you had guys like Tom Glavine, Pedro Martinez, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, Jose Reyes, David Wright and yourself a bunch of superstars there. What was it like to play with all those guys on the same team?

Endy 15:20

Oh that was amazing. I think we had the year we had because the chemistry we had during the whole season, it was very, very, very good. You know, everybody having fun at the same time we're working hard as a team. And like I said, the chemistry, the chemistry was very amazing. And I think that made it easy for each one to make their job and, you know, focus on the game and be professional. Because we know we had a talent. We had a lot of talent on that team, we just had to let it go on the field.

Evan 16:07

Yeah, no, the guys in the clubhouse in the team. It's it's like family. It's like a second family.

Endy 16:12

Exactly. That's my point when you feel that way. a lot of positive, good positive things happen. And like I said, the baseball will take care of himself when you do the things right and you have the ambience around you.

Evan 16:31

So that brings us to NLCS game seven, the score is tied onc to one and Scott Roland is at the plate and you make "the catch" Knowing the hitter and knowing how a pitcher is trying to pitch to a hitter can be very important. Can you tell us about your awareness during that at bat and how it contributed to being able to make one of the greatest catches in postseason history?

Endy 16:54

Well, um, what I can say is like, when you focus in the game, and you're into it, you know, you read what's going on, like, you know, who's the pitcher, who's hitting. If he's fast, he got power or something like that. You, you're involved in everything and trying to anticipate what's going to happen. In this situation, we had a man on first and Scott Roland was hitting. And I know because of the advanced report, they challenged him in with the fastball. So I'm playing left field and I'm like you know, normally I play where I was playing, I say, at this time, I want to pull a little bit back, I make like four or five steps back, because I was getting prepared in the scenario like if the ball is in the gap, I'm gonna grab it quickly and throw to the cut-off man, if the ball goes down the line, I'm going to do the same thing. So I want to attack the ball, the fastest I can so the guy from first don't score. And that was my mindset. So I pull myself back. And the first pitch I saw that bullet to left field. And my reaction was, you know, trying to get to the fence, the fastest I can. And, and I know right away the ball was in the fence or was a homer. So when I"m hitting the warning track, I still see the ball very high and I'm like Oh, well the ball is not here. So I didn't have that time to to make it to the fence and wait for the ball. So I feel the ball is passing me already. So on my way to the wall, I just tried to time the perfect moment to make a jump and trying to go for it and that's what I did. And honestly, when I elevate my arm, I, I saw the ball in front of me for the last time, but when I catch it, I wasn't able to see my glove. So I just feel when the ball hit my glove and I'm like, Whoa, it's in. I got kind of surprised. Like, oh, the ball is in so I cannot grip it because almost my my glove went off my head because the hit with the fence and I tried to pull it in. And I say well if you had thrown any air, at least it's a double not a homer so I can throw the ball in but when I pull it in and I'm looking for the ball in the air, I saw it right in the top of my glove and I'm like well it's here. So my reaction was look for, Edmunds that was running from first base. And I saw him stopping around shortstop to go back to first and I'm like, well, he better hurry up because I got you. So I saw Reyes and the shortstop shortstop waving at me like Give me the ball. And I'm like you know what Reyes, I got a good arm and I saw Valentin like, near to second base, and I go for it because I love the infield to make the short throw, and that's what I did I throw the ball to Valentin and he threw to first ihe ball to Valentin and we doubled up the inning.

Evan 20:39

those hops came from basketball when you were a kid

Endy 20:42

the alley-oop you I call it the alley-oop.

Evan 20:49

When you were in the dugout at the end of the inning, like the crowd wouldn't stop cheering and they made you come out and do two curtain calls. How connected Did you feel to the fans at that moment?

Endy 21:01

I mean, when I made the catch that I was running into the dugout, I thought Shea Stadium was going to fall apaty. I thought it was gonna drown. And I you know, it was so much noise that honestly I wanted to cover my ears. It was so loud and when I get to the dugout, I can hear they're calling my name. And and the guys like Endy, you gotta go out. And I'm like, okay, I'll go out. So I, I wave to the people, I clap. You know, let's go. And they won't stop. They keep going and I'm like but what I should do. I already did it. And I never seen like the same guy go twice on the same play. And they say Endyjust go again. So I did it two times. And it was fun. Because everybody was like, what are you waiting for go ahead.

Evan 22:13

That's hilarious.

Endy 22:15

Yeah.

Evan 22:17

Your catch is known as one of the greatest catches in postseason history.

Endy 22:22

Thank you.

Evan 22:24

Yeah. What does that mean to you being able to have the catch as a part of your legacy?

Endy 22:28

I mean I feel very, very proud. Because like I said, That year, they gave me a trophy as a play of the year. And I'm like, wow, that's very cool. I never thought they got those kind of trophy. And, you know, to have that it was very special. You know, it's something like it's gonna be there for years, you know, for all my life. Like I said that was 13,14 years ago, and the people are still talking about it like it was last season. And it's crazy, you know, because I made a lot of good plays. But like I said, that's the famous one.

Evan 23:21

No, you made a ton of good plays. But yeah, that one, it was just the right spot at the right time.

Endy 23:28

Exactly.

Evan 23:30

I have to say, your recreation of the catch. That was incredible in the snow. That was incredible. The internet went crazy. reposted all over. That was awesome.

Endy 23:44

Yeah, well, I I got surprised that people liked it because my kids over there were like, you won't be able to do it. You cannot do it. You're too old, you're a dad, like, Oh, really? I don't do it. Okay, watch me. They were laughing. And they said yeah, but that's not all you have to put it on social media and I'm like, oh really! okay. I'll do it. It was fun because I was enjoying with the kids over here and the people liked it. I think they love it because that was... oh well, I didn't know it was going to have that kind of impact.But it was fun to watch all that.

Evan 24:27

It was crazy. No clearly you still got it. I want to move kind of on to the Texas Rangers. So what was it like playing in the World Series with the Texas Rangers?

Endy 24:41

Oh, that was special because that was my only world series appearance. And it was special. You know, I wasn't playing every day but I had some action in there. And like I said when when you get to the World Series it's like another world, you know. You, you're in air you know, you're in outer space I don't know. It's very different. And it's the same baseball but the stadium looks so different, you know, it's very fun to be there. I feel blessed to be part of that kind of show.

Evan 25:21

No, that must have been a lot of fun.

Endy 25:23

Definitely, yeah

Evan 25:24

thinking back. What contributed most to your success as a player?

Endy 25:31

I think discipline, I think discipline was my main core for playing baseball. Because you have to have passion, talent, and be smart about what you have to do. But when you do it consistently, with discipline is when you every day get successful. So you can have talent and, and let's say you today feel "like I don't want to play today". But I'll play tomorrow or play the next day, or I'll play this week, next week, you know, I'll play so-so, that, that doesn't count for me as a baseball player, pro baseball player because you have to work hard every day, every day. No rest you rest when the season is over. And, and that was my, my way to play baseball.

Evan 26:35

No discipline, that's big. And like you said baseball's every day, every day,

Endy 26:41

Every day,

Evan 26:42

As a leadoff hitter, did you have a certain approach or mindset at the plate?

Endy 26:49

Sure, everybody, not just leadoff hitters, everybody has to have a plan, every time you go to the plate, you have to know or have an idea what you want to do. In that is specific at bat. And one thing that I just always tell to the young guys, don't wait to your way to home plate to think what you want to do. That starts from the dog out, because you have the hitter, you have the one guy on deck. When you're in the dugout, ready to be on deck, that's when you are watching everything. So by the time you go to home plate, you already know what's going on. So you have to know if the pitcher is throwing strikes or he's just wilds or he just made two out with four pitches. So you have to know all that kind of stuff before you you step to the plate. And that's why I always recommend to the guys be ready from the dugout, start making your plans in the dugout and not wait to go to home plate to make one.

Evan 28:09

That's great. That's great. Were you always naturally a fast runner? Or was it something you had to build over time?

Endy 28:19

Well, I used to be fast but not that fast. Because I was like when I was young, I was too skinny that my legs weren't powerful. And after I signed I think the training or the, you know, eating helped me and I got stronger and I start running faster. But that helped me a lot after I signed as a pro player and I started like, looking at it like, well I can do a lot of things you know on the bases, cover some ground in the outfield and in I love the speed in the game

Evan 29:05

No it brings another aspect into it being fast.

Endy 29:09

Mm hmm. Yeah.

Evan 29:11

What would you say are one or two things a young outfielder must have in order to have a chance at playing at a high level?

Endy 29:20

Well, like I said every player who signs to pro players is because he has talent, right right. From the rookie to the major league level it's the same talent. They from the rookie can throw. if it's a pitcher they can throw 100 miles an hour from the rookie to the major league level. If it's a position player they can do the same thing from their rookie to the major league level. The only difference they, they have to do to make it to the major league level is how much baseball you have in your head,

Evan 30:01

interesting.

Endy 30:01

So that's, that's why you have to learn how to play the game. So you can leave behind the group where you are or where you was. So every time you step in a level, in the minor league level like rookie, middle single A, high A, double A, you will see the thinking of those players, it goes up and up and up. That's why even if they have the same talent, but you're telling everybody you know how to play the game, that's the difference. So like I said, if you you, you miss a ground ball, you drop a fly ball, you know, that's part of the game. And you know, everybody makes mistakes. But what the organization doesn't want is like, if you caught the ball, you must know where to throw it. Where are you going to throw the ball. Not, I caught the ball and what do I with the ball? So that is unacceptable on the major league level, you have to know what to do. That's why you have to anticipate every time the play is coming. So that's basically my opinion on what's the difference between the minor leagues and the major leagues

Evan 31:29

Yeah, no, that's that's great insight right there. That's great. In your opinion, what unique skills would an outfielder need when they are playing left field versus right field or centerfield?

Endy 31:46

Well, for me, like, I played from the beginning I played just center field. But, like, in the middle of my career, I had to play left and right, that I never played before. Andthat helped me to have a job. Because if A, like the example they gave me, If A, uh, you know, Ken Griffey, Jr. was in Cincinnati. And they said if Cincinnati want to trade you over there but you are a centerfielder and they want you to play left field like, they are going to trade you because that's the only position you play. So like, they are not gonna give me the chance to be at the major league level because I don't play anything else just center field. And they're not gonna give me the position because Ken Griffey Jr. is there. So, that made sense. And, I was like well, I better prepare myself to play the others too. It's a little bit different. It's not the same thing. And it's like, you know, you have to practice and play because I always say, it doesn't matter how much time you practice, but if you don't play a game, you don't get in shape, you know, to get to the top of the on your skill. So yeah, started practicing hard in the corners. And I started dominating too

Evan 33:28

Yeah, that's amazing. Can you share some tips that would help young players become better outfielders?

Endy 33:37

Yes, um, one of the keys is the feet. Always move your feet when the ball is crossing the hitting zone. Because that makes you have an explosive reaction. Then to have your feet flat on the ground. So always like I'm always walking and boom, and boom, every time the ball is crossing in the hitting zone, I know a lot of players they say like yeah, that's too much, I'll just wait, I'll catch it anyway. But for me the right way is that, you know, be always in position every time when the ball is crossing the the hitting zone you know.

Evan 34:25

All those diving plays, sliding plays you made, they were, I guess they were because of that, that explosion at the beginning.

Endy 34:32

Yeah. Like I said, I don't catch the ball far away when I get to there. I catch the ball the way I started running from the beginning to there, because most of the time I prefer to wait for the ball. Not the ball wait for me. So I start explosive to get the ball and if I get there before the ball, I'll wait, I'm not hurrying up, I wait for the ball, you know, but if the I'm going slow, and then I see like, Oh, I gotta put more speed, that's when the ball beats the outfielders, and it's too late when you react. That's why always when you see me diving catch, making diving catch or running catch, it's because I didn't have the time to get there first.

Evan 35:29

I love what you said earlier when you talked about it's not when you get there, you make the catch. It's it's those first few steps. It's that explosion at the start. I love that. After playing in the MLB, you went on to play for the Bridgeport bluefish and the Somerset patriots in the Atlantic league and the pericos de puebla in the Mexican League, you then rejoined the Mets organization as a coach, how did it feel to be back with the Mets organization?

Endy 35:57

Oh, well, I'm happy you know, especially when I get there, 2019. And I was in, Brooklyn cyclones the low single A. And, you know, I was learning how to be a coach and all that kind of stuff. My first experience ever, and I was excited, because I feel like I know a lot of stuff those guy don't know yet. So I'm able to help them, you know, and, and tell them what I already see in the game that they don't. You know, and, and it was cool. And I was having very good communication with the guys. And we made a very good team. And for my surprise, we had the you know, we won the championship. And it's like, my first year as a coach, and we already have a ring. It's Awesome, you know, yeah, then well and then comes, you know, the pandemic, we didn't have a season and well I'm waiting for this year and see how's it gonna be?

Evan 37:14

Yeah, no, I remember going to one of the cyclone two games in MCU. Park. And

Endy 37:21

oh, you were there?

Evan 37:22

Yeah I think I was along the third base side. But I remember I saw you in the dugout.

Endy 37:27

Oh ok.

Evan 37:28

No the team played really well. Yeah.

Endy 37:30

Yeah, we had a great team.

Evan 37:32

I mean, that's what coaching is all about and being able to share the information that guys may not know yet.

Endy 37:38

That's why I want to keep being in baseball,

Evan 37:43

Were there some things you learned as a coach that you wish you knew as a player?

Endy 37:49

I think the experience, the experience, that especially earlier in my career when I had my talent on the top. I didn't have the experience that I have now. And I said well, if I had, if I knew everything that I know right now with my talent, it would have been a lot different.

Evan 38:11

Yeah, that's, that's interesting. What do you enjoy most about being a coach?

Endy 38:18

Being on the field, being around baseball, you know, makes me be alive, and I always like the challenge, I like the competition. And like I said, baseball is my passion.

Evan 38:33

Is there a difference on how you see the game now that you're a coach compared to when how you saw it when you were a player?

Endy 38:41

Oh, yeah, big difference. Because as a baseball player, you know, you just think about yourself. You get prepared with what you have to do to prepare for the game and everything. But as a coach, you have to pay attention to everybody. You have to think for everybody. You got to pay attention for everybody, not just you. So that's one of the things I learned. Like, okay, I didn't have to prepare for myself to play the game by have to know if he's ready, he's ready. You know, I have to be all over everybody. And I'm like, Yeah, you know. I cannot think just about me. I have to think for everybody on the team.

Evan 39:30

Yeah there is so much that goes into this strategy as a coach, definitely

Endy 39:35

Oh, yeah.

Evan 39:37

Do you have any interest in managing at the big league level someday?

Endy 39:42

Yeah, why not? I keep that open door because I like, I like know and understand the game a lot. And I like to be in that position. That's why I'm like learning right now. Because it's a lot of things on the side to learn to be a manager, it's not just to watch the game and make decisions. And that's why I'm learning right now. But in the future Yeah, why not?

Evan 40:15

That's great! Endy, what advice can you give to youth baseball players like myself who want to play in the major league someday?

Endy 40:25

Just play the game, enjoy the game, every time you play, go happy. And think about the way you can beat the other team. So if we, they give you something, take it. That's the way I think you can be very successful. Learn from the other guys' mistakes. Don't wait. until it happens to you to learn. Because I think that's why I get very fast to the major league level. Because when my team makes an error or making mistakes, okay, I know that I'm not supposed to do that, you know, so I don't wait to til it happens to me to learn. So watch the game and see everybody's mistakes and learn from them.

Evan 41:18

that's great advice.

Endy 41:19

Even the mistakes we make too. But don't wait for those mistakes to come to you to learn. Let everybody else do it (laughter) Yeah,

Evan 41:30

so I have a few last questions before we wrap up. I call them rapid fire questions. So first, what's your favorite MLB stadium? You've played him?

Endy 41:41

Well, I got a few. You know, I love playing at the Montreal Expos in Canada, And the Atlanta Braves the old stadium. I love to play there too. And Texas

Evan 41:58

Yeah, those are great stadiums.

Endy 42:01

Oh, yeah.

Evan 42:02

Second, who's one of your favorite outfielders that you've enjoyed watching or learning from?

Endy 42:09

My favorite outfielders, Andruw Jones is one. I learned a lot watching him play. Ken Griffey Jr. and I had the opportunity to play with him in Seattle. I think those guys, I learned a lot from them.

Evan 42:28

And last but not least, I hear you're a big salsa music fan. And you love to play percussion.

Oh, yeah. Ask your dad (laughter)

Yeah. So if you had to choose, which is your favorite, the timbales or congas?

Endy 42:44

oh, los timbales, timbales. Yeah.

Evan 42:48

No, I have to hear you play sometime soon.

Endy 42:51

Well, I'm waiting for Bobby to invite me one day (laughter).

Evan 42:56

So Endy, thank you so much for coming on today. This was amazing.

Endy 43:01

No problem. My pleasure. I hope people like it and I had fun talking to you man.

Evan 43:08

Thank you. It was a pleasure.

Endy 43:10

All right.

Thank you all for listening in. We really hope you enjoyed this episode. Be sure to hit the subscribe button and be the first to know when new episodes launch. Check us out at borntobaseball.com for free resources and new gear. And of course on social media at born to baseball where we can connect live. Now, Let's play ball!

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Episode #018: Anthony Santiago- White Sox Latin Cultural Development Coordinator

February 2021 By Evan

Ep. #018- Anthony Santiago- White Sox Latin Cultural Development Coordinator

Join Evan and Anthony Santiago as Anthony shares his baseball journey from Catcher to Pitcher to Coach. Anthony shares pitching and hitting tips with youth baseball players as well as the value of perseverance, character, and work ethic.

What You’ll Learn:

01:11  Anthony’s youth baseball journey

09:36  Being signed by the White Sox

11:34  On having an older brother in the MLB

18:59  Transitioning from Catcher to Pitcher

24:54  His first professional pitching experience

28:54  On becoming a coach

37:57  His experience as Latin Cultural Development Coordinator with Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert

41:36  Importance of coaches building trust with their players

55:35  Getting on plane early

1:03:46  The grind and trusting the process

Thank you for being here with us!  Evan and the Born To Baseball Team are looking forward to celebrating your success and sharing this journey together.
 
If you enjoyed this episode we’d be really grateful if you’d rate the show and leave a review on Apple or wherever you’re listening here. This will help other ballplayers find the Born To Baseball Podcast and give us more chances to shout out our listeners!  
 
Now, let’s play ball!

Read show notes here.

Show Links:

Anthony’s Instagram @santiagosoldiers

Born To Baseball Links:

Born To Baseball Website

BTB Travel Team & Training Tracker

Instagram: @borntobaseball 

Facebook

Twitter: @bornto_baseball

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Episode 018_ANTHONY SANTIAGO_WHITE SOX LATIN CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR

The transcription below was provided for your convenience through an automated service. Please excuse any unintended errors made in the process.

Evan 0:00

This episode of born to baseball is sponsored by the BTB. Travel team and training tracker. Are you a parent or player searching for travel teams or training facilities in your area? Or are you a coach looking to expand your reach?

Then you have to check out the BTB triple t tracker at born to baseball.com. Make sure your team is represented. Let's go.

Unknown Speaker 0:23

Calling all ball players. Are you ready to take your game to the next level? Were you born to baseball? Then bring it in, it's game time.

Evan 0:40

Hey, guys, and welcome to the born to baseball podcast. I'm Evan. And today we have Anthony Santiago joining us. Anthony signed with the White Sox in 2012. He later became a coach for the White Sox organization in 2015. and is now their Latin cultural coordinator. Anthony, thank you so much for joining me today.

Anthony 0:59

Thanks for having me. It's a pleasure.

Evan 1:01

I'd like to start with your baseball journey. So how old were you when you first started playing baseball? And what was your youth baseball experience? Like,

Anthony 1:11

um, when I first started, I was very young, somewhere, somewhere around four or five years old. You know, and it started off obviously, just as having fun. You know, being a kid. You know, at the time, I was too young to think too big and think, you know, I want to make the Major Leagues but I started off playing baseball and for the Ironbound Little League in North New Jersey, and eventually ended up moving north a little bit going to the north north side to the north Ward and continue playing there and so forth. My journey in baseball is very long, there's a lot of different routes that I took, and, you know, a lot of steps and obstacles that I had to overcome. So we'll get there little by little, but yeah, you know, it all started at a playing for the Ironbound Little League.

Evan 2:02

What was high school baseball like for you?

Anthony 2:05

Yeah, I went to Bloomfield tech, vocational school in Bloomfield, New Jersey, and high school, you know, I was I was a pretty good ballplayer. You know, I was always I was always on different teams, travel teams, playing for North project pride and, you know, different travel ball teams and just staying active constantly at, you know, at the park with friends, just staying active, whether it was with an organized team, or just with friends. So going to Bloomfield tech I originally made that decision because my brother was there had some other friends that played at the same school. And, you know, we were trying to put together a pretty good ball program. And so we all came together and kind of decided, you know, let's all play together, stick together make make something out of a program. And at the time, it wasn't, you know, that school wasn't really known for baseball. So we kind of turned it around a little bit. And you know, now it's, it's still it's they changed the school. And now they've combined a few schools and made one big one. But eventually, after the few years that I was there, and my brother ended up getting some pretty good ballplayers that came through there as well, because of kind of the history and the culture, that we created there. So it was pretty awesome to see, you know, other guys want to follow in our footsteps and choose Bloomfield tech to play baseball there because of the program as opposed to just what the school had to offer. So yeah,

Evan 3:36

just like you said, That's awesome. And being there with your brother, as well as yourself. And that's just a really cool experience being able to play with your brother and sort of help each other out.

Anthony 3:47

Absolutely. Absolutely.

Evan 3:49

What was your college baseball experience like? And do you feel like it really prepared you for the next level?

Unknown Speaker 3:59

So getting to my college experience, this is where it got really long and complicated. So I ended up going through, I ended up going to five different colleges, throughout my college career. You know, I was kind of on and off, coming out of high school, you know, I watch, I watched my brother get drafted. Another friend of mine that we played together get drafted as well the same year as my brother in 2006, out of bloomfield tech. So that kind of, you know, gave me that push to want to work harder to want to get better. So I wanted to really make the correct decision. When I was going to college. I didn't want it to just be about academics. I also didn't want it to just be about baseball. But at the time, like all I saw was my one goal and I said you know what i want to follow in their footsteps. I want to play professional baseball. And originally My plan was to go to William Paterson University, which is in New Jersey, Wayne, New Jersey, and things kind of changed. I was playing in the summer at a tournament and a college coach approached me and some of my friends. And at the time, he didn't think I would decide to go with them. Being that he knew I was probably going to have more offers. But it was a community college in Baltimore, I decided to, to go that route. I knew that the coach at the time had worked for Cal Ripken Jr. So I know there was some background there. So I figured, you know, that sounds like a good choice, you know, I'm going to be around the right people. And I decided to go there. I won't get into too many details about all these schools, because we can be on this call for two days. But anyway, so I went there for a little while, it kind of things didn't work out with, you know, recruiting and other players. And it was just a tough atmosphere to be in. So I eventually decided to leave. I went to another school, I transferred over to NJCU, which is College in New Jersey, was there I kind of had some issues with the coach and we just kind of didn't see eye to eye so I decided, you know, it wasn't for me. At that time, I made the choice to go to Dominican Republic. So I ended up going overseas and trying to you know, try to try to take the fast route and sign professionally. in Dominican Republic was there for a few months, you know, had a lot a lot of scouts watch me. It didn't work out and I came back. I ended up going to William Paterson University, which was going to be my original choice finally finally went there. I finished up a semester, I played with them in the fall, I didn't get a chance to play spring. I ended up leaving, there going. I believe I went back to Dominican Republic again, after William Paterson went out there for a few more months, got some looks, you know how to how to do some had some offers. Nothing that I ended up deciding to take afterwards came back and at this point was kind of was probably the most important point in my college career. I was kind of at the point where I'm like, you know what, maybe it's not for me, it hasn't happened yet. I've kind of went through a you know, I've had a lot of obstacles, a lot of negative, you know, things going on a lot of no's. And someone actually the agent, my brother's agent at the time kind of saw me catching a bullpen for my brother. You know, he was in the offseason, he was already with the White Sox. And he saw me and he's like, hey, why aren't you in college, you know what's going on. And he saw something in me said you should be playing Listen, I'm gonna make a call. And I have a friend who would love to have you. And the friend of his was a he had just got a head coaching job at Mitchell college, which is a division three College in Connecticut. And, you know, we we talked, he saw me play he loved me. I you know, I thought it was an amazing coach. He was a great person, you know, he really seemed like he was interested in making me a better player and helping me get to the next level. So I made the decision to to go to that college. So now I'm in Mitchell college in Connecticut. You know, we had a great baseball program, we had, you know, great players, we had an amazing coaching staff. We ended up winning a championship there, I was ready to stay there. You know, I had some scouts watch. Had some scouts watch me I had some offers, you know, possibly getting drafted. It didn't work out, didn't get drafted, I was ready to repeat. And my coach lost his job at that school, which kinda, you know, broke me because I was very comfortable Finally, after so many different schools and being all over, so I ended up having to leave again, which is where I finally ended up going to Florida, Community College in Florida College of Central Florida. Finally played another season there had some scouts see me didn't get drafted. But after the draft about I believe, a week or two after get a phone call, and they offer me to sign with the Chicago White Sox.

Evan 8:46

Yeah, that's awesome. And really, I know, you mentioned that at a point there was almost like you almost wanted to give up and say, maybe this isn't for me, but you persevered and you kept trying, and eventually things worked out for you. That's awersome.

Unknown Speaker 9:01

Absolutely, absolutely. And you know, that that's why I like to share my journey with a lot of, you know, players, I train along with just you know, through Instagram and, you know, people who follow me and just trying to kind of send out that message so that, you know, if it helps one other player, kind of just just keep pushing through after, you know, a lot of obstacles they have to overcome or persevere and might kind of just give them that one little push, they need to get forward and keep going to that next step and hopefully, you know, it can help them get to their, to their next level, whatever it may be.

Evan 9:36

Yeah definitely. You were signed out of the College of Central Florida by the White Sox, how did it feel to get signed by a major league organization and say, I'm here I made it to the next level and now I got to keep grinding.

Unknown Speaker 9:52

Um, no, it was it was it was obviously it was amazing. You know, it was it was the moment that every kid dreams of you know, for me it was, I just felt like it was even, it was even better than, you know me being drafted out of high school, you know, because I always enjoy my story and how I got to where I got to, because of all the failure that I had to had to go through first to get it. So it just made it so, so much more sweet. When the moment actually happened. You know, I always say, I, you know, being a coach now for for so many years, with the White Sox seeing so many players drafted and, you know, I can see all the different personalities between first rounders and free agents, you know, or late round draft picks, you kind of see how players act based on, you know, what round they're selected in or how much money they get. And it actually, you know, it makes a big difference. And, you know, how far they go in their career. And I believe everything that I went through really humbled me. So in that moment, you know, I just I broke down, I cried, and I'll be honest, you know, I was in tears. I was I was amazed. I, you know, I didn't, I didn't think it was gonna happen. You know, we all hope it does. So when it did happen, it was just, you know, that much more awesome

Evan 11:08

A mix of emotions.

Unknown Speaker 11:10

Absolutely, absolutely. But you know, once, once I did, finally sign that contract, that was all right now, onto onto what's next, you know, we are here now, what's the next goal?

Evan 11:21

That's a great success story and being able to go through some of the failure that you did, but then you you achieved one of your goals, and it's just makes it all the more better?

Anthony 11:33

Absolutely. Absolutely.

Evan 11:34

At the time you were assigned, actually, your brother was playing in the MLB. For the White Sox. having that connection to the organization? Did that make signing with the White Sox any more special?

Unknown Speaker 11:47

Oh, yeah. 100%. And it's funny too, because at the time, when I was playing for the College of Central Florida, you know, I had, I had a lot of a lot of scouts watching me, you know, more for my defense, I was a very, very good defensive catcher, I had a strong arm. And, um, at the time, though, there was two main teams that we're watching, that were constantly communicating with me, you know, I built a good relationship with those two scouts, it was the White Sox, and it was the Angels. So obviously, you know, I was hoping it would go that route with the White Sox, just because of the you know, the history, the background. But at the same time, if it was the Angels, you know, would have been just as great. And then eventually, my brother ends up playing for the Angels as well. You know, so who knows, if I had signed with the angels at the time, it could have ended up being to where we ended up being on the same organization, as well. But yeah, I think it worked out for the best. Once I did get to the White Sox, I tried not to. And it's funny, because my brother actually was the first one to tell me, I try not to tell people who I was, you know, because he didn't, he didn't want anyone to treat me differently, because of the fact that they knew we were brothers, we were related. He kind of wanted me to earn everything, you know, and everyone's respect, based on who I was, as opposed to them respect me just because they knew who my brother was. Ultimately, they would see the last name on the jersey and asked me anyway, any any chance you're related to Hector. So, you know, people found out but it was after a few months of me being with the organization, and after, they kind of got to know me a little bit, which was much better because then I got a chance to build my own relationships with everyone, as opposed to just everyone knowing me because of being Hector's brother.

Evan 13:34

It's also a great job by your brother too, just because he had some success at the time, he made sure that you you earned some stuff, and you didn't have to have people Oh, you're his brother. Oh, that's, that's cool. It's like you made them respect you for who you were.

Anthony 13:53

Exactly. And that was the idea. Yeah.

Evan 13:56

So I know you you've shared with me a story about when he faced Miggy, Miguel Cabrera. Can you share that story with our listeners and sort of what went on?

Anthony 14:05

Yeah, so um, I forget exactly what year it was, but it was during his time with the twins and we were in Minnesota, I went out to go watch him play. And they were facing the Tigers. Yes, they were facing the Tigers. So he's up against Miggy. They had previous at bats. You know, my brother had bested him a few times with a few strikeouts. Miggy had a few hits off of him. So they kind of knew each other and respected each other. So Miggy being the professional he is he knew already, you know, my brother's game plan. He kind of knew how he would pitch to him. And the reason I brought that story up to you was to kind of talk about, you know, having a plan and sticking with it. And I know my brother, so I knew what he wanted to do. And I'm watching Miggy, just as a hitter and you know, obviously seeing him, his previous at bats and his career, knowing what type of hitter he is and being a coach Now I, what I like to do is I like to watch hitters I like to watch how they react to certain at bats, how they react to, you know, certain pitchers, how they how they change from one pitch to another. And the best of the best they usually stick to their game plan. Miggy is obviously one of the best hitters in the major leagues, he's been one of the best hitters. So I'm watching them. And I already know my brother, he loves throwing fast balls to righties. So he's coming in, you know, Miggy's fouling some balls off, he gets the two strikes, and I can just watch Miggy every time he steps out, you know, after foul ball, he would step out, and he'd, you know, he'd stick to his approach either, you know. He'd get his feel of his swing, before stepping back in and every one was staying inside the ball, you know, looking, looking to go the other way. And obviously, it's the opposite of what my brother is trying to do. He's trying to pound him in, you know, hoping he obviously swings and miss or tries to pull the ball and break his bat, whatever it may be. And every timehe would foul the ball off. Miggy would step out and do the same thing. Try to go the other way, with his swing to go the other way. My brother eventually ended up throwing him something that Miggy was just sitting there fighting pitches off hoping he would do. And I'm in my head, I'm sitting in the stands like don't throw him an off speed. Don't throw him anything over the plate, he slips in a curveball, Miggy sits back and drives it the other way hits a double, I believe it was either one hopper off the wall, he gets a double. But in that moment, it was funny just to see, you know, I'm watching. I obviously know my brother, I know his game plan. I'm watching Miggy, I know his game plan. And just to see, you know, such a professional hitter, stick to his game plan, no matter what the pitcher was doing. And as hitters you know, we tend to make adjustments based on what the pitcher is doing. But the best, they know what they do well, and they stick to it.

Evan 16:47

Yeah, staying within yourself. That's a big key.

Anthony 16:51

Yes, big time.

Evan 16:54

Who would you say, are the people who've had the biggest influence on you as a ballplayer?

Anthony 17:01

Um, I've had a lot in my career, to be honest. Um, but by far the most would have to be my brother and my father. My father, obviously, you know, he was always there for us. You know, he was the one who had us at the ballpark, all the time, not just because he was trying to force us into, you know, playing baseball professionally, but more because he loved the sport. And he knew that there was something in us that would eventually turn into something better. So he made sure that we were there, he also made sure that we always needed all the equipment, you know, that we always had all the equipment we needed. You know, whatever it was, whether whether it was showcases, he was always there to support us, there was never... We never got a no from my father. And one thing that he taught us was always to work hard. You know, he made us, He made us go to work with him from a very young age, just to kind of teach us, you know, what it was to earn something, you know, to work hard to earn something. So he kind of put that into us. So we knew that, whatever we were going to achieve in our life that we were going to have to earn, it wasn't gonna be handed to us. So definitely my father for that, and my brother just for you know, just for always being a positive influence and being able to watch him grow as a player and be a professional. And watch other people respect him for his work ethic, kind of taught me, you know, to follow in his footsteps. And just kind of gave me something to, you know, look up to and to want to try to be as good as or even better.

Evan 18:33

Fathers play a big role. They really help us out and help us ultimately achieve our goal. You were a catcher pretty much your whole life. And like you mentioned earlier you transitioned to a pitcher. So you're a pitcher in the pros, but a catcher through college. So how did you make that transition from catcher to pitcher as a pro baseball player?

Anthony 18:59

Yeah, so this is another funny story. So obviously, my scout that was watching me through college, watched me as a catcher. You know, I did a little bit of pitching in high school, but not much because I was our, I was our best catcher. So a lot of the times that we played on fields, they had big backstops, and we wanted to make sure that we weren't giving away runs so I didn't get too many times too many opportunities to pitch because I had to be the one catching the, you know, to make sure we weren't just giving up runs. So I did you know, when I did pitch it was more of just throwing so I wasn't really a pitcher, but I did have a strong arm. And as I was getting scouted in college, you know, I was told that there would always be a possibility that I would be converted to a pitcher. And I was okay with it. You know, and in my mind, I just wanted to play professional. I wanted to get get the chance to prove to myself you know that I could compete at that level. And I was, I was ready for it. But I didn't know because when my scout called me You know, it also could have been the fact that there was so much emotion going on. But I remember our conversation and my scout says, Yeah, you know, you're gonna be headed to Bristol, Virginia, which is where the rookie, rookie ball affiliate is for the White Sox. So he's like, you know, pack up your gear. They're gonna they're gonna send you your your plane ticket. And, you know, you'll go from there. So, in my head, when I was told to pack up your gear, I'm assuming my catchers gear, you know, but I wasn't, I guess I probably should have asked a little more questions. But anyway, so I show up, I show up to the field. And I remember signing my contract with with our trainer, he pulls out my contract. And when I'm reading my contract, I see believe it was RHP, like, right handed pitcher, or right handed reliever or something like that. And I'm reading and I'm like, I told my trainer like, hey, but um, I'm a catcher. He looks at me and he goes, not anymore. So at that moment, I'm like, alright, I sign the contract. And I didn't even have a pitchers glove with me. I had all my catching, all my catching equipment, my trunk was full of bats. So I literally had to borrow a pitching glove from from another teammate. At the time, there was a player who was, who had played at a higher level. And he's like, Hey, I got you, man, I got an extra glove. You know, so I went out and played catch as a pitcher for the first time. And I remember thinking, like my arm is not gonna be able to hold up. I'm like, I hope I hope I can. Because as a catcher, I had a lot of bicep pain when I threw, and it ended up working out. I ended up becoming a pitcher and my arm held up, I never really had, you know, thankfully, never had any arm issues. And then at that point, it was just all about, alright, you know, I got to put that in the past and I have to teach myself. I have to listen, I have to become a pitcher now.

Evan 21:55

That's a pretty cool story. Being able to know, and it's last minute, but I got it, whatever it takes.

Anthony 22:02

Yeah, exactly. Whatever it takes.

Evan 22:05

So do you think catching almost helped you transition to a pitcher? Because just because you're working with pitchers a lot, and you're sort of in their head?

Anthony 22:15

Oh, no, definitely 100%. Um, and it's tough. Because as a pitcher, you're on the mound and you know, things go so fast, the game speeds up on you, especially at the professional level, you know, when you're just starting off. So you don't even have the time to think to yourself, you know, about the catching process about, you know, what, what pitch you would call at the time. It just becomes, you know, just competing. So I think it did help me in the sense of being able to kind of stay calm a little bit and realize that hitting isn't easy. You know, obviously, as a catcher you have to hit. So, you know, I knew that. It's difficult being a hitter, you know, whether you have a great swing, and we always talked about this. You can have the best swing, but if your timing is off, you're not going to hit. So I knew when I was on the mound, I said, Listen, I may not be a pitcher right now but as long as I throw strikes, I have a chance at getting outs. So that that I would say was the biggest helper for me kind of transitioning, just trusting that if I get the ball over the plate, hitters are bound to get themselves out.

Evan 23:22

That's a great mindset to take into it. Hitting is one of if not the hardest thing to do in sports.

Unknown Speaker 23:30

In all of sports. Yes. 100%

Evan 23:32

So I heard that you had a very interesting first pitching appearance. Can you share that story with us?

Anthony 23:42

Absolutely. So um, you know, I become a pitcher. And obviously in professional baseball, everyone's an investment. So they can't just throw you out there right away. They have to kind of transition you into it. So you know, everyone, we started our season and everyone's pitching except me because I had to you know, I had to throw bullpens and get my rest. I'd go into the bullpen get my rest, you know, work on my mechanics work on my pitches. Then I got into throwing live batting practices to our own hitters, you know, so I'd go out and face our own hitters. So I was at the time I was more of a high three quarter pitcher with a you know, fastball curveball, very simple threw a changeup here and there. So when I was facing our own hitters, I did really well you know, I was striking out some of our guys you know, guys were telling me a throwing pretty hard. You know, so the results were there. You know, I was I was getting getting outs. But then obviously sitting in a bullpen Finally I was told, hey, today is going to be the first day you're active about halfway through the season. So obviously my adrenaline's going, I'm in the bullpen.

Evan 24:52

Awesome.

Anthony 24:54

I get I get the call down to the bullpen, you know, they they give me my sign and my adrenalin You know, starts starts going, my bloods pumping. I warm up and I get out on the field, you know, I get loose, I'm looking around, it's such a different feel, you know, when you're in a game on the mound, especially at the professional level compared to being a catcher looking at a completely different view. So I get out there and, you know, I'm obviously new to professional baseball, so I'm not really sure how it works. But all I knew in my head was that I wanted to throw strikes. So I said, Listen, don't try to overthrow I'm talking to myself, don't try to overthrow you know, just throw strikes, get ahead, you don't want to be the guy that's out here walking everybody and become, it becomes an embarrassment. So in my head, I say, you know, I'm just gonna throw, I just want to get my first pitch over. This guy is probably not going to swing. And you know, I'm sure they know that it's my first time pitching, which I don't know why I thought that. Like, he's probably just gonna let me get the first pitch ahead. So I'll just throw it over. So I throw a fastball probably at 87 miles an hour, who knows. And it's up and away to a left handed hitter, lefty. He goes and swings at the first pitch, Yanks a homerun over the fence. And it was such a crazy moment because immediately my,my mind went to negativity and I go, I'm not a pitcher, I just thought I'm like, Wow, my first pitch, they hit a homerun off me like, that's what's going to keep happening. I'm like, I'm not a pitcher I'm a catcher. But then, you know, just being a competitive person, a competitive player. You know, I shook it off fast. I looked at the umpire and said give me the next ball. I get the ball. You know, I didn't even watch the guy round the bases. I was just focused on the next hitter. I go in, and I didn't think as opposed to my first pitch, I was just overthinking. When I break the next guy's bat and a ground ball. Next guy comes up, I get a pop up. Last hitter, broken bat ground ball, and I get out of the inning. I get three quick outs after they're given up a first pitch home run. And as I'm coming into dugout, you know, everyone's kind of laughing joking about it, like oh, you know, welcome to the league, you know, welcome to the pro ball, or welcome to pitching. And I it's funny, because in my in my head, I'm just I'm thinking like, wow, I just sucked, you know, I gave up a home run. It's terrible. Like, they're probably going to release me and just immediately just all the negative stuff. And everyone's coming up to me like, Hey, nice job, nice job, good job. I'm just wondering, like, why they're telling me good job. But they obviously knew that it was my first time out and I give up a home run and next thing you know, I go and get three outs. And my manager at the time was Pete Rose, Jr. who was an awesome, awesome manager, great person. And the next day, you know, we always meet up and talk about the game. And he's having a meeting, we lost a lot at the time. So he yelled a lot. But during his meeting to us, He used me as an example. And he goes, um, this guy went out there yesterday and on his first professional pitch gives up a homerun. And guess what he goes in right after, you know, and he gets three quick, quick outs. He's like, that's the kind of pitcher that I want on the mound every day. Like, I don't want anyone going up there scared. He's like, I'm gonna, he's I'm gonna ask for this pitcher every day. Because that's the guy went out there. And it kind of motivated me. And I was like, wow, you know, in my head, I was like, That was terrible. And in his eyes, you know, it was, it was something that he felt he could use to motivate the other players. And from there on out, you know, I use that as motivation. And it kind of pushed me to think you know, it's possible I can do this.

Evan 28:41

Yeah, bouncing back is huge. And that's, that's a really cool and really special first pitching appearance. And that story is awesome.

Anthony 28:52

Definitely, definitely. Thank you.

Evan 28:54

After 2014, you signed your very first coaching contract with the Chicago White Sox. What was it like going from player to coach?

Anthony 29:06

Um, it was it was interesting. At the time, you know, I was still young. I, you know, I still technically was in my prime as a player. And I had never thought about becoming a coach at the time. You know, it was all about playing. And until I was released by the White Sox, I was in winter ball playing in Puerto Rico at the time, they called me to release me. And it wasn't, it was just a few months later that they called me right back. And I remember getting the call and I was pitching really well in Puerto Rico, facing, you know, high level competition. And I was performing. I was probably at the time one of the best relievers that we had out there. And so I was thinking, you know, I'm gonna get a call by somebody, hopefully, the next day and I get a call from the White Sox and I'm kind of confused. I'm like, these guys just released me and they call me kind of asking You know, how I was doing and what I was doing? And if I was still playing or if I had signed with another team? And my answer was like, No, you know, I'm still waiting. I'm in Puerto Rico, I'm performing well, kind of just waiting for the call. And then Okay, well, good, you know, we got some got some good news, we have a position here for you. And my first thought was, okay, well, as a player, obviously, I'm just thinking like, Oh, I guess you know that something must have happened, they need more pitching, and I'm pitching well, so they noticed that, and he goes, Well, it's a coaching position. And I was kind of shocked, I'm like, okay, because, you know, typically coaches go, and they'll apply for these jobs, if they have the experience. And I did no such thing. But it was, it was just more of the fact that they saw something in me as a player, you know, going, you know, going about my business and my work ethic, and also helping other players along the way. Just things you know, the ins and outs, that people notice, you know, personality traits, things like that. They noticed this in me, and they had a position available. And, you know, I remember them telling me, they're like, Hey, listen, you're the first one on our list. The job is yours. If you want it, you know, think about it. Talk to your brother, talk to your family. And let us know. We're not going to make any other moves until you give us you know, your decision. And yeah, I was like, Alright, well, yeah, let me let me think about it. I'm going to talk to my brother and stuff. And I talked to my brother right after and he was like, so shocked, like, it's not easy to get into professional coaching. He's like, you have to take it, you know, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. And obviously, it was a tough decision because I was pitching well, you know, I was at the peak of my career doing very well. And, you know, facing big league hitters, and AAA hitters and AA hitters were, at the time had only faced rookie ball level guys or A ball guys. And I was doing well. So I really thought I could compete at higher levels. But then I thought to myself, like, you know what, you know, if I become a coach, I'm gonna, I'm going to be around a lot of people who have a lot of knowledge, I'm going to get the ins and outs of how things work, I'm going to learn, not just, you know, I didn't think of it as I'm going to go and teach people. In my mind, I was like, Alright, I'm going to go in, and I'm going to learn, I'm going to listen, take advantage of, you know, this opportunity, and try to become a good coach. So that one day, I can come back home. And I can share all this knowledge that I knew a lot of the players from the inner cities are getting this information, you know, as opposed to people that are in professional baseball, you know, they're able to get all this information, and a lot of people aren't as privileged. So I thought to myself, like, you know what, this, this can be something where I can make a difference somewhere else, not just about becoming a professional coach, but more about helping others. So I told them, You know, I called them back within probably 10 minutes. And I told them that, you know, that was that was gonna agree, and I was going to agree, and I was gonna sign the contract.

Evan 33:04

Yeah, it's awesome to be recognized and say, okay, we, we think you'd be perfect for this. And, like, let me know what you think you're the first on our list, and we're not going to do anything until we really get you because we really want.

Anthony 33:19

Yeah, and that was, that was, that was a big thing for me. You know, I figured, alright, if they see something in me, then, you know, they obviously know what they're doing. So, you know, let's, let's, let's see it out. And let's see what happens.

Evan 33:32

10 minutes, only 10 minutes.

Anthony 33:35

That's it. That's it. It was really a really quick decision

Evan 33:39

in 2017. Now, I'm going to skip ahead here, but you were promoted to the Latin cultural coordinator for the White Sox. Can you talk more about what this role is? And what made you want to help players in this way?

Anthony 33:54

Yeah, so my, when I first signed my contract, was as an assistant coach. When I got to spring training, they started talking to me about talking to me about my job responsibilities. I had a few different responsibilities. One obviously was on on field coaching, you know, coaching, first base, and obviously throwing batting practice and hitting fungos, and all the all that kind of stuff. Being an instructor, as well as I had to help out with the Latin American players, younger Latin American players, so I was doing some translating. I was handling some paperwork stuff outside of the field, there was a lot of a lot of things going, going into that position. So I did it for two years. After my first year, I remember my boss talking to me telling me that you know that I was overqualified for the position. So I kind of knew that eventually it was going to transition into something bigger. And the way the way, the way that I am the person that I am I no matter what I'm doing, I'm going to want to do it the right way. And there are there are people out there who, who aren't that way. So, in the position that I was in, typically that role, people didn't last long in that role, you know, they'd be in for a year or two and out, they'd find someone new, get them in and get them out. Because people, certain guys would take advantage of situations. But for me, I was like, you know, I wanted to make sure I did everything that I could, especially with the position that I was in. The position was helping younger players, younger Latin American players, who were coming into a country where they didn't know the language, you know, they didn't know the culture, they didn't know how to order food, you know, so everything was completely different for them, and they're trying to live out their dream. So if I could be there to help them, I wanted to do it. So I went above and beyond, you know, outside of the field, I made sure that I helped these guys, and I made them feel at home. You know, I had to find them apartments, I had to keep them, you know, comfortable making sure that you know that they weren't homesick that they were that they were going to be able to perform on the field at their, you know, optimal level. And I took, you know, I took a lot of pride in that. So eventually, they, you know, they took notice to it, and my boss, they actually created this position for me at the time, they didn't have this role. So I remember in that offseason, I got a call. And my boss at the time Buddy Bell, he said, listen, you know, we're gonna, we're going to promote you, we're going to give you a promotion, you're going to become a coordinator now. And a coordinator and professional baseball is basically there's there's many, they all have their own specific, you know, jobs, for example, hitting coordinator, pitching coordinator catching coordinator, they all work specifically at certain positions. So what they do is they travel from affiliate, affiliate. So as opposed, instead of just being at the triple A level, or double A level or A ball level, they throughout the season, they, they hop from one team to another, they're in one place for a few weeks or a few days, they'll go to A ball for a few days, triple A double A, all over. So when they he told me about this, you're going to be a coordinator. You're This is going to be your title, it's the latin cultural coordinator. We kind of spoke a little bit about about the responsibilities but I had already knew at the time that I didn't have to change anything that I was doing that obviously what I was doing was what made them give me that promotion or what made them create that position for me. And I actually didn't get a full opportunity to or haven't yet got an opportunity to do that position to the full extent. Because in 2017, when I was actually given that position.

In the offseason, we made a trade with Boston for for Chris Sale. When we made that when we made that trade, we obviously we got Yoan Moncada was a high profile, you know, Cuban player, and a huge investment. So before that spring training, before I got a chance to actually start that position, the way it was supposed to go. I get a call from my boss again. And they had spoken to our general manager at the time. And they wanted to make sure that Yoan Moncada was going to be taken care of, they wanted to make sure that they had somebody that was going to travel with him to make sure that everything was going the right way, you know, on and off the field. So obviously, they thought highly of me. So they decided like, Hey, listen, we're going to have you specifically with Yoan Moncada. You're going to go to major league camp, you're going to go to AAA until he gets to the major leagues. And, you know, basically you're gonna, you're going to be the guy that that makes sure everything goes smoothly. So that was the kind of transition to transition into that role. Once Moncada got to the major leagues, I fell back into my role and I started to travel. You know, I went to Dominican Republic, watch our players out there to kind of oversee everything with the young Latin American players. You know, I was roving around all the lower levels. I did that for a few months until the season ended. And then we signed Luis Robert, who was the next high profile guy, and then obviously transitioned back into that. So he became my next responsibility.

Evan 39:32

That's awesome. Luis Robert, he's a star in the making right now. And Yoan Moncada a big name in baseball. So it's awesome how you got to sort of help them and guide them a little bit and really make sure they were well taken care of. I read that when you played in the Dominican Republic, you didn't know any Spanish but your teammates would help you out and correct you if you said anything wrong in Spanish. Did that make you any more passionate about Coming into this role just because you've been helped before, so you want to give back and help others.

Anthony 40:06

Definitely, definitely. And that that was, that was the big reason why when I was a player, I took it upon myself to help these players, you know, without it having to be my job. You know, I was constantly I actually lived with all of the Dominican and Venezuelan players, you know, we all we all stayed together. Obviously, the minor leagues, you don't make a lot of money. So you kind of have to grind it out and get by so we used to live in apartments, you know, 6,7,8 players altogether, you know, there'll be three to four of us in a room. So I made sure you know, I had a car at the time. These guys didn't, I made sure that, you know, I was helping out, helping them out, open up bank accounts, you know, help them buy their groceries and help them order food, a little bit of everything, without it having to be my, my job. And I did it just because I understood, you know, what it is to be in a place to be in a different, different country where you're, you're not comfortable, you don't know the language, you don't know anyone, and to have other people help you out. So I took it upon myself to make sure that I was doing that. And that was, you know, some of the reason why they decided to add me on as a coach, not just because of, you know, my knowledge of the game, or you know, from my work ethic, but as well as being a just being a good person. And, you know, having a big heart

Evan 41:29

What advice could you give to coaches to help them build trust quickly with their players?

Anthony 41:36

Now, I'm actually glad that you bring that up, you know, trust. That's, that's a very, very important word in baseball, especially in coaching. And it was kind of why, why a lot of the players respected me, because they trusted me. They knew they knew. And it happens all the time in professional baseball, in college, or in high school. A lot of times players don't, they don't trust their coaches enough to listen to whether it be advice or listen to, you know, mechanics, whatever, whatever it is. So to give other coaches advice, I'd say just, you know, just to be honest, I know, I know, there's a lot of a lot of times where coaches like to put their egos first. They want to make sure that people feel like they know it all, or they have all the answers. No coach has all the answers, I definitely don't have all the answers. Especially the way baseball is. The game constantly changes, there's always new ways to teach it. There's new ways to play it. So you just basically have to continue being a student of the game, even though you're the teacher, you're the coach, you still have to learn. And just just be real with your players. Make sure that you guys have you know, build the relationship, not just, you know, it's not just coaching, you got to make sure that you know, these guys on and off the field. And just to make sure that, you know, you show them that you actually care about them.

Evan 43:00

Yeah, that's, that's awesome advice for the coaches, they might not know everything. And a lot of it is just adapting and adjusting to new information, whether it's whether you're a hitting coach, and you're trying to learn a new method, or there's a new philosophy out there, maybe a more efficient swing, whether it's pitching, how to throw harder how to hit your spots, like nine out of 10 times, everything's adapting.

Anthony 43:25

Absolutely.

Evan 43:28

Could you share some of the cooler moments you've had with guys like Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert,

Anthony 43:37

um, I mean, there's a lot, obviously, you know, it's funny now, you know, watching and watching these games, and watching this Robert play now. And, you know, I saw this, I saw this kid kind of grow and mature over the last few years, coming into professional baseball, now I'm gonna get an opportunity to watch him perform at the highest level. So it's just funny, you know, just just to kind of meet and me being able to know these, these, these kids and these players, you know, personally, I kind of know, I know how they think. So I'm, as I'm watching them, I can already imagine, you know, what he's saying, when he gets back to the dugout, and, you know, for example, like Robert he still he doesn't realize how much of a, you know, high profile guy he is. And he forgets that, that people read, you know, people can read and they, they know who he is, and they know how good he is. So I remember his, his first spring training in the major leagues. I think he he faced one of his first at bats he faced like Kelly Jensen, and he goes up right away and he hits a double down the line. And I remember thinking in my head, I'm like, he has no idea what pitch he just hit. Like he's that good that he didn't, he doesn't know what pitch he just hit, he just he saw the ball, he hit the ball. But he's so raw,he's just that talent that he can get away with it. Typically guys are gonna go in saying, oh, it's Kelly Jensen, like, I know he's gonna throw me either a fastball or cutter, most likely, nine out of 10 times he's gonna throw me 95,96 mile per hour cutter. And that's what the pitch was. And I remember asking, asking him, when he got back in the dugout, like a will pitch what pitches to hit? And he's like, fastball, I think. And I'm like, No, I'm like, it's a cutter. And he goes, and he tells me he's like, what's a cutter? Didn't know what the pitch was, you know, cuz he's coming from Cuba. And out there. It's you know, they're, they're not facing anybody throwing that hard. They're facing a lot of curveballs, they don't see you know, splitters and all these different kind of pitches. So I had to, like, explain to him what what a cutter was, and like, what kind of movement it you know, it had, but it was just funny to see, like, you know, how good he actually is. And he doesn't even realize it, he had another experience where he went up the hit, and he's looking for a fastball, and they would not throw it. Thgey wouldn't throw him a fastball and mind you he is in Major League camp, but he would get upset because he's like, I don't know why they're throwing me breaking balls, like, I'm not even in the major leagues yet. They should be throwing fast balls. And I'm like, No, you got to understand that, you know, you're obviously like a super prospect. They're not gonna want you to, you know, to do damage, it doesn't matter if you're not there yet. They know you will be. So these guys already, respect you. And being able to watch him now, you know, on TV and watch his games. You know, I see certain pitches, I already know, I'm like, I already know what he's thinking. So you know, and with Moncada you know, kind of the same stuff. But from with Moncada it's pretty cool, you know, he's, he's actually become more of a leader now. You know, when when I was with him, he was still coming up. And, you know, he only had a little bit of big time with Boston. So he didn't really, he was still learning, but now he's at that point where, you know, within the last two years, he's become more of a leader. So that's, that's been pretty cool to watch.

Evan 47:06

Now, I want to move more into the technical side. So I'm gonna start off with pitching and then we'll, we'll get into hitting.

Anthony 47:12

Okay, oh,

Evan 47:14

I've asked former professional pitchers before, whether they think velocity or location is more important. So far, everyone has said location? Do you agree with them? Or do you think velocity is more important?

Anthony 47:30

To be honest, for me, it's gonna depend on the pitcher. You know, I, and this is this is, you know, something that I teach to all my players, I just make sure that they know what kind of player they are, whether it's hitting or pitching, I know we're on the pitching topic right now. So, as a pitcher, I make sure that they know what you know, what they have, what they, what their arsenal is, what pitches they have, how fast they throw, what movement they have, if they can command the zone, or if they have good pitches, if they can command those pitches. So to me, it's all about knowing who you are, and, you know, pitching to your strengths. So for example, if you have somebody throwing 86, and they have a lot of movement on their on their fastballs, a lot of sink, you know, and they can throw strikes, then it's gonna, it's gonna come down to command. But if you have somebody who can throw 95 Plus, and they can throw strikes with it, then obviously, I'm going to say velocity, you know, because that's what's that's what's going to help them is being able to blow by guys. But there are people out there, there are guys who were in college and throw 90 miles an hour. And in their head, they're just like, you know, I throw 90 I throw hard. And nowadays, 90 is not that hard. So you know, it's all about, it's all about, you know, forgetting about the ego, and knowing your strengths. And, you know, using it to your advantage. So if your hard thrower it's going to be velocity, you know, blow it by guys, yeah, keep the fastball up in the zone. You know, make sure you're throwing 95. Don't hold back and throw 92 or 90 because now you're going to be more in the hitting speed. But if your ball has a lot of movement, don't try to blow by guys, you know, live down in the zone, get ground balls, forget about strikeouts, you know, throw, get deep into the game.

Evan 49:20

That's great advice. Sometimes as pitchers, we tip our pitches. So what tips would you give to pitchers on helping them disguise their pitches?

Anthony 49:31

Yeah I mean, I guess you know, to keep it simple as just making everything the same, you know, especially with grips. The thing with with pitchers is we have certain pitches. For example, if you have a fastball slider, and a changeup, you grab all of them differently, and the good hitters you know or good coaches can pick up on, you know how pitchers start the ball in their glove. Most guys start with a fastball grip They're holding a fastball in their glove. And when they go to a change up, they end up you know, even though they wiggle their fingers, they wiggle them more than they would when they go to the slider because from the fastball to the slider, you might not move too much, you know you're closer, you're closer to that grip, as opposed to being having a grab a circle change or split change, whatever it is. So finding what pitch what grip, you should start, you should start with in your glove, all the time. So a lot of guys, if they have a changeup or they have a splitter, they'll start with a splitter, so that when they get to that pitch, they don't have to, you know, manipulate the ball and dig in, and do all this extra stuff just to get that grip, they'll start with it so they're already there. And even if they have to fakeit kind of, you know, they just make sure they're consistent on every single pitch.

Evan 50:50

It's definitely super helpful for a guy like me who I do pitch and guys for, even at the higher level, who pitch a lot. Now, as a hitter, how do you pick up on these tendencies?

Anthony 51:02

Now this this part's tough, because you don't want to do it while you're hitting obviously. So a lot of times, it comes down to paying attention to the game. And a lot of guys forget about this because, you know, we're with our teammates or with our friends and, you know, we forget about watching pay attention, paying attention to the game, but the best players, you know, they know how to focus on the pitchers, and watch the pitchers in the in the bullpen. You know, watch them as they're throwing their warmup pitches, they you know, they pay attention, all the little things, they pay attention to all the details, or even just communicating with with other teammates, you know, if somebody, if you're hitting fifth in the lineup, and the leadoff guy gets up, and he sees you know, hopefully he sees a few pitches, he can go and you can ask him questions, hey, what do you see, you know, whatever he's doing, his fastball, whatever it may be, but making sure that it's actually something that you notice, as opposed to, you know, just seeing something and saying, Oh, I got him, I know he's doing this, and you go up there guessing and you're wrong. So it's a matter of, you know, doing your homework, making sure that they're actually tipping the pitches, you know, if you pick up on something, make sure he goes through a few more hitters and make sure he does it the same to those hitters before you go in. And say, you know, I'm going all in and I'm going to watch him tip his pitch, so I can know what's coming and sit on that pitch. And it was actually something I did in college a lot. Not with everybody because not every pitcher tips his pitches. And sometimes from the dugout view, you can see things that it's not the same when you get in the box. So it's tougher, but um, you know, it's not for everybody. Because a lot of guys who know what, they can know what's coming. And because they know what's coming, they think too big, like I'm getting this fastball right here, I'm gonna hit it 900 feet, and you know, they over swing and they pop it up, or, you know, their timing is off. So it's a matter of, you know, if you can, if you can handle it, and you're good at seeing it and use it, if not, you know, go up and have a plan and see the ball hit the ball.

Evan 53:01

That's, that's important. And I've actually had one of those experiences recently where I've caught a pitcher they, they were taking their pitches, and it was simple. They were just, you could see them sort of manipulating the grip and the glove from the on deck circle. But it still can give away and I like how you said sometimes it can make hitters overthink?

Anthony 53:22

Yes, definitely.

Evan 53:24

When it comes to hitting How do you coach your players on really feeling what they're doing, as well as making sure the mechanics are right.

Anthony 53:33

It's for me, it's it's it's different. You know, because every every player is a little bit different. Every player has their their tendencies that they've done since they were since they first picked up a bat. So it's a matter of getting to know the player really, before you just say, you know, alright, this is the drill we're doing. You know, I like to, I like to talk a lot as you know, you know, we communicate a lot when we're having our sessions. You know, so I like to like to get to know the player. You know, I love video, I always give video and so we can slow things down and talk about it. And then just finding different ways that they can feel it. And that's the big, that's the biggest way using different different examples, whether it be a verbal cue or a physical cue. But one thing that I do like to keep up with, if I am doing any drills with my players, I like to make sure that I do them myself first. So that I'm not just telling them what to do that I can actually go and show them. A lot of players are visual learners as well. You know, I'm big time into feel but visual as well. So, you know, sometimes it's not just saying it or feeling it, it's actually seeing somebody do it. You know, I'm sure you watch a lot of Major League games. And I'm sure there's things that your you know, your batting stance, you might have gotten picked up from a player just by watching them play and you didn't realize Next, you know, you're doing something like oh, I'm kind of doing this, like, you know, Josh Donaldson or, you know, or Albert Pujols, whatever it may be. But you do it without realizing just by watching. So making sure that they're, the hitters can actually visually see what you're trying to get them to do.

Evan 55:16

I like how you, you say you do the drills before you have them do it, just so you're able to show them. And for those guys who are more of visual learners, it can sort of come to them easier just being able to help all your players and think, okay, maybe this might not work for you. But let's try this and see if this does.

Anthony 55:34

Yep.

Evan 55:35

I've often heard the phrase get on playing early used, can you talk about what that means and why it's so important in the swing?

Anthony 55:44

Yeah, for me, um, you know, getting on plane, it's not so much about the, you know, the hitting plane or the strike zone. For me, it's all about the pitch angle, you know, and got a lot of guys talk about, you know, launch angle, and, you know, the degree that the ball goes out on, for me, it's just a matter of, you know, the the line, you can say, or the angle that the ball has, when it's coming from the pitchers hand, into the catcher's glove. You know, and I like to visually show hitters, like, you know, what that angle is, you know, so I'll put the ball on a tee, you know, give them the visual of the ball coming out of the pitchers hand up on top of the mound, so that they can know the difference between a low fastball and a high fastball, they're not coming in at the same, you know, at the same plane at the same angle. So it's a matter of being able to match that as early as you possibly can, giving yourself the best chance to have room for error. You know, like we spoke about already hitting is very hard. You want to give yourself a chance to be late, to be early to be on time and to have success. You don't want to just have success, when you're perfectly on time, if you have success only when you're perfectly on time, you're not going to have that much success. It's not that easy, especially at the higher level where you have all these big high velocity pitchers, a lot of movement, multiple pitches, there's a lot that goes on. So we have to give ourselves the best chance to succeed, whether it be late, early or on time. So just matching that plane as early as possible, just gives you the best chance to not be that great and still get away with things.

Evan 57:27

Getting on plane early, huge key to being able to be successful. that's helped me and I'm still working on it. But getting on plane early and as as really as early as possible. And like you said, low fastball is not going to be the same as a high fastball. So when it comes to a curveball and getting on plane, it's more up and down, let's say 12, six, curveball, that's a steeper plane. And if you do match the plane, you're most likely going to hit a pop up or fly ball. So how would you get on plane with that without sort of getting on plane?

Anthony 57:59

Yeah, you know, that's, that's actually a really good question. And, you know, kind of like I spoke about earlier, not everyone has the answer. So for me, that can that can vary depending on on the on the hitter, there's guys who are naturally gifted, and just they're better at that talented to have good hand eye coordination, that they're able to make that adjustment, you know, that they're able to, you know, get their timing to the point where they can still stay in the zone and adjust based on the movement of the ball. Because when you when you see a ball, you know, a breaking ball, curveball slider, whatever it may be, you're not immediately going to calculate, you know, how much movement this ball has, how much spin it has, and you know, where the ball is going to be when it gets to you, but we just naturally as as ballplayers, which is why repetition is so important. You know, we go through, we see so many curveballs that we start to realize more or less, we have an idea, without being a computer having to be a computer that we can, we can tell more or less where the ball is going to be. So yeah, it's a matter of I like to teach it as you know, just having one consistent, consistent swing, so we're not going to adjust our swing just because it's a breakable where no one is going to be that that good. So it's a matter of approaching everything like it's a fastball and then just being able to trust that your hand eye coordination is going to help you be able to barrel it up as as well as you can.

Evan 59:28

Hand eye it's a skill that you to have. It doesn't come to everyone. I know there's training for it. But some guys, they are just super talented and they have that aspect already. They don't have to work on it as much. Are there certain drills that you would recommend for youth players to do when it comes to getting on plane early.

Anthony 59:49

There's different ways to kind of you know, to think about it, but for me, it's all about getting guys to not think about going directly to the ball. first instinct, you know, and, you know, as a young player you have coaches tell you, you know, be short to the ball, be quick to the ball, you know, get them out to the ball. And you know, those cues typically get guys to go directly to the ball, you see the ball and you get there with your hands, which typically leads to the barrel following and downward action, which, as we spoke about, most fastballs are coming downward, if our bat's coming downward, it's gonna be very hard to get on plane. So just a matter of thinking, you know, whether it be getting the barrel off the back, the back shoulder, coming behind the ball, you know, I know I've done this drill with you using the deep Tee. You know, setting up the Tee deep in your swing, so that you can try to naturally just find a way to get the barrel on the ball without having to manipulate our bodies. And, you know, as you've you've seen, if you come down to the ball, or your, your too direct to it, you're not going to be able to hit that pitch, you know, on the barrel. And going back to what we talked about with being able to give yourself a chance to be late to be early to be on time and still hit the barrel. You know, I really love that drill to be able to feel the swing, get in the zone early, to get on path early, you know, plain, get behind the ball and just let the natural, you know, bat path you know, give the ball and bat a chance to meet up

Evan 1:01:25

That drill has helped me and it's it really is an awesome drill. And for our listeners, if you want to do it, you can just set the tee up somewhere around your back foot, I would say, and you try to hit it, but just really without I know you've talked me about not compensating with another part not staying back, super back, or not really manipulating your body too much. I like that drill tip. What hitter in the MLB right now do you recommend use players that you work with to really study and why?

Anthony 1:02:03

The first one I'm going to go to is Nolan Arenado. And it's it's really not just about you know, if you just watch a not just in game swings, but if you watch his, you know, his highlight videos, whether it be you know, hitting in the cage or hitting off a tee, the way he goes about his you know, his work, it just goes to show you that it's it's not easy to hit. And it takes time. And it takes effort to become a good hitter. And it seems like he's constantly making adjustments, and constantly, you know, trying to find different ways to consistently get better. But the biggest reason why I bring him up is because, you know, I'm sure you've heard it 1000 times or more. But you know, when you're in games, our head pulls off and naturally wants to pull off, we want to see where the ball is going right away. And he's a major league hitter who's had very, you know, so much success, and he's an all star. And if he's able to make contact with the ball, and keep his eyes, his head at contact point and not look up immediately, which most guys do, and it they don't realize what it takes their body out of the zone, it takes their swing out of the zone too soon. And every young player should be able to do it. So yeah, the way he the way he goes about two things, you know, keeping his eyes on the ball, keeping his head at contact point, even through through contact and getting extension are the biggest two things. And I really love watching him mainly for that reason, whether it's a ball that he pulls and hits 400 feet to left, or a ball that he slices the other way for a base hit. He's he's keeping his head there, as long as he can. His eyes are at contact point even through extension. Yeah,

Evan 1:03:41

he's he's a great example. Youth players were often told to trust the process and grind every day. What's some advice that you would give to youth players on really trusting the process, even when they're not seeing the results yet?

Anthony 1:03:59

Um, yeah, I mean, it's, it's tough. You know, it's tough as a young player, because you want to see results right away. But if you if you think about it this way, and just see, you know, Major League players go, you know, go about their business and how they approach everything. You'll realize that they didn't get there, you know, just in just in a few days or a month, you know, it doesn't, it takes repetition, you know, you have to constantly work at it, even when you perfect it, you know, the game throws you a curveball, and now you're trying to find another way out of a slump. You see major leaguers do it all the time, even even some of the best, you know, they're they're at the peak of their careers. And next thing you know, they have an off season. So they have to find another way to be successful, whether it's the change in the velocities or you know, the change in the way pitchers are approaching hitters. It could be anything, but it takes time and I was able to watch a lot of players over the last few years come up through the minors and, you know, are currently playing in the major leagues. And when they first got the professional baseball, they weren't the same players that they were, that they currently are. It took, it took repetition. And the big thing is, in professional baseball, there's not that many days off, these guys are out there every day, they're practicing for a few hours before playing every day, for seven months straight, eight months straight, and then they, they get home. And guess what they have to continue working to get ready for the next season. So it takes a lot of time, a lot of a lot of repetitions to start feeling things, and especially as you know, youth players younger, you guys are still growing into your bodies, you guys are still figuring out how your body works, or you know what kind of player you're going to be in the future. So you got to give it time, you got to be patient, you know, just enjoy the game, while you're playing it. And, you know, just let let your work ethic and let the amount of time and work that you put in, do its job on its own. Just make sure that you're actually you know, going about your business the right way, and, you know, practicing with a purpose, as opposed to just going through the motions waiting for the day, for you to get big and strong and hit all these homeruns it's not that simple. You know, you got to really, really put the time and effort in

Evan 1:06:19

you got to grind to get achieve your goals and get where you want to be. That's, that's really helpful advice. In your opinion,

What are some of the qualities that successful players should all have?

Anthony 1:06:33

For one being humble, I think that goes a long way, being a good person, you know, being a caring person, you know, to where you become a good teammate. And a good listener, there's a lot of coaches out there, who, who have a lot of a lot of knowledge, a lot of information. And some players take it for granted. You know, and and I, you know, I'm a, I'm an example of that I've, I've been in professional baseball, I've been into certain meetings where you know, I'm just tired, and you really don't want to listen to too much talking, you know, you kind of just like, I'd rather just get out there and hit batting practice. So just being you know, being a good listener, and actually making sure that you know, that you're you're thanking everybody along the way who has helped you out, it'll go a long way, trust me. You know, I'm, I'm an example of that. Because, you know, I tried to pride myself on being a good person and being a good teammate. And eventually, it helped me out to the point where, you know, people were to, were able to see something in me that gave me an opportunity to become, you know, the person that I am today.

Evan 1:07:40

I want to wrap this up with some rapid fire questions. So you're ready

Anthony 1:07:45

I think so, here we go.

Evan 1:07:46

Who's your favorite pitcher in the big leagues right now?

Anthony 1:07:50

Oh, I was gonna say Hector Santiago, but he's currently not there right now. Um, but a fun one to watch for me is Lucas Giolito. He's been the White Sox. And you know, I was able to see him in triple A Charlotte before he got to the majors. And he's made some some adjustments and his mechanics. And it's been interesting to see how much success he's had by making those adjustments.

Evan 1:08:12

Second one,

if you could have one person in baseball history, mentor you who would it be?

Anthony 1:08:19

tough one. I'd say probably I know. I know. This is a different position. But probably Ivan Rodriguez, Pudge. He was, he was somebody you know, I watched a lot when I was a catcher. Obviously, he's Puerto Rican as well. So if I could have somebody mentor me, you know, when I was a catcher would definitely be him.

Evan 1:08:37

Last, but definitely not least, you grew up in New Jersey, if I was visiting for the very first time in my life, what's one place that I would just have to go check out?

Anthony 1:08:51

That's a good question. Maybe the Jersey Shore just because it's such a, you know, such a big name. And obviously, I you know, when I was younger, I grew up, you know, going there and enjoying Memorial weekends there and certain holidays and, you know, I always had a blast that or Wildwood

Evan 1:09:08

Okay, two great suggestions. Anthony, do you have any projects that you're currently working on? or places that people can reach you and learn more about you?

Anthony 1:09:19

Oh, yeah, I actually am um, you know, I was kind of waiting around because obviously, this this year has been a, you know, a very different year for everyone. But, uh, you know, our minor league season was canceled, which is the reason why I've been home, excuse me for the last few months. And I obviously recently just started doing given baseball lessons again, but um, I am planning on this winter depending on how everything you know, is going with the virus. I am planning on doing a few big clinics, getting some some pro guys as well to come in and help me out with that. No dates are set yet but that is one thing and I'm also open Putting together a, a pitching velocity program that I'll be doing this winter as well. For some, you know, some of the high school, older high school, college guys who are interested in building some velocity, we're going to do some strength and conditioning stuff as well as, you know, pitching mechanics a little bit, a little bit of everything to kind of help these guys get them themselves ready for the next level.

Evan 1:10:23

Are there some places that our listeners can reach you or learn a little bit more about you.

Anthony 1:10:30

Yeah, I mean, obviously, I'm constantly posting on my social media. My my Instagram is ant_santiago6. And I have two Instagrams, but that's my my baseball page. And, you know, I constantly put posts up, you know, I post some of my sessions with my players, our training sessions, as well as just motivational, you know, quotes or, you know, just just anything that kind of pops in that I feel might help a player out.

Evan 1:10:57

Anthony, thank you so much for joining me today.

Anthony 1:11:01

Thanks for having me over the pleasure.

Evan 1:11:05

Thank you all for listening in. We really hope you enjoyed this episode. Be sure to hit the subscribe button and be the first to know when new episodes launch. Check us out at born to baseball.com for free resources and new gear. And of course on social media, at born to baseball where we can connect live now let's play ball

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Episode #012: Justin Sherman- Founder of JustinTime Baseball

June 2020 By Evan

Ep. # 012: Justin Sherman- Founder of JustinTime Baseball

Join Evan and Justin Sherman, Founder of JustinTime Baseball, as Justin shares how he fell in love with baseball, gives examples of perseverance paying off, provides insight into his entrepreneurial journey beginning at age 13, and his commitment to teaching the fundamentals and instilling confidence in the young players he trains.  

What You’ll Learn:

07:08   Advice on detaching from the outcome and focusing on the process

08:09   Becoming an All Conference Player

12:55   His entrepreneurial journey beginning at age 13

15:07   Role of mentors and what he learned from one of his mentors, Brandon Steiner of Steiner Sports 

18:25   The origin of his “What else” motto and how it translates to his life and work with youth players

20:02   JustinTime Baseball organization mission

23:42   Encouraging his players to be “brilliant at the basics”

31:15   How measurable “mini victories” help players build self confidence

32:32   Advice to parents on how best to support their players

Thank you for being here with us!  Evan and the Born To Baseball Team are looking forward to celebrating your success and sharing this journey together.
 
If you enjoyed this episode please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple or wherever you’re listening here. This will help other ball players find the Born To Baseball Podcast and give us more chances to shout out our listeners!  

Now, let’s play ball!

Read show notes here.

Show Links:

Website:  www.justintimebaseball.com

YouTube- “Coach JustinTime”

Instagram @justintimebaseball

Email: justinsherman13@gmail.com

Phone: 914.420.8418

Born To Baseball Links:

Born To Baseball Website

BTB Travel Team & Training Tracker

Instagram: @borntobaseball 

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Twitter: @bornto_baseball

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Episode 012_JUSTIN SHERMAN_FOUNDER OF JUSTINTIME BASEBALL

The transcription below was provided for your convenience through an automated service. Please excuse any unintended errors made in the process.

Evan 0:00

This episode of born to baseball is sponsored by the BTB. Travel team and training tracker. Are you a parent or player searching for travel teams or training facilities in your area? Or are you a coach looking to expand your reach? And you have to check out the BTB triple T tracker at borntobaseball.com. Make sure your team is represented. Let's go.

Music 0:24

Calling all ball players. Are you ready to take your game to the next level? Were you born to baseball? Then bring it in? it's game time.

Evan 0:40

Hey guys, welcome to the Born To Baseball Podcast. I'm Evan and today we have Justin Sherman on he attended Westchester Community College and he graduated from SUNY Purchase College with a degree in communications. He is a coach mentor and the founder of Justin Time baseball. Justin, thank you so much for being here.

Justin 0:59

Evan, I've done some podcasts in the last couple of weeks and months. This one I'm excited about.

Evan 1:07

Thank you. So when did you start playing baseball and what really inspired you to stick with it?

Justin 1:14

So, to play baseball, I really just I was very fortunate I had a beautiful gorgeous baseball field right up the street from my house. And the high school baseball team would always practice there. So in the morning, on the weekends, I would hear the Bing, bing, bing, the metal, you know, the metal sound of the bat. And I would always walk up and the coaches were so nice to me. This is when I was about seven, eight years old, I'd walk out my dad and and just even just take a bike ride up there myself and I fell in love with the game, the sound, the smell, and the coaches were extremely positive and supportive to the young kids in New Rochelle. And I'll tell you that's really what got me into baseball, as well as some great coaches along the way, which I'm sure we'll touch on.

Evan 2:11

Yeah, that's an amazing upbringing of the game of baseball.

Justin 2:15

Definitely.

Evan 2:16

Do you remember some of the teams that you played on when you were younger? And some of the coaches you had?

Justin 2:21

Definitely. So I'm sure you can attest to this Evan, but having great coaches could really mold what kind of baseball player you are, and what kind of person you are and help influence it And clearly, you've had some terrific coaches because what a what a polished, kid you are very polished and mature bond beyond your years.

Evan 2:43

Thank you.

Justin 2:45

so yeah, I mean, I've had some tremendous coaches. I've also had some coaches like, I'm sure you know, you're very nice kid, you can attest to it, that maybe weren't the best. As far as communication as far as yelling or whatever. I mean, you remember the good and the bad. So all of those experiences kind of molded what kind of coach I want to be I picked and choose, you know, and chose what I kind of liked what I didn't like, and kind of make my own little formula to how I mentor and teach kids. So, yeah, hundred percent i remember some great coaches and positive we'll never forget. So, uh, you know, I heard a great quote where, and, um, maybe this will register with you even if a kid forgets who you are as a coach. It's not their fault. It's your fault as a coach. So you always want to be remembered for how you impact that a player and how much you gave. And I'll tell you, I've had some tremendous coaches, and so have you, I'm sure, clearly so yeah, hundred percent.

Evan 3:45

Yeah, coaches have a huge impact on a youth baseball players life. So you really grew as a player in high school. Can you share a little bit more about your high school baseball experience?

Justin 3:56

Yes. So one of the many reasons why I love You and your podcasts is you're really geared to not just youth parents, but the players in your age bracket. And I hope this story inspire. Basically I got cut Evan from my junior varsity baseball team in high school, I was 14 years old. And I got cut. And I had to make a decision whether to even keep playing baseball, because sometimes in high school, the majority of the times if you stop playing, it kind of could be over just by statistics. But I basically just went up to the junior varsity baseball coach and said, Look, I want to continue to play baseball, what can I do to get better? So I ended up making the varsity baseball team by by the skin of my teeth, and I genuinely just needed to work harder, and made it and then ended up playing college ball and the rest is kind of history and I'm at where I'm at now as far as coaching but for your listeners, the story isn't necessarily Oh, to be a professional a baseball player because most people may not be I mean, I hope so I hope everyone listening could go for that goal, but the bottom line is just because something happens, you got to persevere. And you never know it's bigger than baseball it's a life lesson about perseverance. And I hope and that's kind of what I try to teach my players is perseverance, hard work, and dedication.

Evan 5:23

That's a really, really great success story. and perseverance is definitely huge not just in baseball, and just in life, as you said. Because of this pandemic, seniors aren't able to play their last year of high school baseball. So can you talk a little bit about your favorite memories playing high school baseball?

Justin 5:45

So it's another great question. So at that age, you're thinking like, oh, what's my batting average? Who am I gonna get recruited by because at senior year, I started to think like maybe have a chance to play in college baseball and I was like in the moment And I was like, oh, and what's my batting average and what's summer team and blah, blah. But the reality is looking back at it now, it's crazy to say 2010 years ago, unbelievable. I just have my 10 year high school reunion, which is incredible. The memories I have is not even like the actual baseball, it's the relationships, you know, I still have relationships with kids, I play Little League like you and older, the relationships that I built those memories, the joking around the, the team vibe. You know, going after practice going out to dinner, locally, like things like that is what you really remember most about high school baseball, and that's what I that's what I remember.

Evan 6:45

Yeah, those are some really, really great memories. And I definitely relate to that too just after a game after just team bonding is huge.

Justin 6:55

Right

Evan 6:56

It ultimately makes us better as a team.

Justin 6:59

Totally It's a win win, right? It's a win win.

Evan 7:01

Yeah. What advice would you give to players on overcoming challenges?

Justin 7:07

I was saying this to another coach the other day I was on the phone with him, you gotta detach from the outcome, Evan, meaning, you know, focus on the process. If you strike out, or if you pop up, or if you make the last out, you got to have the same mindset as opposed to getting the game winning home run, or a game winning hit whatever. Focus on the process, don't get too high. Don't get too low. And I'm sure you can also relate to this, Evan much easier said than done. But I think detaching from the outcome, Evan is really a great thing that helps us overcome adversity because baseball is a lot of failure. And we're going to drive ourselves crazy if we're constantly focused on the outcome as opposed to the process.

Evan 7:57

That's very true. And that's really good advice.

Justin 8:00

Thanks, bud.

Evan 8:01

So you became an all Conference Player when you were at Westchester Community College. Can you tell us a little bit more about that?

Justin 8:09

Yeah, so all conference at Purchase as far as lead the league and RBI's. I mean, we're talking seven, eight years ago, I didn't even make my junior varsity baseball team and now leaving the conference in RBI's. Again, I don't say that story to brag. I really just say it to show players that with hard work and perseverance. Anything is possible. Anything is possible. You may not be a professional, maybe you are. I mean, I know kids that are you know, have one kid that's that I've taught since one of my first students. He's going to be playing, you know, professional baseball in the Pecos league if it happens.

Evan 8:49

That's awesome.

Justin 8:50

So the moral of the story is hard work, perseverance, all the general words, but it's so true. It's hokey, but it's true. It was a cool thing, but again, going back to the high school days, like it's the same thing for college. I really remember the relationships and that's something if anything I could say to any kid listening, youth player listening. It's really and even times like these, savor the relationships, the statistics will come if you put in the work and get around great coaches, obviously, in Westchester and all over there's great coaches, but savor the relationships and the little things and being a great teammate and forming great relationships.

Evan 9:32

And after Westchester, you actually went to SUNY Purchase College. And there like you said, you led the conference in RBI's and you were appointed team captain. What are some of the factors and qualities that you have to have to be a team captain?

Justin 9:48

So that's a very good question. And you're very, very, very good at what you do.

Evan 9:52

Thank you.

Justin 9:54

So I would say I have some interesting takes on a captain I think You need to be not necessarily the best player. I don't think the best captains I've ever seen and watch or not even the best players Evan it's the players that lead by example, are good in the community and light up a room as far as positivity and are willing to show the way. You know, you look at a guy like Jeter, right? I mean, yeah. Was he a Hall of Fame baseball player, should have been unanimous. But what leader traits made him a leader- he lit up the room. He showed the way. He was magnetic, you know he had a presence. I think those are leadership qualities that a player could could take to the field right now. Being a good person in the community. Shaking hands. Well, maybe shaking hands might be frowned upon now but maybe A tip of the cap to your coach or whatever, just being a good leader in the community, be magnetic and doing things the proper way to me is even bigger than just being a great baseball player makes you a captain.

Evan 11:15

Yeah, that's, that's a really great way to look at it. And just captains they lead by example, they almost show the way and pave a path instead of following one.

Justin 11:27

Definitely.

Evan 11:28

And were you always a natural leader? just growing up?

Justin 11:33

Well, I'll tell you when I when I was, how old are you Evan?

Evan 11:37

I'm 12 years old.

Justin 11:38

Unbelievable. Unbelievable. So polished.

Evan 11:43

Thank you.

Justin 11:43

So when I was your age, maybe a little younger. I sound like I'm like a grandpa or something. But when I was your age, I would always have stickball games going I would always have football games going and I didn't really say I am the leader. I just kind of formulated groups of kids and just wanted to get things going and organize things I really never thought of myself as like a title "the leader" but maybe that was the beginning of leadership qualities and coaching qualities I always found myself playing with, like, kids older than me and kids younger than me. You know, like I would play with a kid who was maybe 16, and then a kid who was eight. And I always tried to include all of them. So that might have been like the formulation, the beginning of a leadership maybe coaching path. But yeah, I mean, I don't think it needs to even be a title. You know, it just kind of organically happens if that answers your question.

Evan 12:42

Yeah, that's really great.

So I know that you started your own DJ business at 13 years old, which is super cool. What inspired you to become an entrepreneur at such a young age?

Justin 12:55

So when I think of you I think of me and how I started this DJ business and I give you so much credit for starting and you have a great following. I was looking at your background before we talked and like, dude, you got some great guests. You got some major leaguers on here. It's awesome. It really, you should be very proud of what you've built. Yeah, again, I'm assuming and I'd love to hear your story at some point. But really, it was just a matter of we would go to bar mitzvahs in Westchester County and again, like I always loved like leading the kids and being the Pied Piper. And my buddy and I were just like, Look, let's just like start a DJ business. We had a boombox. We did one gig at a pool party for a five year old or something I think was like a five year old. And we did the gig. It was like a two and a half hour party. I was the DJ/MC with a boombox we made I think, like $25 each, which is money. Don't get me wrong, but You know, just at 12 years old your age, I just we just started doing gigs and our parents got behind us and it just took off. And actually, the baseball business has really tied into the DJ business where I would before the pandemic, I was DJ-ing bar mitzvahs for my baseball players. So-

Evan 14:21

That's really cool!

Justin 14:22

Yeah, it's been a cool thing. So I mean, I'm assuming it's a similar story to you. I mean, is that, did you just kind of think like, hey, I want to start a podcast, I'd love to know.

Evan 14:30

Well, really it started like, I've always loved baseball. And my dream is playing in the MLB. So I actually one day just started writing about it. And now it's evolved into interviews and now a podcast. So it's been a really great experience.

Justin 14:46

So cool. That's so awesome. It really is.

Evan 14:50

Thank you

Justin 14:50

I love it. I absolutely love it.

Evan 14:52

So I read that Brandon Steiner was your mentor from Steiner sports. He's an awesome example of a guy who's really worked super hard to achieve their dream. What are some of the things that you have learned from him?

Justin 15:07

So yeah, he's one of the many mentors. I mean, I could also say my parents, and you have a wonderful mother.

Evan 15:14

Thank you.

Justin 15:15

And I'm assuming not assuming I know she's one of your mentors is giving you that

Evan 15:19

Definitely.

Justin 15:22

my parents, Steiner, I mean, he has a quote that says, What else? And the term what else is like what other value can you provide? Not just as a coach, but as an entrepreneur also, like, during these times during this pandemic, I was thinking, kids are not getting physical education. So let me just create a phys ed class, you know, and it's always, just the point of what I'm trying to say is, everything in life is you can be an, everyone is an entrepreneur, meaning everyone has to think like an entrepreneur, even as a baseball coach, like how else can I get to my students, how else can I teach my students in a more effective manner? How can I be a better leader? You know, so you always want to think entrepreneurially like you're an entrepreneur right now, by starting this podcast, you're an entrepreneur. So I guess, to answer the question is being an effective leader, communicating and thinking what else can I do to better serve my players and be more effective and be a better mentor and also being a student, right? Like, I'm, you're 12 years old, I'm 28. I'm learning from you right now. Just like you're learning for me. You know, so, always be an open book. That's something Steiner says, and my parents say, and a lot of other mentors and always be thinking, How can I improve? How can I improve? How can I get better? What else can I do? How can I better serve my players? How can I, you know, give a better message and I always think after every practice, like, could I have done some different or I liked what I said here, I could do more of that, etc. So, yeah,

Evan 17:02

yeah, that's an amazing and really important way to look at things. And I love how you said like, everyone is an entrepreneur, whether it's baseball or actually a business. I really love that.

Justin 17:15

Yep.

Evan 17:16

And in your opinion, how important would you say mentors are for someone to have?

Justin 17:23

So I don't know who said this quote, but like the day you stop learning is the day that you're done. Basically, I don't want to say die that's very dramatic, but like, the point of the quote is like, you have to always be learning and be an open book and a sponge and absorb as much knowledge as possible. So if you can get around a lot of great mentors, a lot of these top notch big coaches, entrepreneurs, business owners, not just business but even obviously, the baseball world. The great ones are Usually willing to give their handout and like help you if you're willing to learn. So it's extremely important to have a mentor forever. I mean, the the every great coach I've spoken to had a great mentor. And that great mentor had a great mentor. It's just, it's the it's the foundation of life to have some kind of influence on you always revert back to somebody.

Evan 18:25

That's very true. So when you talk about your motto, I read that your motto is what else and you said like Brandon Steiner. He talked a lot about that. How did that sort of become your motto? Was it Brandon Steiner, or was it something else?

Justin 18:43

Well, so Brandon Steiner is a friend of mine, and I actually played baseball against his son and that's how kind of we got friendly. I played against his son in high school. So we always became friendly with each other through Little League. But I think the whole idea of What else is a bigger picture? Like I was saying before, like, you know, always trying to think, again, be a servant. How can I serve my players better? How can I provide as much value as possible because the giving as you know as what you're doing right now currently, Evan giving is the highest form of service you can do in life. So if you could serve your message, you know different ways and enhance it constantly and and cut and paste and improve and ship and cut something here, add something here. You're reaching your own potential. And that's what life's all about, right? life's just about trying to fulfill your potential. So I don't know if that answers your question Evan but that's, that's a long answer.

Evan 19:50

It definitely does.

So you're the founder of Justintime baseball. Can you share what Justin time baseball is and its mission.

Justin 20:02

I love it. So just in time baseball, if you're looking to go get recruited to play college baseball, I'll help you with that. But that's it's not really the core, the core of my business is to educate the foundation of the principles and foundations of baseball and softball. All doing that in a fun, positive environment through life lessons. Because baseball is like life. And there's so many parallels, and it's the most beautiful game. I think you'd agree with me, Ivan. It's the most beautiful game in the world. And there's so many parallels between life and baseball. There's so many downs, "downs" in baseball, which is really, if you think of it's really not a down like three out of 10 times you're a stud, getting three hits out of 10 times. You are a stud. That's like life, a lot of things are not going to go your way. You know, you may reach out to a guest. He may not get back to you so quickly. And it's not because you're not a great kid or you don't have a great podcast. That's just life. And maybe that'll happen on the next one. And maybe that one guest one guest that didn't come on, an even bigger ones gonna come on. So the point is, it's life lesson Justin Time baseball is positive. Obviously teaching the skills, like I'm all about, obviously, the skills and teaching we teach, but it's also through a positive self confidence, self esteem, and youth development all combined into one mishmash.

Evan 21:44

That's really amazing. And us players we weren't able to practice or play during this pandemic, what are you telling your players that you coach and you train, about digging deep and really finding ways to grow as a Player during this time.

Justin 22:01

So I think it's important to detach from the outcome, Evan, because I think we're all like, well, when are we going to play? Well, are we going to play in a week? Oh, well, maybe we'll play July 1, and maybe we'll but if we just detach from the outcome and just reach our potential every day, do the best you can every single day. I don't care what the scenario is. Do the best you can every single day with the hand the cards you're dealt. And just try to fill that gap. I always try to tell my kids try to fill your gap. Right. So if your gap is, look, I just want to do 20 push ups a day, I want to take 50 swings a day. Just do what you can to your potential to just be the best ballplayer you can be every day because the only one that knows when we're going to play is God. I do know that I could get better every day God willing and healthy, you know, with health and all that. But I could get better every day that's in my control. Like just control what you could control Don't worry so much about when you're going to play because guess what? There will be baseball. We don't know when. But when there is baseball be ready to play because the game is not going to wait for you. You know, the game's gonna be like, Oh, uh, you know, Johnny's not ready. So let's wait another month. No, they're gonna say look, this day it's comin' be ready. So just stay ready, detach from the outcome reach your potential every single day.

Evan 23:24

That's really amazing advice that you give your players and for the younger players like ages 6 to 10 years old. What are some of the basic fundamental things that they should really be focused on to get ready for the next level?

Justin 23:42

So you may laugh at this, but I think just straight up, catching. This might be the most hokey answer you're gonna get on the entire podcast from everyone you interview. Catch the ball, throw the ball, hit the ball. I think we overcomplicate the game. And I see a lot of kids that are even 15 Evan that don't properly warm up, don't properly throw and catch. Like there's a way to have a catch, right? Like you should be moving your feet when you're having a catch. You should receive the ball like if you're an infielder received the ball like you're an infielder, not just lollygaggin. So, I think perfecting the basics, if you look I go back to Jeter, he wasn't the most fancy player, but he did the basics exceptionally well. I think it was Vince Lombardi that said, be brilliant at the basics. What I teach is really not like I know there's the Rap Soto and and the Hit Trax and they're great tools. But the basics of catching, throwing, uh batting stance even like hitting as far as like where to put your hands. What part of the ball Do you hit? Do you need a big step Do you need a small step Very basic principles be basic, be brilliant at the basics of baseball I think, is very important. instead of rushing to the Rap Soto and the hit Trax and the ball flight, the bottom line is be brilliant at the basics, pick two or three things and get really, really good at it.

Evan 25:18

That's really great advice. And even for the younger kids and for kids my age and a little older, like we can't overcomplicate the game, because, there's a lot that goes on. But realistically, it's just catching the ball, fielding the ball hitting and just running the bases,

Justin 25:37

right and then you get into details, but ultimately the start. I really preach and this is something I love to coach is just the basics, get on a field. Work on the absolute basics if you go to spring training, and I'm sure you've seen spring training at some point. But watching it live, you can go to those back fields. They're working on the same stuff that a lot of 12 and 13 year olds are work now. And they just repeat it, repeat it, repeat it, repeat it being brilliant at the basics, I think is overlooked.

Evan 26:12

And what are some drills that you do to like help your, kids that you coach just develop like good hands and catching or the right batting stance and right bat path and stuff like that.

Justin 26:27

So there's so many drills and there's so many great coaches I mean, like I know we follow each other on Instagram like there's so many you know, I try to good artists copy great artists steal like, everyone steals from each other and they should like that's the beauty of just being on Instagram and talking to great coaches. I again, I revert back to the basics, like how about just hitting a ball up the middle on the tee? I know that sounds simple and like it's not a brilliant might not sound like a crazy answer. But I see so many kids even older that can't hit a ball up the middle. Now I'm not putting them down. I'm just saying they're looking to do other things like fancy drills. But when a balls not moving right down the middle, you should be able to hit five in a row dead center. Right? I'm talking even 11, 12 years old. You know, that's something that I try to tell kids right away is get center. The more balanced the more center and letting the ball get to you, the better you are. So there's so many drills but again, easy answer tee work. There's so many variations to work, catching and throwing. I think even at the younger age, I think sometimes a glove can be a distraction.

Evan 27:46

Interesting.

Justin 27:47

I think taking a glove off is good and just focus on your hands and not necessarily the glove and focus on the mechanics of catching the ball out in front of your body and being in an athletic position. I think that's paramount when you're first starting out as a as a fielder, I think that's more important than any fancy drill you could throw him.

Evan 28:09

who currently in the MLB would you say you want your players to really watch in study?

Justin 28:17

I mean, the easy one I know I've said his name like 100 times already but the easy one is Jeter but I know he's retired which is unbelievable to even say. I mean, a great guy is trout. I mean, how can you not watch trout I mean, he just handles his business. There's a video on on the internet a couple weeks ago, I love it was Mike trout at Yankee Stadium. And basically, he hit a ground ball to shortstop and you know, routine ground ball that like most major leaguers would probably just jog it out. But he beat it out to first base. He's the best player in baseball, he's getting paid $400 million.

Evan 28:57

Yeah, it's crazy.

Justin 28:58

And he was hustling out of the box. So, I mean easy answers Trout. I mean, it's gotta be trout and he's the goat. I mean, he's he's the best player in baseball hands down. So definitely trout.

Evan 29:10

He's a great player to watch and study. And like myself, I watch him a lot. And just the way he plays the game, the heart and the hustle that he plays with, and just, he's just a great player. What some advice and tactics that you give to your youth baseball players about really staying really focused

Justin 29:34

During these times or just in general?

Evan 29:37

just in general, really.

Justin 29:39

So again, I think it's like I said earlier, like it's detaching from the outcome, because I think we're so worried about like the next step that and the and the next play and that, how about like being in the moment that is a skill, like being mental, mental sharpness is staying within the moment. And being where your feet are. I don't know who said it. Someone said it but being where your feet are is very important. Like not trying to be a What did I do my last about? Or what am I gonna? What am I going to do in the box when I'm up? No. How about like each pitches a new pitch? Actually, I have one better I heard one coach he goes each at bat is a new season. What's the point here? The point here is being in the moment and focusing on what you need to do if you focus on your task at hand. That makes you a better ballplayer. That is a skill, it's not easy to do. It's easy for me to say it now that I'm not playing and just coaching but teach that find ways to teach that. And that's something that I try to tell my players is focus on the controllables that's something that helps I think keep kids sharp. Students sharp.

Evan 30:51

Yeah, definitely. That's a huge key to success. Just staying in the moment being able to, like you said, like focus where your feet are be where your feet are. So players at every level can struggle with self confidence. What are some of the things that you do to help your players build their self confidence?

Justin 31:12

Great question. So I know I'm going back to the same couple of things, but they all really revolve around each other. But, um, so yeah, bottom line is detached from the outcome. I mean, is a victory getting a hit? Maybe. But I think a victory in my eyes is crushing a ball on a great pitch, even if it's a bullet at the shortstop. You know, so detaching from the outcome in the process, and controlling what you can control. I know I'm repeating myself, but it really just all comes back to it. Having those mini victories like, Hey, I read that ball well on that pitch, hey, I hit that ball hard on that pitch. Maybe it got caught. Maybe it went over the fence, but mini victories And that's like life, right? I mean, like, you're not going to hit a homerun on every pitch, but you're going to have mini victories and that adds up as hokey as it sounds to, you know, the end goal of being the best you could be.

Evan 32:15

Yeah, that's it's really important. Parents, as you know, play a huge role in a youth baseball players journey and their life. So what advice would you give to parents on how to best support their players?

Justin 32:32

Ah, that's that might be one of the best questions I've ever been asked. I think you gotta just say I love you. And just and just be there for them because it even though it's your life and my life and we love it, and we breathe and you have this great podcast and I do this for a living for business and stuff like that. Meaning like this. This is my life, my my baseball business. It's a game You know, it's a game and like, just love your kid and accept it and be there for them. You know, I think that's something that's so important and distinguish the difference between you being a parent and you maybe being their coach. You know, like one hat is different than another hat. And I think by you trying to be both at once, it's kind of like it gets jumbled. Be there for your kid love your kid, because it's really a game and it should be fun and, and if they have their parent, that's like adding extra pressure. It's not a good recipe for success. So love your kid, be there for your kid and as simple as that. I think that's important.

Evan 33:46

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. What would you want your players to take away from their experience with working with you?

Justin 33:56

I want my students to obviously get better. I'd be I'd be lying if I said, I want you to come to a lesson to not get better. Right? Because I mean, my my, I believe I provide some skill to teach your player and my program the teacher players, but I want your student to enjoy coming to us, my coaches may whoever and whoever's in whoever you work with, whether it's me or one other coach with me, I want them to enjoy it. And if they learn something, and felt good leaving meaning like they felt like a boost of confidence, and they got one or two nuggets out of that lesson or that program or that clinic or whatever it is, that's a victory for me. You know, and I think that's something where there's a lot of coaches that kind of just go through the motions and like, if you show that passion, and if you give them that confidence booster, that one little nugget Feel like you did your job as a coach.

Evan 35:03

Yeah, you're making you're making a difference in a lot of people's lives right now.

Justin 35:08

That's it. That's that's that's my whole goal. That's my whole mission.

Evan 35:11

Yeah, that's a really great mission. That's a really really great mission. So Justin, where can our listeners go to learn a little bit more about you and reach you

Justin 35:22

so you can go to my website at just in time you know, www.justintimebaseball.com Instagram as you and I communicated through justintimebaseball is my Instagram. You can go to YouTube type in Justin Sherman baseball, Twitter, Coach Justin time baseball, all that and just old school you can email me Justinsherman13@gmail.com or call me (914)-420-8418. If you need anything, practice, kids swing question about what to do whatever. I just want to help us Many kids as possible, I mean, the one beautiful thing about this whole experience if there's any positive out of this whole thing is I've reached kids throughout the country where I never really would have found them because of zoom. You know, we all know zoom now. So if I can help as many kids as possible, that's all want to do just be a positive force. help kids get kids better work. You know, if you're working hard, you work hard. You want to learn, you know, you're going me.

Evan 36:27

Yeah, that's, that's truly amazing. So, Justin, thank you. Again, thank you so much for joining me today.

Justin 36:35

You have an extremely bright future, you should be very proud of yourself, thanks for having me.

Evan 36:57

Thank you all for listening in. We really hope you enjoy On this episode, be sure to hit the subscribe button and be the first to know when new episodes launch. Check us out at borntobaseball.com for free resources and new gear, and of course on social media @borntobaseball where we can connect live now let's play ball

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Episode #011: Frank Rodriguez- Former MLB Player/ SUNY Maritime College Coach / Founder and Coach 33Rodz Baseball

June 2020 By Evan

Ep. # 011: Frank Rodriguez- Former MLB Player/ SUNY Maritime College Coach / Founder 33Rodz Baseball

Join Evan and Frank Rodriguez as Frank shares his baseball journey, his experience playing at Youth Service League with future pro players like Manny Ramirez, how he found motivation through adversity and how youth players can do the same and how developing a strong mindset helped him as an MLB Pitcher.  Frank also shares the mission of his organization, 33Rodz Baseball, his coaching philosophies and his experience coaching at SUNY Maritime College.  

What You’ll Learn:

01:20   Frank’s baseball journey

06:42   A lesson he learned from Manny Ramirez

09:00   Finding motivation through an unlikely scenario

13:15   Managing pressure through good preparation

15:12   Slowing things down

20:57   Striking out Derek Jeter

21:47   Using the numbers to learn from failure

29:22   Coaching philosophies

35:51   Balancing game time with training/ development

Thank you for being here with us!  Evan and the Born To Baseball Team are looking forward to celebrating your success and sharing this journey together.
 
If you enjoyed this episode please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple or wherever you’re listening here. This will help other ball players find the Born To Baseball Podcast and give us more chances to shout out our listeners!  

Now, let’s play ball!

Read show notes here.

Show Links:

Instagram: @33rodzbaseball

Websites/ Programs: https://www.33rodzbaseball.com

Born To Baseball Links:

Born To Baseball Website

BTB Travel Team & Training Tracker

Instagram: @borntobaseball 

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Twitter: @bornto_baseball

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Episode 011_FRANK RODRIGUEZ_FORMER MLB PLAYER_SUNY MARITIME COACH_FOUNDER AND COACH 33RODZ BASEBALL

The transcription below was provided for your convenience through an automated service. Please excuse any unintended errors made in the process.

Evan 0:00

This episode of born to baseball is sponsored by the BTB travel team and training tracker. Are you a parent or player searching for travel teams or training facilities in your area? Or are you a coach looking to expand your reach? Then you have to check out the BTB triple t tracker at borntobaseball.com Make sure your team is represented. Let's go.

Music 0:23

Calling all ball players. Are you ready to take your game to the next level? Were you born to baseball? Then bring it in? it's game time.

Evan 0:38

Hey guys, welcome to the Born To Baseball podcast. I'm Evan and today we have Frank Rodriguez on. Frank was a relief pitcher for six years in the big leagues with the Red Sox, twins, Seattle Mariners and Cincinnati Reds. Frank won the Dick Howser trophy in college and is one of two JUCO players in history to win that award. Frank is the assistant coach for SUNY maritime college privateers baseball in New York and the founder and president of 33 rodz baseball. Frank, thank you so much for being here.

Frank 1:06

Hey, brother, thanks for having me, man, this is a great thing to do and staying in touch with baseball and keeping everybody in touch with it.

Evan 1:12

Thank you. So, when did you first realize that being a professional baseball player was what you wanted to do?

Frank 1:20

Oh, man, I'm like a firm believer of you shouldn't be we live in a different era. Now. Now we post about all the good things we did. You know, now you know, it's different when I played we didn't have so social media and stuff like that. So I was just a firm believer of let other people talk about how good you are. And you know, you know, one time I was just I just happen to be somewhere and and I heard somebody dad talking about just talking about me, he didn't even know who I was. He just just I was just standing there talking, you know, just hearing him talk and I was just I started understanding some of the things he was saying. I was just like, wow, you know, maybe I know from different people's eyes, maybe I do have a chance at this because that guy was a well respected person that knew a lot of people that played professional baseball, and he compared me to some big names. So it sort of sank in in there. And then, with all the hard work I put in, I knew I was gonna go as far as I could with baseball, you know, just given the chance. That's all I needed. And I got my chance and I took it and I ran.

Evan 2:20

Thinking back, how intense was your like baseball practice baseball routine, when you were 10 years old, through like 13 years old? And then how did it change through high school and college?

Frank 2:32

Well, intense, I would say it was as as intense as I wanted it to be because I found myself even after practice, I would go to a handball court. If you grew up in New York, there's handball courts. It's a big wall and I worked on pitching I put a strike box up, I worked on actually hitting a ball off the wall, dropping the bat picking my glove up, catching the ball, worked on different things that I needed to work on. So there were some days I worked on specific stuff and you know, I didn't leave or I didn't go home until I figured, alright, I have a better idea of what I did. And then when I got older in high school, you know, in summer ball, I was able to pay for an organization called Youth Service league. A lot of guys, a lot of pro guys have come out of that league, the latest big name was Dellin Betances and the structure in that league, and in that organization was before you become a great baseball player, you're gonna learn responsibility and accountability. And that, you know, took me to a new level where I started to understand the hard work that you put it in, you know, it also affects other people, if you do or you don't, because if you're not putting in that work, and you're going out there and you're making errors, now that pitcher that worked really hard on something, now he has to throw more pitches because you made an error because you weren't working on things. So I started to look at it like that. I started to worry about more of I need to get myself better do that I'm better for my teammates. And then it just, it just all clicked within. And it just became a habit. It was just nothing that was just like, ugh, I gotta go work on this. No, never, it was like, I gotta go work on this so I don't let my teammates down.

Evan 4:13

That's a great way of looking at things and just being able to know like, let me help my team. It's not for me, it's for my team. So ultimately, you can all get to a better place and exceed in baseball. So you also mentioned that you played with the youth service League, and you won a national championship when you were playing with them. So what impact did organizations like these have on you as you were growing up?

Frank 4:41

In my era, which is a long time ago. You're so young man. You're awesome for doing this because you make me feel younger, too. But you know, when I grew up in my era, there were so many good baseball players. You know, there were so many good baseball players that never even made it to professional baseball. Like if they were in this era of they would be all stars, they would be like, drafted and go instantly to triple A. That's how the pool of players were in the era that I grew up in. And I, every game that I went to in high school or played in, there was always somebody that was on that field, or maybe even three or four guys that were as good as me or maybe even better. So I saw I saw that as an opportunity for all the hard work that I put in off the field, for it, that opportunity to be, you know, I'm helping my teammates out but yeah, here I have a chance to compare myself with that. And now with the youth Youth Service League, we got a chance to travel, not really travel. It was like you had a win a tournament in Brooklyn and then you go out of state to travel. That's the way it was before. And when we got that opportunity, now you start comparing yourself to Okay, maybe I'm good in New York, now we're going to Massachusetts, let's compare yourself against the best of Massachusetts and then New Mexico. How good are you now because now you have hundreds of teams. coming in from all states. So being in that tournament really helped me a lot because it put in perspective of, You're good in New York, but there's guys working as hard as you if not harder in all the other states too. So that's how it impacted my life. I was able to early in my life see that, you know, New York is not the only place and you're not you're not the best player in the country. You might be in New York, but you know, there's a lot of great talent out there in the country.

Evan 6:29

Are there any other players on the team you played with in the youth service league that eventually made it to the Major Leagues?

Frank 6:37

Yeah, one in particular, I played with Manny Ramirez. I played with him for about three years of summer ball. And, you know, a small story about Manny is like, there was one time that he came in from, because we practice right after school and some of us traveled and lived like 45 minutes to an hour on the train to get to where we practice that and he just happened to just lose his Sox somewhere along the line, he was like, I don't care that's not gonna stop me from practicing. And he practiced in his cleats with no socks. At the end of the practice took his shoes off and was bleeding. He didn't care. He was like "I felt good today I put in the work that I needed to put in". So Manny was a great player like that and he never, he just never let anything get in his way and I saw that and I was just like, "man, your talent aside Manny, I love the way you go about the game". And that's something I took a little piece of that and I added it to all the hard work that I put in and I was just like, I'm not gonna let any little circumstances deter me. It's raining outside so what I'll just get a sponge ball, I won't mess up a leather baseball and then boom, and boom, and I'll work on it. I'll put on a rain coat. So yeah, Manny Ramirez I played. It's weird because the last year that I played with youth service, there were like about six or seven kids drafted from that team. No, it was it was

Evan 7:51

That's amazing!

Frank 7:52

Yeah, it was good competition to have, not only to have next to you to compare, but you might even play against these guys at some capacity in minor league ball and it was great. And I played against Manny. I played against Manny for three years in minor league ball too. So it was it was fun catching up with him. But that was really one of the big name guys I played with in summer ball.

Evan 8:15

What was the thing that motivated you the most to play in the big leagues and really excel at something you love.

Frank 8:22

Alright, so the exceling part comes from within, you shouldn't need any motivation to want to excel at anything and that's if you want to be a doctor or lawyer, anything that has to come from your heart, you got to want to do that, at the time where it may seem the most difficult. That's where you got to decide whether you're going to continue to do that or not. So that's motivation aside, that has to come from your heart. The biggest factor the biggest motivation, I definitely say was the night before I went to my junior college in Howard Big Springs, Texas. Um, I got a call from the Red Sox. So long story short When I got drafted, in the era that I got drafted, you were the team's property until the following draft. Now it's either you sign when they draft you, and then that's it, you're not their property anymore. So I had a full year to sign. And the night, the night before I left the college, which happened to be the last time they could actually make an offer to sign me and then they couldn't talk to me until my college season was over. You know, they really low balled me on the offer. And the words that really stood in here and never left that other ear was "Come on, take this offer you're a kid from the projects, and nobody in your family is ever going to make this amount of money. And it was just like, I still say the story night and then I get my hair standing and I get angry sometimes. But that was definitely a motivating factor for me, to say that nobody in my family would ever make that amount of money, because I grew up in the projects and to take this offer and this is what we're going to give you. I understand it was from the business side. So fast forward, I signed with the Red Sox. In spring training that year, I happened to meet the guy that was on the phone with me and said that and he was like, Hey, listen, Frank, I just want to say sorry, it was just the business side. I don't know how you took that. You know, Rumor has it you weren't happy about that. I was like, No, thank you, because you motivated me to, like really get after it every day. Just hearing those words saying nobody in your family will ever make this amount of money, that was a motivating factor for me to really bust my butt every day.

Evan 10:31

Sometimes you might get angry or upset or frustrated. using that to motivate you can be a big factor in success. I feel and even just from your experience, it makes it all the more true. So you went to Howard junior college and you won the dick Howser trophy. Your team later went on to win the Juco World Series. So that must have been an amazing, amazing experience. How did those accomplishments help build up your confidence going into, um, was it the draft that you, you went back into the draft or you signed with the Redsox

Frank 11:10

So I ended up signing like maybe six hours before the deadline. So it was funny, like after we won the junior college world series. So the junior college world series was in Grand Junction, Colorado. So we had to take a bus for about 20 hours back to Texas. So every five hours, and I'm going to tell you, this is going to show you how old I am, there weren't any cell phones. So we had a stop every every five hours at a gas station, not only for gas, so that I can I can call my agent and say Hi, how's the number going and stuff like that? Is it good? Is it where we want to be? So I signed you know, I signed eventually before we even got to Texas, but um, yeah, like I gotta say, it prepared me for professional baseball because a lot of people will say this, you know, oh, trophies don't mean anything. And I'm a big advocate of that. Because one of my one of my slogans is development over trophies, but when you win a trophy, at the highest level of where you are not just summer ball, not just high school, or when you're at that college level, I feel if your next step is professional baseball, and you've won something like that, a college world series, whether it'd be junior college or the NCAA Division 1 World Series, it's an accomplishment and it prepares you for pro ball because now you know how to win. And then you remember everything it took for you to win, and all the hard work that you and your teammates put in, and that's what you go and you expect going into pro ball. Because pro ball is a little different. There's there's different ways people think but if they know that you were a winner of something so high like that, not only do they respect you, they start wondering How does he do things. Look, he's a winner. Look at what he's doing to get prepared for games and you know, it helps your teammates out a lot and it might even help the opposing player as well. So having having won in junior college meant a lot to me, but it also prepared me for pro ball.

Evan 13:12

And how important was preparing to you throughout your career

Frank 13:16

well preparing is... I was, I have this one thing about me that my uncle always, because my uncle was always at my baseball games. He was the one guy, he always said to me, You never look nervous. And I feel like, you know, I understood. I never looked nervous because I felt like me being prepared off the field in practices I felt I worked so hard on my practices, that the game was just easy. All I'm just doing is just repeating what I did in practice. So I was never nervous because I was so prepared for my my game situations. So any any professional baseball player will tell you, when you get to Pro Ball, there's a lot expected of you and there's a lot expected of yourself. Now, you want to make your family happy that you can, every year you can try to get to the next level and then eventually make it to the Big leagues. So there's a little bit of pressure. But that pressure just falls off your shoulders by how you prepare for games, how you're taking the information that happens during your games, and you prepare for the next outing with all that information because being prepared is so important. Obviously, anybody will tell you. But being able to trust how you prepare is always going to help you during games.

Evan 14:35

That's, that's really great advice. So you were drafted as a shortstop but ultimately became a pitcher. What were some of the drills and workouts that you did to prepare yourself to succeed as a pitcher?

Frank 14:48

Well, I always pitched I always pitched even in high school and in summer balI I pitched. Once in a while We played that really good team and all the other starters were already just used and it was just my turn. I pitched so it wasn't like I didn't pitch and then now all of a sudden I learned how to pitch because I pitched in college as well. But as far as drills for me, I didn't really break down too much. But sometimes I just slowed things down. Like in my bullpen sessions inbetween my starts, I just slowed things down. I saw a video of Matt Scherzer in the outfield before a game, no ball, no glove, just going through his motion really slow and and finding his release point. So I sort of did that but with my glove and my ball, and even throwing so I just slowed everything down. So as far as mechanics and what specific drills that I did, for me, the only drill that I really did was just slowing everything down and feeling everything, you got it? To be able to feel something that's instant feedback for you. When you throw a pitch and it felt this way and it was a good result. Well, heck, you better feel that same way again and try to feel that same way again, same thing hitting, same thing fielding. It's all about how you feel. So for me, I felt slowing things down was good for me.

Evan 16:13

That's really interesting. That's really, really great. So is there like a favorite drill that you had? Was it slowing things down? Or was it something else that really helped you?

Frank 16:25

Well, I wouldn't say I wouldn't say a drill I would say more of a routine. So after I got to the point where I started slowing things down before I got on to the mound, to start my whole bullpen stuff, my routine was a certain number of pitches here on this side, a certain number of pitches on this side of the corner, a certain number of pitches down the middle with my off speed, a certain number of pitches in slide step certain number of pitches, I actually took my time and I looked back like there was a runner at second. I worked on all those things so that when it came in the game, it was nothing new. Because a lot of announcers whether their former players, they throw out this thing, well, he hasn't pitched from the stretch yet all game. But I always did inbetween innings in the bullpen before, inbetween innings even though if I had like three straight innings, where I didn't have any base runners on inbetween innings I was working on if I did have a base runner on. So my routine was always something that was gonna happen in the game. I prepared and I put it as part of my routine. So when it came up, it was just, I already did it. It wasn't a surprise.

Evan 17:32

And like, do you stress routine to your youth baseball players and just players that you work with now,

Frank 17:39

you know what I do stress? As far as routines, as far as drills, I say find something that works for you. Find something you enjoy doing. Find something you don't enjoy doing, and then compare and whatever is going to help you get better. That's what's gonna make you get better. Because there's certain trainers that train this way, there are trainers that train this way. And there are coaches that teach this. And there are coaches that have philosophies of teaching this way. You gotta be able to take a little bit from everybody. And in the end, if a coach tells you, this is the way I want you to do it, and you feel uncomfortable doing it, you got to start finding something that works for you along those lines of what he's trying to teach you. It doesn't have to be exact. But you got to find something that works for you because you got to be happy doing it. If you're doing something because you were told this is the way you have to do it. You become robotic, you lose that feeling of Wow, this batter came up, and I felt like he was looking back, maybe I should call my catcher out here. Or maybe I should throw a curveball at him and get them to duck out the way and then break back in the zone. All the stuff that is going to be fun for you. That's what you have to find, something that's going to be fun for you, because the minute this game is not fun, is the minute you don't want to put in that hard work. And when you don't put in that hard work, somebody else in New York or out of state is and now they just jump over you.

Evan 19:12

That's really important. That's really, really great. So, as a pitcher, sometimes you feel that the outcome of the game falls in your hands. So, I read about a game where you struck out four batters in one inning. Could you walk us through that experience? So

Frank 19:33

So, I have the video posted on my Instagram And again, if you talk to my guys, my 12 year old team,they'll tell you I never talk about anything about MLB, Oh when I played, no never. So they were like "Frank put up a video I saw this my dad showed me a video of you" he was like put it up. Okay, I'll put it up. So if you see the video on my Instagram it's weird, because after I struck out the second that I was just like, I banged my glove. Everybody that knew me they were like, after I posted it they texted me like, why were you angry? I said because that second batter I threw like 13 pitches to. I was already exhausted. So I struck out the third batter on on a wild pitch that I felt the catcher should have blocked because he knows how I throw my sliders and you as a pitcher know that you have to have trust in your catchers and the catchers have to know how all your pitches are breaking and expect it. And then you know. That's like we spoke about earlier having a little bit of anger and helping you and motivate you I was like you know what, I'm gonna try to strike this guy out just so I can just say I did it. So it was like a little personal goal for me and it worked out I struck out that fourth guy and it was it was actually fun. So yeah,

Evan 20:44

it sounds really really fun. Small little bragging rights right there. I actually know that you struck out Jeter on the last strikeout. So how was that?

Frank 20:57

Um, that was another game in Seattle that I played against him. I struck them all like three times in that game. And at the end of that game, one of my good friends a high school teammate of mine, he was like, you know why he did him dirty like that? I was like, Hey, man, I did. I was thinking about you. I no that's your favorite player. And then I was gonna call you after the game, but you called me first. And I was gonna say, I got your boy. But listen, it's the Major Leagues man. You know, it's giving up a home run is exciting. You don't show it as a pitcher, striking somebody out as exciting walking onto the field exciting. Being able to say you play even though if you played less than a year or played a week is exciting. So every experience is exciting. But you know, when you get an opportunity to strike out a Hall of Famer, it's something you could, you could write and put in your books and tell your kids when they get older. So it's fun.

Evan 21:47

Yeah, sounds like a lot of fun. So what advice would you give to your youth baseball players on how to bounce back when something doesn't go your way?

Frank 21:57

Well, anybody, anybody Please baseballs and knows that, hey, let me throw out a number there's 10, right? There's a 10. at bats, the best major league players are going to get three hits, maybe sometimes, very rarely four. So there's seven times that you're going to be out. Now you break these seven times down out of the seven times, how many times that I hit the ball hard. If it's four out of those seven, you got to understand you did everything right seven out of those 10 times. So the numbers are equal percentage that way, that way, that's where data is very, you know, putting out the information is important. 10 starts if you're a pitcher and you have 10 starts, I'll tell you right now, you're only going to have your best stuff, probably three times out of those 10 times. So now in those seven times, how are you going to figure out how to get by without your best stuff. If you got by three or four out of those out of those seven times. Now you've had three great times you've had your great stuff. And four times you didn't have your great stuff, but you pitched well. Now that seven out of 10. So numbers at the end of the day numbers don't lie. If you can write some information down and refer back to it, it always helps you. Because at the end of the day, results or numbers don't lie or results matter. But if you're putting yourself in a position where you're doing everything, right, and then baseball just takes over line drive right at somebody, you can't do anything. And you got to be not so much you have to be happy about it, you have to understand like, okay, I did everything right. On to the next at bat. Short term memories is very important in all sports. So especially in baseball, because you fail so much. But you have to learn something from every little failure that you might have, because it's important,

Evan 23:47

unfortunately, but at the same time, it's almost fortunately it's, it's a game of failure. But it's baseball can even like it can even help in life. Just knowing when I fail there's still another opportunity There's still another way to succeed.

Frank 24:03

Yeah.

Evan 24:03

In youth baseball, you have maybe two, three coaches in the dugout at a time. But when you move up to college and really in the major leagues, you have five, six or even seven coaches in the dugout at a time. What value does each coach bring to the players in the dugout, and during the game? And how do players manage all the advice that they're getting from each coach?

Frank 24:30

Well, the value is different for everybody because you have you infield coaches, you have your outfield coaches, you have your hitting coaches, you have your pitching coaches, and then usually your infield coach is kind of like your base running coach as well. So everybody looks to their their guy, if you're an alpha, you're going to go to your outfield coach, if you a hitter or your everyday player, you're gonna go to you if you're struggling, hitting go to the hitting guy. Same thing on the pitching guy. So there's there's coaches that are, you know, there for a reason they're doing specifically help you with a position or something in the area the field of you may be working on. So the value is important. The value is important because they are there specifically for you and to make you better, and how you how you process the information that they give you and how you apply it to your next pregame workout or your pregame routine and then in the game is really all up to you. So the value is there for you how valuable you want to make that information is up to you how you apply it on the field, because that's important. Everybody could fill you with information, I can give you 10 different things you did wrong. But if you take one or two of those things, and you make it work for you, you're going to be better on the field. You can't think about 10 things on the field. So having a coach that in your specific area is important. So that's why I see so many coaches on the field at the major league level because they're getting paid a lot of money to help these players that are getting paid a lot of money. So They, they want their you know, as an organization, you want to be successful. And that's how you do it. You have a lot of coaches helping out.

Evan 26:08

It makes a lot of sense. Moving up to the majors, how much more time and effort did you have to put into your training? And as well as your mindset.

Frank 26:20

mindset is important. Because the firt your first time out on the big league field, your mind is going to be all over the place. This is my dream come true. How many people are coming to watch me do I have my friends in the stands? I don't want to let my family down. I don't want to let my teammates down. Once you get past that. You've worked so hard to make it to the Major Leagues that all you have to do is just go and do everything you've done. Then make adjustments because the best players the most elite players at any level travel ball from 10 to 12. travel from 30-18 College Pro, the most elite players make adjustments from pitch to pitch from inning to inning from at bat to a bat. And that's the most important thing being able to adjust. And you quickly learn how to trust your hard work. The training becomes a little bit more specific when you get to the big leagues. Because in the minor leagues, you have some coaches there you have some strength and conditioning guys, but then when you get to the big leagues, now it's amplified. Now they want you to succeed so, so so much, and help their team win so much. Now they're going to give you every tool to get better. So the training becomes a little bit more specific, but nothing like that's going to blow your mind. But it makes you focus a little bit more when the training becomes specific and it's not a trainer, just training the whole team. You have a trainer training just the pitchers you have a trainer training just the infield is trainers for outfielders, catchers, it becomes very specific. So as far as the training you might need and how different the training might be in the big leagues, it's just more specific, more fine tuned. And, you know, it lets you lets you get past the fact of, am I physically prepared, then you deal with the mindset, the mindset is just all that work that you put in with that trainer allows you to be so comfortable in your talent. And then all you have to do is be is just execute everything you've practiced on on the field, whether it's travel, college, or professional baseball, or the major leagues, execute everything you've ever done well, and then even then you're not something might happen. You might throw a great fastball on the inside. And it might be a blooper, RBI game over. No, but at the end of the day, you can only do what you can do so baseball strange like that.

Evan 28:57

And yeah, youth baseball players. If you're listening Be sure to take note on that, that that's definitely going to help me and you guys in your game to help get better and really just excel at the game of baseball. Obviously, you work a lot of a lot with the youth. Can you talk to us about what 33RODZ is, and its mission?

Frank 29:21

So 33RODZ, so 33 is my uniform number rods is an abbreviation of my last name, Rodriguez. So when I retired, I decided to give back all the knowledge that I have appear and physically to all the kids that I was coaching at the time. So I had a coach with a couple of organizations and, you know, I like some things I didn't like some things. Same thing will be here. And I decided I'm like, why don't I just do this in my area, instead of traveling so far to coach let me just do this in my area. And then my mission statement with 33RODZ is just the focus is yes, we want to win trophies But that trophies is going to the trophies are going to be a result of everything we did. And our practices are very specific. Our practice of practices are written down notes that we're going to work on everything we did wrong the last tournament or the last game of the tournament. So this specific stuff that we work on in practice, gets them ready for everything they're going to do in their life. prepares them for that test they might take prepares them to get them ready for the right High School for them, prepares them to get them to the right college and having the parents understand that the mission of 33RODZ is not nationally ranking recognition. It is the joy that I'm going to get as the organization leader in getting your kid where he needs to be high school or college. That is the end game. I do not even have a shelf all the trophies we've won. I don't even keep them. What I do is I take the little plaque part of it, I put it in a book and a habit to keep them and I show the kids, hey, this is what we want. What do you want to do? Let's keep adding to this book. What are you going to do to prepare that to that book? So it's just teaching them. Like I said, in the beginning of this interview, when I when I learned accountability and responsibility, it helped me It helped me a lot. And that's during practice. If one guy doesn't understand something, I point at another guy, and I'm like, what, how can you explain this better for him? So I have everybody just understanding. We all have to come together. Because if one guy is not understanding that one guy might not do well on the field, and then now we're all going to feel bad. So the mission statement, in summary, is just getting everybody prepared properly for the field, off the field, the right schooling, and we've even taken a bunch of trips to some boarding schools that was an opportunity that some parents never even thought they had. But it opened their their mind up and the kids loved it. Because you know, to go off topic a little bit going to those boarding school trips, you know, being away from school being I'm sorry, being away from your parents in a school where you have to take care of everything on your own. Now that prepares you for college, because when you go to college, you're by yourself. Nobody is waking you up in the morning. So that's something that the parents never even thought about. So that's all the things that we work on a 30RODZ and just, I'm not gonna sit here and say we're the best organization, but I try to separate myself from different organizations are the things that we do for the kids to be prepared for school.

Evan 32:41

That's a really, really great mission. And I really love what you're doing with your organization. You brought up two of the foundational pillars. I know there's five. it's sacrifice, commitment, selflessness, and then the two you mentioned accountability and resiliency. How do you pull these through with your team?

Frank 33:10

explaining, explaining I don't care if I have to stop practicing explain something for 10 minutes. I explained how this is gonna help you win a game. I explained how if we have a pickoff play up the middle on a daylight play if my center fielder and guys and my outfielders are not paying attention that walk or go to the gap, and if they do it wrong, we'll sit there we'll do it again. Just so they could understand. If you study something for a test, if you're studying the night before, and you have a fear of you didn't study enough, hey, study a little bit more. Study just a little bit more because that's going to help you. So the resiliency part, and all of the parts of the SCARS acronym for me is just about letting them understand what all of it means and I like to compare a lot of things that happen in life to baseball, because a guy makes an error, even in practice, I'm just hitting ground balls and the kid makes an error. I'm like make an adjustment. He makes the same error again, I'm like, hey, make an adjustment. He makes the same error again, I say, Okay, let's compare this, you have a job right now and you made an error. Your boss, your boss brings you in, and you talk about it and you understand. Okay, now I know what I need to do. I'm sorry boss, I'll get it right. Next time you make an error. The next meeting you're going to have is your pink slip, you're going to get fired, you're gonna get fired from your job if you're not paying attention and making adjustments. So that's how I make them understand by just breaking it down very, very easy and comparing things to baseball and life at the same time and, and they get it. And it's funny, because once I say everybody bring it in, they're gonna go Oh, god, what is this story about? When am I getting fired? And I'm like, Yeah, exactly. You're gonna you're fired.

Evan 34:58

Yeah, It sounds amazing how you like make it fun and at the same time have everyone learn and really just just prepare them for life and as well as baseball. So you're a coach at SUNY Maritime College in New York, can you tell us a little bit about your coaching experience at that college?

Frank 35:19

So it's a it's an engineering school. It's a you know, there's marine biology, there's international trade and transport. It's it's a school that has a lot to do with the business industry on the water. And to me, it's been a wonderful experience. Not only is it my first college coaching job, I feel like the kids at that school, their mentality, because of their very specific degree that they're gonna get. It requires them to have a level of concentration hitting the books studying and on the field. Because, yes, their relief on the field is from their schoolwork but they know that the instant concentration that it takes, because of all their work, they have to apply that on the field. So so it's a little bit easier for them. So the type of players we get and maritime are guys that are dedicated, are guys that understand how to listen, apply, adjust very quickly. And overall, just great kids, great kids there at the school and part of you know, our alumni, they always come back and they miss it so much that it missed the you know, the team. And it's just been a wonderful experience so far for me there and I just don't see myself going anywhere else.

Evan 36:41

It sounds like a really great environment there. What are some things that youth baseball players should be doing today to increase their chances of success at the college level?

Frank 36:53

Well, any good coach is going to tell you, you can leapfrog somebody As far as academic money and money that might be given to you on the baseball side by having a great grade point average, having a great SAT or ACT score. So my biggest advice to you is really get comfortable being in those books because baseball is great, you could do a thousand drills, that's great, and you could get better and you could be the best player in the country. But you're not going to go to the school that you actually want to if your grades are not where they need to be. So grades are very important. And the earlier you start, the easier it becomes at every level because at every level, meaning when you're 10 when you go to high school, and then when you finally get into college, you've already had that, that whole routine of being able to study hard and my grades are important up here and understanding that that all you gotta do is just make adjustments I need to study an hour and 15 instead of 45. That's all it is. You Put that work in now, not only on the field, but in the school and in your books, things will be so much easier for you. I promise you that's that's the biggest advice I can give you. Hit those books.

Evan 38:13

That's that's really great advice.

Frank 38:15

Your mom would like that you know that?

Evan 38:20

Definitely. So in your opinion, in youth travel baseball, what do you think is the right balance between time spent playing games and time spent developing and training? The youth baseball players? That's a good question.

Frank 38:36

Um, I feel like I have. I'm very fortunate and I'm not just saying that because it's just I want to make my organization look good. But out of the 13 players that I have, I have 13 parents, 13 sets of parents that understand the goal is I'm not just giving you money to play tournaments. We are all in this because the goal is to get into the right High School, into the right college. We're practicing two or three times a week in the summer. And then we don't have tournaments every weekend. So then now, we might even practice on a Saturday and Sunday. So that's five days out of seven, that not many organizations will do. But we're just going over practice things that we need to get better at. So that next tournament, we're prepared, we'll go over a bunch of times, not only just ground balls and flyballs, we'll go over everything that needs to be done to be prepared. So I feel the development side comes from definitely playing games, but practices are so important. And I think that you know, another important aspect of the game is to write down some information, write down have some stuff that you can not only have on the kid, and what he needs to do to get better, but that information you can apply to your practice because who's gonna like, you call a practice and you're just gonna work on just what a pickoff play, how about we work on... All right, (Johnny, you're over here. You didn't throw many strikes. In your bullpen I need you to throw 10 pitches, I need seven of them to be strikes). So you know, something specific like that is only going to make them better because now, not only to the parents, now the kid understands, okay, I didn't do this well, and I'm working on it. Now. I'm not just going to go through a practice and just forget about what I did last tournament. You can't do that. You gotta have a short term memory but you also have to understand what you didn't do well, and how to get better, because that's important. So tournament after tournament every weekend. I'm just not a big fan of it. Practice is so much more important, specific practices, because anybody could just put together a two hour practice. But how specific and attention to details you pay into practices will always pay out in tournaments.

Evan 40:44

Hey, well, I appreciate your opinion there. So now I want to move into the rapid fire questions. So you ready? What's the toughest hitter you've ever seen

Frank 40:57

All of them. It's the major leagues, they're all tough.

Frank Thomas.

Evan 41:02

So you're from New York City? What's your favorite pizza place?

Frank 41:06

Oh my god! A-1 pizza, Lower East Side, Manhattan

Evan 41:10

And what was your favorite pitching appearance?

Frank 41:14

Probably my first one in the Red Sox. I didn't do well. But it was just great. Everybody's just cheering my name actually, because I was the prospect coming up and it was my first outing. It's fun to hear people share my name.

Evan 41:25

So what kind of things are you working on that you would like to share?

Frank 41:29

Personally, I'm just working on right now getting some people to invest in me in a facility so that I can have something year round and I just want to keep just feeding kids with information and getting them better so they're prepared to go to college and just do well. And you know, a facility is something good to have because no matter what weather you have you always have somewhere to go.

Evan 41:51

Where can people reach out to you and learn more about you?

Frank 41:54

Well, the 33 rods on www.33rodzbaseball.com, that's our Organization website. I'm also on Instagram @33rodzbaseball. And I would say honestly, if you're an upcoming player, you should pay attention to my Instagram because I post a lot of stuff for youth baseball, college baseball and some pro stuff. So, a little sarcasm here and there, but that's needed.

Evan 42:21

Well, Frank, thank you so much for coming on to the podcast. And I just really appreciate it.

Frank 42:28

No problem brother, I can't wait to face you again because I'm not pitting against you because you're always kill us so we're walking you. And w're gonna try to pick you off.

Anytime brother

Evan 42:41

Thank you all for listening in. We really hope you enjoyed this episode. Be sure to hit the subscribe button and be the first to know when new episodes launch. Check us out at borntobaseball.com for free resources and new gear. And of course on social media @borntobaseball where we can connect live. Now, Let's Play ball.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai

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Episode #009: Jason Michaels – 10 year MLB veteran / Owner “The Big League Approach”

May 2020 By Evan

Ep. #009: Jason Michaels- 10 Year MLB Veteran/ Owner of “The Big League Approach” 

Join Evan and Jason Michaels as Jason shares his baseball journey, his decision to stay in college versus going pro, hitting tips and the value of staying within yourself.  Jason also talks mental toughness and “The Big League Approach” Philosophy.  

What You’ll Learn:

01:30-  Jason’s baseball journey

05:00-  Choosing JUCO after being selected in the Draft

06:45-  Playing in the College World Series

10:20-  How college helped him mature as a player

13:08-  Drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies

14:18-  Getting called up to the Big Leagues

23:12-  Advice on overcoming challenges

24:43-  Mental approach in the game

26:12-  Mentor Roving Coach experience

27:52-  “The Big League Approach” Philosophy

Thank you for being here with us!  Evan and the Born To Baseball Team are looking forward to celebrating your success and sharing this journey together.
 
If you enjoyed this episode please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple or wherever you’re listening here. This will help other ball players find the Born To Baseball Podcast and give us more chances to shout out our listeners!  
 
Now, let’s play ball!

Read show notes here.

Show Links:

Instagram: @thebigleagueapproach

Website: https://thebigleagueapproach.com/

Born To Baseball Links:

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Episode 009_JASON MICHAELS 10 YEAR MLB VETERAN AND OWNER THE BIG LEAGUE APPROACH

The transcription below was provided for your convenience through an automated service. Please excuse any unintended errors made in the process.

Evan 0:00

This episode of born to baseball is sponsored by the BTB travel team and training tracker. Are you a parent or player searching for travel teams or training facilities in your area? Or are you a coach looking to expand your reach? And you have to check out the BTB triple t tracker at borntobaseball.com Make sure your team is represented. Let's go.

Music 0:24

Calling all ball players. Are you ready to take your game to the next level? Were you born to baseball? Then bring it in it's game time.

Evan 0:39

What's up guys, welcome to the Born To Baseball Podcast. Today we have Jason Michaels. Jason is based in Tampa, Florida. Some quick highlights Jason hit over .420 in Juco was a fourth round draft pick in 1998 and played 10 years in the majors with the Phillies, Indians Astros and pirates. He's the founder and CEO of the big league approach a training facility in Tampa, Florida, with a heavy focus on both skill and mindset development. I recently had a chance to train with Jason and I took away so much from the lessons. Jason, thank you so much for coming on.

Jason 1:19

Well, thanks for having me. Evan.

Evan 1:21

I'd love to start with you sharing some of your baseball journey. So you grew up in Tampa, Florida. Did you play on travel teams or just a local Little League teams?

Jason 1:33

Yeah, so I grew up in Tampa, Florida, where you could play baseball year round. Unlike New York, and, but no, I grew up in Tampa played soccer and baseball. And when I got to high school, I focused more on baseball. Because I was wasn't big enough in football and I was getting my butt kicked. So other than that, I focused on baseball and got a chance chance to play at the next level. Actually I was drafted out of high school in the 49th round which they don't have that anymore. I think it goes up to 40 rounds. But out high school I got a chance to play college ball I end up going to junior college which I wasn't really good enough to play D1, I mean to go to a school but I really made I think that decision of me going to junior college, really getting a chance to play and not sit the bench if like if I would have went to a four year school or a big D1 school. I know I wanted to go to Florida, University of Florida out of High School and they told me I wasn't good enough. So I kind of use that little chip on my shoulder as motivation. Got got a chance to go to junior college, played two years there and really came down between it was going to be LSU or Miami, where I was going to go and ended up ended up choosing Miami and want to stay in state and wanted to see my wonder Have my parents be able to come watch me play? You know, being in Tampa to Miami. It's not too long plus my dad had his private pilot's license. So they were able to get a plane and get out there quicker than driving. So yeah, that's and then going to Miami into continue to excel in my career and was fortunate enough to get drafted by the Phillies and play my career start my career in the minor leagues with the Phillies.

Evan 3:28

Yeah. So that that's an amazing first like first part of your baseball journey and being able to go to Juco and excel there and knowing that I want to be able to play instead of saying I went to a big school but didn't get as much playing time.

Jason 3:46

Right.

Evan 3:47

You attended Jesuit High School and hit over 400 each year, which is pretty impressive. What are some of the things that contributed to your success there? Did you have strong mentors along the way?

Jason 3:58

I tell you, I'd be honest with you. You know, there wasn't anybody around like me as far as in that, you know, my the focus of the big league approach. What I own is a lot to do with the focus is on the mental side, not only in the physical side, but the mental side. And, you know, I had a lot of good coaches along the way. In high school. Honestly, I stayed simple see ball hit ball, I didn't try to overthink the situation. And I just saw ball hit ball and I end up getting lucky and the ball ends up falling in a little bit more times, you know, then you had some other people so i don't think i don't think i was the best player on the team. And but I was you know, I was I was a good player. You know, I was I was consistent had like consistent defense and had consistent at bats, like I said, just you know, see ball

Evan 5:00

So after high school, like you said, you were drafted by the Padres and chose to go to Juco instead. So what was behind that decision?

Jason 5:08

Well, we had drafted. Yeah, being drafted that Lee 49th round again, they don't have that those rounds. Again, remember, we have 30 teams at the time picking, you know, so if you do the math, 49 rounds times 30 teams, that's, that's around, you know, 1400 player chosen in the country, which is an exciting and it was incredible just to get the call to find out I was that I was drafted that a professional organization wanted me. Um, you know, I was getting a bigger scholarship than what they were offering me money to sign and I didn't feel like I was mentally ready enough to go in to start my professional career. I, you know, I end up it wasn't it was kind of a no brainer for me. I was gonna go to college. wanted to go to college? A my parents wanted me to go to college. And I needed more time to grow and and mentally and physically. Before I felt I was ready to go to the next step to the professional level.

Evan 6:14

That's a really mature smart decision. You averaged for 20 while at Juco. You were drafted in the 44th. Round by Tampa, your hometown team, and still chose not to sign and instead went to the University of Miami like you said. You competed in two consecutive College World Series. And what was it like to play with the hurricanes in the College World Series not once, but twice.

Jason 6:45

That's a it was what a great experience. I wish every college baseball player would get to experience something like that, you know, maybe down at Miami, I think we probably averaged three or 4000 fans a game, which was really good, you know, especially on a weekend. And next thing you know, getting a chance to get through the regionals and then go to the College World Series where you're one of eight teams, the top eight teams in the country that season. And play, you know, I was playing on ABC, ESPN, you know, national, national TV. And it was like 25,000 people there it was, it was just an incredible experience.

Evan 7:25

Amazing.

Jason 7:26

We had we had a great team, great. Our team was was really good. We were very competitive. And it was just a great experience that I wish everybody else could experience as well.

Evan 7:36

That really does sound amazing. Wow. 25,000 people.

Jason 7:43

Yeah. It's literally well, right. I mean, nothing prepares you for that. But yeah, man, you stay focused in the game. You don't even hear.

Evan 7:53

Now, after two years with the hurricanes, you have a 396 average, you hit 34 dingers. 154 RBI's and you set multiple single season records. Now you're selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 15th round of the draft. Why did you again choose to decline and go to your last year eligibility?

Jason 8:19

Again, I that was my junior year that was probably my best years to statistically playing. Physically, I was ready to go to the next level, but still mentally I didn't feel like I was I was fully there. Again, another great organization drafted me or want me to play for the organization. And again, I was getting a bigger scholarship at Miami than I was what they were offering me to go away from from school. So, you know, the way I looked at it is hey, I have another I get another year closer to graduation here for education. Before I go, play professional Ball. I mean, and you know, you probably know just as much as everybody else they the odds are the percentages of making it to the big leagues are right around 1%, if not less. It's a tremendous third, these are just tremendous numbers out there. With that, showing that so knowing that I needed to get I need to get closer to getting my degree, and I needed another year mentally to get ready.

Evan 9:30

And was there any fear that since you turned it down, it might have been your last chance to get drafted?

Jason 9:37

no I knew that I could. There was one more year I was a little disheartened because I really felt I that I would, that I should have got drafted higher or in a lower round. But you know, it is what it is. It's I think there's always a plan. You know, in life, maybe you you follow the plan and sometimes you always don't Like it, but I got a chance to, again to get another year of school, which was a great institution, University of Miami private institution, great school. And I can still get drafted again.

Evan 10:13

What were some of the biggest lessons you learned playing college baseball? And is there anything you would have done differently?

Jason 10:21

Well, you know, I think with college baseball, it's almost like a pyramid. I don't think I explained this to you. But you know, as you started out in youth baseball, you know, there's, it's a big pool of people. And then as you get, you know, to high school, some of those people weed out and yet the bet a little bit better ones get the chance to go on. Same thing you go to college. Now there's even more players that are weeded out a little bit. And then if you're lucky enough to go to professional and continues to keep going, and then we get up to the big leagues. That's, that's the pinnacle of the of your profession. And, you know, that's been my my dream. You know, since I was probably a little bit younger than you and get a fort Fortunately, I was able to play my dream. But you know, playing going from high school to college, the intensity level stepped up, you know, I felt I thought I saw more guys becoming more focused, being longer focused on working, you know, on baseball, trying to get better at what they're doing really starting to try to perfect their craft. And as I got a chance to go to D1, it was even better talent. You know, I'm facing guys, you know, pitchers that a little bit better arms. Guys are getting bigger and stronger. And I need to make those adjustments as as I went on.

Evan 11:51

The competition level was way different. In JUCO, and D1.

Jason 11:57

You know, it wasn't that bad. I didn't know much about Juco baseball coming out of high school and when I got a chance to go and look into playing with these guys on my team before we even started to play I was like man we got some some really talented guys here. I know they one of the scouts talked about our pitching staff as being comparable to LSU's.

Evan 12:21

Wow.

Jason 12:22

But yeah, I think we had we had or three top pitchers where guys were low to mid 90s. One of our pitchers was actually about to go in the first round and he went second pick in the second round. When you're so yeah, he was mean, so I got a chance to really face some good pitching. I did which helped me out to go the next level.

Evan 12:45

You finish your final year at Miami and you're drafted in the fourth round by the Philadelphia Phillies finally sign your first professional contract. This is a moment that youth baseball players all over The world dream about, and that's a place that they all want to get to. So how did you celebrate that big moment in your career?

Jason 13:09

I mean, it was. Me, I celebrated with my family. It was it was an honor. I mean, one to be drafted four out of the possible five times that I could get drafted, which is I mean, you don't really hear about that anymore. It was a tremendous honor that of that team, again, wanted me to play for their organization and get a chance to start my professional career and it was it was very exciting. Nervous as well, not knowing what the next step brought. I didn't know what kind of competition I was going to be seeing, but it was definitely very exciting. That

Evan 13:53

that has to be feel amazing. Being able to relief, like I finally got here, but I still have more work to do.

Jason 14:00

Absolutely, absolutely each you know, each organization has what six levels? you know that you need to go through that as with anything I think in the business world, you got to work your way up.

Evan 14:11

Yep. Do you remember how it felt playing your first big league game in 2001?

Jason 14:18

Yes, I was. I was on my way to my I was in AAA in Scranton, Pennsylvania at that time. Scranton was triple A, which is right underneath the big leagues. And they were the Phillies, a triple A affiliate. Then I got called up before a Sunday game. So we had a Sunday game in Scranton at one o'clock. And I got called in I think about eight or nine o'clock that morning. I usually get there early anyways to the field. And my coach sat me down and say we're, calling up to the Big League playing field a big you're getting called up. So all this wave emotions, took over a jumped in my car, whatever I can gather and I ended up speeding Down to Philly ended up getting a ticket, a speeding ticket on my way. It was about about a two hour drive, I think and ended up getting to in about the sixth inning. And when I walked in the locker room, we were playing the Cubs when I walked in the locker room, it was such a surreal moment because I saw my locker I saw my jersey hanging with with my number, my name and my number, you know, on the back and it just it was just a wave of emotion. So I hustled up, got dressed real quick, went down to the dugout. You know, met my coaches and whoever was there, you know, we I think we were on defense at that time and ended up hit I ended up pitch hitting the next I think it was the next inning. So I got there in the six either in the pinch hitting in the seventh or the eighth. I think it might have been in the seventh and the bottom of the seventh and face Todd Van popple With the Cubs, and the end up, striking me out. And I don't really remember a lot because everything was such a blur thing happens really fast. My anxiety level was really high. But to get that first at bat out of the way was I mean it was I didn't mean I cared that I struck out, but it was again such a surreal moment.

Evan 16:23

That sounds amazing. Just finally getting to your dream and knowing that it worked. The work you did when you were younger, it pays off. And now you're in the show. So one highlight I saw was your walk off Homer and 2008 against the Cardinals while you're with the pirates. So it was the bottom of the 10th inning, you hit that home run. final score 12-11 bucks win what was your approach going up to that at bat and big moments like that?

Jason 16:59

No, it was I ended up looking messing around and looking up that it was like a top 10 and pirates history or at a by by one reporter which I thought was Wow. I mean such a huge history or a long history for the Pittsburgh Pirates. My dad grew up watching the pirates and the reds. And so at that particular game, we know I ended up I didn't start that game I ended up coming in about the eighth inning, we were down 10 to four and the eighth and the bottom of the eighth you know, and just tell them my teammates, I said, Guys, you know, we can't nobody can hit a six run home run. We need to get guys on base. Okay, that's very important. When you're to have a good at bat not to swing at a pitch that's way out of the zone, you got to be very disciplined. I end up walking that at bat and end up scoring that inning and then we end up tying it up in the 10th. And then St. Louis went ahead by one in the room sorry, we ended up tying in ninth st Lewis went up one in the 10th 11 to 10. And guy good guy end up getting on and ended up facing their closer Chris Perez, who matter of fact, went to University of Miami. And he lives here ended up facing him. I didn't know him before. I knew that he threw hard. threw a first pitch ball, which helped me even more to zone in on that fastball and getting a fastball in the zone. I don't really remember swinging and I just remember rounding third base that's that's that's about it. It was all kind of a blur, but whatever an exciting moment that was.

Evan 18:41

That sounds great. That must be really great memory. when you were on deck Did you were you almost like praying that you were gonna get up with a man on base. So you had a chance or was it more of just like I want to get on base

Jason 18:55

be honest with you. I was trying to control my anxiety level. You know? I think that we did a great job coming back, you know to tie up this game 10 to 10. And here we are down by one you know, hey, we just need to get guys on base try to get a guy in scoring position you know, there was just a guy on first and you know the coach, let me swing away you know, instead of instead of butting them over which you know, I mean here where you were at home you want to play for the win, you don't want to play for the tie. So it just you know, when I was on deck just trying to stay within myself not to not to overthink the situation. Keep it simple. Get a good pitch to hit. And don't over swing.

Evan 19:39

Yeah, so eight runs in three innings. It's, it's crazy.

Jason 19:46

I might have went in in the 7th.

Evan 19:49

That's good. That's crazy. So..

Jason 19:53

that was a great team win.

Evan 19:55

For the youth baseball listening. Can you share some tips on things they could do to generate more power in their swings.

Jason 20:02

So, power power is going to come now, That's funny. So my high school career, okay, even I was drafted. I had one home run my high school career. One.

Evan 20:13

Wow.

Jason 20:13

And what I tell some of my high school players that I haven't really told the youth players as I say, guys, you're not strong enough yet. And anytime a boy gets on the field, it doesn't matter if it's if he's six years old, or if he's my age 43 we see a fence we want to go over it. It's one of the questions I asked you when we got together.

Evan 20:35

Yep.

Jason 20:35

And to me I bite by doing that. I think it creates lift. I don't want to create lift in my swing. We already do that already. To me is hit line drives. That's what that's what the major league Hall of Famers talk about these talk about hitting line drives, line drives will go but when you try to hit a home run, it doesn't really work. It just nobody's really Good to sit there say I'm gonna go up and hit a home run and then go up and hit a home run that just doesn't happen

Evan 21:06

either one or two things that you learned from hitting coaches or other great players that you played with in the major leagues that really helped you succeed

Jason 21:17

you know as as a baseball player and you know your age and even younger as you guys are going to be around a lot of coaches some good some bad and it's a tough thing I was right I was into what do you not listen to always be coachable? No matter what always be coachable? Whether it's the information is good or not. Most of the time, you don't know if it's good or not always be coachable. You know, they're learning from I take tips from all kinds of coaches. I really do a lot of them. I was learning from my teammates as well too. I would, I would, you know, talk to my teammates after somebody got a good hit. You know, such as you know, Let's say somebody just had a good hit one of your teammates had a good hit, you know, in a crucial situation in the game, you know, maybe after the game or during the game, I go up and ask him say, hey, what was your thought process there? What are you thinking about? So, you know, one thing is always keep learning, always keep learning and nobody's gonna hit 1000 this game and no pitcher is going to strike everybody out or get everybody out. So there's always something there learned in this game. You know, swing hard swing it strikes, take the balls, you know, it's something that we talked about as well. keep it simple swing hard to, you know, swing it strikes, take the balls. That's probably one of the best pieces of advice. And, you know, the fact that, you know, I told you this, too, is that there's negative results happen all the time on that baseball. Okay, you got it, you get it, you get you get the negative result and you throw it in the trash, you have to move on and focus on that next pitch, that next play whatever it is,

Evan 23:00

Speaking of throwing in the trash, one of the things that stuck with me when I trained with you, was when you said if something doesn't go your way, learn from it, then throw it away. What other pieces of advice would you share with us baseball players on overcoming challenges and keeping our heads in the game?

Jason 23:21

And then that's the thing. I think it's tougher when you're younger, as far as trying to figure out how to focus how to stay calm, how to concentrate during the game, there's there's a lot of moments in the game where there's nothing really going on in the big leagues, and sometimes I would find myself drifting as well in the outfield, especially if our pitcher was doing really well. There's not really much going on. But I'd like to say guys, when you get into that, that chain link fence or you start pulling that field, keep your middle keep your your your thoughts there. wouldn't really messes it up is that we try to overthink the situation or we distract ourselves. So when you get in that fence when you get in those that chain link fence and get on that field focus on that focus in their focus take that as as as your reminder getting away from the day, whether it's schoolwork or you're in trouble at home, with your parents or whatever, or your maybe some friends or wherever it is, stay focused on when you're there because when you're in school, you need to stay focused on school, you're on baseball field, you stay focused there.

Evan 24:27

How did you mentally prepare for a game? I know you talk a lot about the mental side when you train people. And just in really, in general, when you played so how did you mentally prepare for a game and did you have any mental cues that you'd use?

Jason 24:41

I wanted to stay within myself. I didn't want to try to do something that I'm that's not me. You know, I had a I did have a hitting coach in the big leagues or actually a manager. Tell me like you know, stay in your lane. And you know, me it was kind of referring to you know, like a like a running track and You got to stay in your lane. Don't try to get out, hey, if you're a home if you're if you're a double hitter, it doubles if you're a home run hitter, hit home runs, you know if you're, if you're if you're a double hitter, don't try to hit home runs, it's not my lane. You know, stay in your lane do what you could control. I'd say I just stay focused, try to you know, not distract myself, it's so easy for you to start for, for us to start distracting ourselves. Want to keep it simple. I want to stay motivated. You know, knowing that hey, a negative result is possible to happen today. I need to throw that in the trash as soon as as soon as I can. So I don't waste my a bad or take that bad bad out to the field. And you possibly make an error or hurt my team. But say stay simple, stay simple, stay motivated and stay hungry.

Evan 25:55

Yeah, that's, that's really valuable. So after you retired in 2012 he became a mentor roving coach in the national minor league system. That is the first time I've ever heard that term used and sounds pretty cool. So can you share what the job of a mentor and coach was? And

Jason 26:18

so I was with the nationals and AAA in 2013. And it was it was I was on I was, I was on my way out, I was starting to lose it in my heart a little bit as far as I'm playing. But I still enjoyed talking with my teammates and tell them about different situations in the game. And you know why they would handle it this way I thought about this way. So it was it was a way that the coaching staff ended up seeing me and like, you know, they end up relaying it to the to the front office with the with the nationals and say, hey, look, I think we need to have this guy around. And so they end up offering me a coaching position and then my minor leagues, and I was really mostly with the rookie ball guys. Now these are guys that are right out of high school, or guys that come over from the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, wherever. And it's really the young guys to get their feet wet and to get going in into their professional career. So a lot of what I did was was my was helping them with their approach and how they approach the game, whether it was hitting, whether it was defense, or whether it was bass running. That's that's what they wanted me to do. And I ended up going around to all six of the minor league teams and talking with a lot of the players. And they were asking me questions as well as far as it may. What would you do here? What would you think of this and I really enjoyed I really enjoyed what I did.

Evan 27:52

Now you bring all your experience to training players at the big league approach. Can you share more about the mission Philosophy there.

Jason 28:01

Absolutely. And that's, you know, probably the main goal, or the main focus is the the mental side. You know, and like I was telling you, I'm not here to revamp your swing, your swing is your swing now we can tweak it here a little bit here and there and it's a lot of it has to do with up here. What's in between your ears. And what helped me be able to do that is become a student. Just like I was a student in school, I had to be a student at baseball. There's so much to learn. It's I mean, it's it looks like and it it really is an easy game, throw the ball, hit the ball, catch the ball, but there's so many factors that go into it. And that's what I help with I help with helping players develop their mental approach to hitting to defense as well. At there and to enhance their their their swing to make their swing path. More online in the in the hitting zone or stay longer in the hitting zone. And just to focus on hitting line drives and really mentor mentor the younger guys, these players Not me, not me again, my I've been teaching kids from four years old all the way up to 55. And it's it's really enjoyable. I'm getting some great feedback. I'm I'm also learning from my clients too.

Evan 29:28

Now I want to move into the rapid fire questions. You're ready. Okay. Know, what did you major in in college and why?

Jason 29:36

So sports management, that's. And it was business management. I decided to do sports management. Why? Don't know.

Evan 29:49

What was your favorite Major League stadium to play in?

Jason 29:53

Well, Baltimore, Camden Yards, or Oriole park? I don't know what they're calling it now.

Evan 29:58

Yeah, Camden Yards. What was your favorite memory of playing in the big leagues?

Jason 30:05

Probably the walk off home Well, between the walk off home run and then 2007. I was with the Indians, we went to we, we end up going in the playoffs, we end up going to play the Yankees and beat the Yankees in Yankee Stadium, which we were one of three teams to do. end up having a couple at bats and having a double. And that just that season was very memorable. 2007 we were one game away from going to World Series. That's the year Boston beat Colorado. we'll serious but that in my walk off.

Evan 30:41

Wow. That sounds like a really cool memory. Being able to stay in the playoffs and be one of the better teams in baseball.

Jason 30:51

Yeah, absolutely.

Evan 30:52

In inches. Tell us what's the longest length that your hair has ever been?

Jason 30:59

Oh man. It's got It'd be 12 inches maybe I got a couple of photos that I saw. Wow, my hair was that long. Yeah, just some Phase I was going through, like I was just, I didn't want to get cut, just being lazy.

Evan 31:13

Would you like to share any projects that you're working on and the best place for people to reach out to you and learn more about you

Jason 31:21

just, you know, continue to teach. And, you know, help and mentor, mentor younger players, not just baseball players, but softball players as well. And just trying to get the best out of each client. It's, I mean, I'm really fortunate. I've been fortunate enough to have some really good clients and great parents as well. And which really, which really helps. So the name of my company, again, is the Big League Approach. You can find me at www.thebigleagueapproach.com my cell numbers on there, and there's a way to sign up for lessons. As well as in the Tampa area. That's probably the best way.

Evan 32:06

Okay, thank you so much for coming on, and sharing some great information with the Born To Baseball community.

Jason 32:13

You got it. Thanks for having me on, Evan.

Evan 32:15

Thank you.

Thank you all for listening in. We really hope you enjoyed this episode. Be sure to hit the subscribe button and be the first to know when new episodes launch. Check us out at borntobaseball.com for free resources and new gear. Download the born to baseball app to have real time conversations, share your game and video highlights and be celebrated by our BTB team and of course on social media @borntobaseball where we can connect live. Now, let's play ball.

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Episode #008: John Rodriguez- World Series Champion/ Hitting Coach

May 2020 By Evan

Ep. #008: Join Evan and John Rodriguez as John takes us through his baseball journey, talks some hitting including his thoughts on hand path and launch angle, and shares his World Series experience. 

What You’ll Learn: 

01:20-  John’s baseball journey 

05:06-  Road to the majors

07:40-  Hitting in front of Albert Pujols

11:45-  How he felt when he was signed by the NY Yankees

13:30-  Keys to success when it comes to hitting

14:50-  Good hand path

15:50-  Thoughts on Launch angle

20:04-  Tradeoffs on the road to success

22:50-  The importance of Mindset

26:27-  Playing in the World Series

Thank you for being here with us!  Evan and the Born To Baseball Team are looking forward to celebrating your success and sharing this journey together.
 
If you enjoyed this episode please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple or wherever you’re listening here. This will help other ball players find the Born To Baseball Podcast and give us more chances to shout out our listeners!  
 
Now, let’s play ball!

Read show notes here.

Show Links:

Email: Jrod411925@yahoo.com

Website: https://www.yyaa.org/yorkville-baseball-academy

Born To Baseball Links:

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BTB Travel Team & Training Tracker

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Episode 008_JOHN RODRIGUEZ WORLD SERIES CHAMPION AND HITTING COACH

The transcription below was provided for your convenience through an automated service. Please excuse any unintended errors made in the process.

Evan 0:00

This episode of Born To Baseball is sponsored by the BTB travel team and training tracker. Are you a parent or player searching for travel teams or training facilities in your area? Or are you a coach looking to expand your reach? And you have to check out the BTB triple T tracker at borntobaseball.com Make sure your team is represented. Let's go.

Music 0:24

Calling all ball players. Are you ready to take your game to the next level? Were you born to baseball? Then bring it in? it's game time.

Evan 0:39

Hey guys, welcome to the born to baseball podcast. Today we have John Rodriguez with us. His 17 year pro career started with him getting signed by the New York Yankees in 1996 as an undrafted free agent. He got called up in 2005 by the St. Louis Cardinals and won a World Series ring in 2006. He retired and 2013 with an MLB career average close to 300. He is also the head of operations and head hitting coach at Yorkville baseball Academy, as well as the hitting coach for the Cleveland railroaders based in Texas. John, thank you so much for being here.

John 1:15

Thank you for having me, kid.

Evan 1:17

Could you start us out by sharing your baseball journey?

John 1:20

I was born and raised in New York. And I went to Brandeis High School and then I had a tryout and Yankee Stadium. My uncle knew a cop, who knew the scout which was ceaser prescot, who was holding a tryout in Yankee Stadium. And they were about I would say, close to 100 kids, and I was the only one that was just as a favor. went in, you know, did what I had to do just more or less, you know, I in a tryout, it's, you know, fly balls in the outfield because I'm a lefty. I rarely play First base, run a 60. Hit batting practice and then it was like more of like a simulator game. And at that time, I was actually my first time swinging a wood bat. And I hit three in the upper deck, then when old Yankee Stadium, which is kind of telling my age, but you know. And then from there, I left because I felt like he didn't, there was no interest. You know, I did what out to do, but you know, I just felt like there was no, no, no, no, like I said, no interest towards me or because he had a bunch of kids there that he had invited. I went to play in the Bronx in the St. Mary's league. And then from there, the president of the league asked me, you know, are you serious about this game? And I was like, Yeah, of course. I love this game. This is I love this game ever since, you know, two years old, I was able to pick up a bat and throw a ball. And he was like, Alright, good, because I have some scouts coming down here to watch you play. I was like, Yeah, right, whatever, you know. And then he saw He's like, No, I'm serious. Like, alright, I'll believe it when I see it. So the Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Pittsburgh, I think it might have been the Cubs and they might have been Milwaukee all came down and watch me play in and long and behold, the Yankee scout was ceaser prescot the one that was holding the tryout and he came up to me after the game. He was like, Where were you? Why did you leave? You know, I was looking all over for you. And I was like, why is like, you know, being my naive self was like, why? He's like, because I want to sign you. I was like, now you're playing around with me. Seriously, don't this is my biggest dream is to get signed specially from the Yankees. And he's like, No, I'm serious. We can't give you a lot of money. So I was Listen to me, I don't care about the money. What I want to do is just give me a plane ticket, get me down there. And I'll show you what I can do. And 17 years later You know, that's, that's really it. I went down there. Enjoyed rookie ball, because in the outfield was me, our first rounder, our third rounder, and our fifth rounder. And guess who, you know, obviously, those three guys are going to start over me. But I took it as a challenge. I didn't feel like they were any better than I was. You know, and I and I proved it. And I ended up being the starter on my rookie ball team, right fielder.

Evan 4:51

That's awesome.

Yeah.

Could you talk to us a little bit about your road to the majors.

John 4:55

road to the majors, who was definitely a tough one. I just said started off in rookie ball, played rookie ball went to a skip short season a once a regular season a which was in Greensboro, North Carolina. Then I spent two years in high which is the Yankees two years in double A and then two years in AAA and then got a signed with the Cleveland Indians in 2005. And then they traded me over to the St. Louis Cardinals where I guess it's just like, they always say, you know, new surroundings brings, you know, new joy. And for some reason it just clicked. Everything clicked I was I hit 343 with 17 home runs and 43 RBI's in 34 games.

Evan 5:50

Yeah,

John 5:50

You know, and it just something like I said, they call it the zone but what I was feeling was not wasn't scared. I felt like I had nothing to lose, you know, everything was was just coming together and I just felt good. It felt amazing. You know, coming to the baseball, you know, baseball field every day, even if I was, you know, I love that either way, even if I was struggling or I was succeeding, but at that time it was it was just magical like I I can't I couldn't figure it out like it was. It was something that was I was always dreamt of as a little kid when I was in my mother's living room, hitting a baseball and just imagining you know, hitting home runs or you know, being you know, the best at that sport and that at that in that month. That's what I felt. And then from there, Reggie Sanders got hurt. And I guess they had no choice to call me up. Since I was doing so good. Got there soon as I got to the locker room. I was an amazement because I saw, you know, the jerseys. Albert Pulhos, Scott Rowland, Jim Edmonds, you know, Yadier Molina he was a rookie at that time. Adam Wainwright just seeing you know, those guys jerseys and then looking off and seeing number 53 that Rodriguez in the back and I was, I had to hold back my tears I ran into the bathroom and just threw water on my face and make it look like water on my face instead of tears. But it was just a time and place of joy. It was. It was amazing. Soon as I got out the bathroom, Tony larosa goes come into my office. And at that point, I was scared. I was I was really nervous. He was like, you know, howdy, welcome, you know, thanks for being here. You definitely deserve it. You know, I hope you continue. You know your success up here. And I was like, No, I plan on it. But we'll see. What happens? And he was like, that's good because you're starting tonight. Like what? Wait a minute. Are you serious? He's like, yeah, you're starting you're starting in left field and you're hitting second right in front of Pulhos so I was like, All right, I'll make sure to get on base so he can get his RBI's he was like good because that's all he wants. And then at that point in time, the scenario with all that was my thought process was, one be a team player to do everything that you need to do to succeed but also do it in a team atmosphere, not just I I wanted to stay healthy, because that was one of my problems, you know, throughout my career, was trying to stay healthy is just baseball injuries, you know, hamstrings, pulled this pull that you know, just freak accidents and then just enjoy them. Just enjoy. Because you never know what is going to be your last time there. So, you know, even at this time in my life, I still feel like I can do it, but my age obviously is not going to let me. But once you're there, don't take it for granted. Just enjoy every, every every second that you're there and just treat everybody with respect, with admiration with you know, with a lot of love and all that in return, it will come back to you. You know, never think that you're better than anybody else. If you do keep it to yourself, just keep that confidence in yourself. Be confident, not cocky, you know, treat the reporters with respect, because at the same time, I know they're gonna ask you difficult questions. You know, try to answer it as best as you can. And in a respectful manner, you know, especially if you're a great player, you're going to have the microphone in your face, every game 162 games. year plus postseason spring training, you're going to have a microphone in your face. And if you're a great player, those are the guys that dictate if you're going to go on to the Hall of Fame or not so. So you also have to, you know, take that into consideration, but more, more than anything, you just want to be a personable guy where they feel comfortable coming up to you, and knowing that they can talk to you and not be so afraid or standoffish that, you know, they want to just shy away from you. You know, and, and the biggest thing with me too, was the fans. I love the fans like they're there to see you play. And if a little kid, you know, wants an autograph, sign it that's, that was my biggest thing. I'd stopped. I'm going to sign you know. So then, adults, you know, you have guys that want to sell your cards or sell your autograph. It's their hustle. You know, you're in the major leagues you're making as a rookie, you're making half a million. And then you get your contracts you're making into the millions. And if they want to sell your autograph for 20 bucks or 30 bucks or 100 bucks, so be it. You know, they have to make a living also. So I saw it, I saw it in that manner where everything is a hustle, but at the same time, they're also trying to feed their family. So if I'm making that a bunch of money, why, why not share?

Evan 5:50

Wow.

John 11:32

like I said, with the kids. That was easy for me. I just did it wasn't even a hesitation.

Evan 11:38

How cool was it to get signed by one of your hometown teams, the Yankees

John 11:43

oh my gosh,one it was a dream come true. Two it was just seeing those guys on TV and then being with them in the locker room was it's just hard to explain. It's just you're an actor. You know, when you've been watching, you know, Denzel Washington or, you know, Robert DeNiro, you know, on TV your whole life and then all of a sudden you're in the same place with them and you're acting with them. It's kind of surreal. But then after a while when you're there, it's becomes a family and you just, you know, you belong. You know, because you're there. So you know, you belong.

Evan 12:29

What led you to become an outfielder,

John 12:32

lefty. I can't play that many other positions. Besides outfield and pitch and first base. That's it. So that's why I have my youngest son, who's 17. When he was two years old, he grabbed the ball with his left hand and I told him to drop the ball. I said, Put your left hand behind your back and grab it with your right and throw with your right so he's been doing that.

Evan 12:53

And can you share some tips that you use in the outfield to take the fast route to the ball.

John 13:02

Oh, that's hard to kind of hard to explain. It's easier to show. That's why I love doing it. Just a lot of drills are like drop steps, you know, reaction times, you know, just knowing knowing where the ball is going to be, and getting there putting your head down and know what's going to be there. Yeah, that's really the best way I could explain it.

Evan 13:28

You're heading into your second season as the hitting coach for the Cleburne railroaders their team batting average from 2018 to 2019 jumped 32 points and slugging increased by 95 points. So congratulations on that. What are some of your keys to success when it comes to hitting

John 13:45

a hand path, bat path, balance. There's a lot of things that go into it. Like I said before, it's easier for me to show then and to say but uh, a lot of it is controlled anger, controlled aggression. You know, I want people I want the kids, even adults that I teach. I want them to swing hard, but if when they do, it has to be the right approach the right hand path, the right bat path, to get to the ball to stay short to the ball and drive the ball. There's so many elements that go into you know, hitting pitching fielding, obviously, but hitting is probably the most difficult part of baseball because you have a ball that's coming 90 to 100 miles an hour and now it's moving you know, it's not just straight, like I said balance is one of the keys hand path and bat path is the biggest for me

Evan 14:40

some know you as john hand path, Rodriguez. That just shows how much you preach hand path while hitting. How important is it to have good hand path?

John 14:50

It's one of the keys because you know, like we call it the Allah Derek Jeter, you know how many times he's been jammed and get a base hit to right field. You know, Because he had the right approach, he had the right hand path, getting to the ball staying tight, staying through the ball and, and just believed in himself and believed in his hands.

Evan 15:10

What's your favorite drill for creating good hand path?

John 15:15

Oh, again, I would have to show you. I'm just trying to stay compact, is trying to stay short, trying to stay tight. And what I mean by tight is, you know, you almost want to swing. Like you're gonna rub your hands across your shirt, you know, stay in short and tight into staying inside the baseball and trying to drive the ball that way. And more or less is just where you may contact is where you're going to hit the ball. Really,

Evan 15:45

what's your take on the launch angle, type swing,

John 15:48

launch angle is portrayed with some coaches the wrong way and some coaches the right way. A lot of it is you know that a lot of kids are just dropping a barrel behind the zone to bring it up and that's not the right way to do it. You want to drop your bat in so the zone and then have that kind of upward swing but it's it's more of an angle to your bat, which creates and also contact points. You know you could have that loopy swing and then hit a ball out but you could have that loopy swing and topspin balls, Miss balls, which, obviously statistics is showing that that they're more inconsistent with that swing than then consistent, you know? Yes, homeruns have gone up but averages has gone down. strikeouts has gone up walks has gone down slugging percentage, you know, on base percentage for sure. Run as a scoring position. You know, there was a situation you know, with the in the Yankee game during the playoffs. You have runners on third, less than two outs, and both the next two guys struck out. Because of that upward swing, just put the ball in play, that run may count, you know, that run dictates, you know, the outcome of the game. And a lot of guys just see it as and you know, Why get that one run when we could get 2, you're going to have over 500 bats in the big leagues. How many times you think you're going to hit a home run at the most 20, 30, 40 so 40 just say four that's the top guys 44, 40 home runs out of five to 600 bats. It's not a lot. You know, I rather have a guy that hit 20 home runs with 130 RBI's, then a guy hit 40 home runs with 80 or 90 RBI's. That's my you know, I rather have that. That's that's the type of player i would love.

Evan 18:00

Power is a big part of hitting. What are some key things that you baseball players can do to increase power and exit velocity?

John 18:09

Well, what I do is I use a lot of weighted balls, just to gain strength on your hands, wrists and forearms. Yes, also I do band work with for rotation for your hips, you know, just to get that whip but most of all, I love doing, you know, weighted baseballs. And then also have the hitting jacket where it's a weight that sits in between your bat in the middle of your bat where you could still hit, but it also balances out the bat where it's not top heavy. I like doing those two routines. And the biggest thing, like I said, for me is the weighted balls. It's just like I kind of in comparison to a boxer. Right? He's doing his his training camp. He's punching a heavy bag, and that heavy bag is probably 30 40 pounds heavier than a human being. So the more and more he hits that bag as he gets stronger, and then when he hits a human being in a boxing ring, that's where the knockouts come. And that's where the power comes from.

Evan 19:15

So you coach both youth and adult players. How do you know when a player is ready for a new piece of information? Is it based on age or skill level and readiness?

John 19:27

Well, they're always they're always ready for new information doesn't matter age, obviously age, you're going to need more. But as you get older, you know, you if, if you're a student of the game, you'll need less but you will always need information no matter what.

Evan 19:46

How much time should a youth baseball player be investing on their own? If they're serious about playing college ball and one day going pro,

John 19:56

like I said, become a student of the game. It takes a lot of sacrifice. You know, especially as you get older into your teens, you know, you get into middle school, we get into high school. There's friends, there's parties, there's girlfriends. There's a lot of outside distractions that can take you away from your goal. And if you're serious about, you know, not just playing in high school or college, if you're serious about going to the big leagues, there's going to be a lot of sacrifice. And like I said, and I tell you know, the youth today, there's always going to be parties, there's always going to be girls, even for softball women. That's always going to be there. But it gets better. When you make it to the top. You know, be the best you can be. Get your contract. Like I said, Be respectful, be the best person you can be and all that is way Better in the major leagues, you know not to worry about all that. Now, yes, you want, you want to be a kid, that's fine. There's times that you can hang out with your friends. There's times that you can go to parties and stuff like that. But don't let it interfere with your work ethic. Don't let it interfere with your school. Never let it interfere with your school. That's one point. And be decisive be be the person that it say. If I have practice, right, and I've done it, let's say I practice Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and a have, and I also have practice on Friday, but it interrupts with a school party or a friend's party. If you're serious about it, what are you going to do? You're going to go to practice. Skip the party. You guys let me know how It went. That's fine. This is my goal. This is where I want Be and those that like I said, those are the little things and those are the sacrifices that you have to go through. So you're gonna miss a lot of stuff. But at the end of it all, you're going to be thankful that you did it.

Evan 22:13

What was your playing and workout routine as a high school ballplayer?

John 22:18

Well, we didn't have any of the facilities, equipment, you know that kids have today. There's no batting cages for us. We kind of had to like invent our own baseballs. We took a tennis ball and make it heavier, we would tape it. You know, we played a lot of sponge ball. A lot of backyard stuff, you know, put the guys put all your friends together and then just play that way. A lot of us didn't have baseball gloves. So we just you know, play the sport without gloves and just use our hands just to make it even for everybody. A lot of things a lot of you know the way I truly got better was that playing with my friends in the backyard and then mimicking a lot of the guys on TV. You know, like, you know, Bernie Williams, Don Mattingly, Paul O'Neill guys like that. Ken Griffey Jr. You know, those are the guys. I just watched him on TV as a lefty, I would mimic their swing. And you know, just had a feel for what they were doing, but didn't really know the process on how they were doing it. So that was a confusing part. But every time I mimicked it, it felt good and it felt real. So I just went with that.

Evan 23:43

How important has mindset been for you in your career?

John 23:47

Oh that's the biggest one. That's the most powerful tool for any human being warrior athlete. Its your brain its your mind. Just being in control, being in control of your of your body of your everyday life, it's it's the biggest thing like you couldn't you could control. Whatever you want to control is if you put your mind to it and study and read and understand emotions, understand people's feelings understand, you know what type of lifestyle you want, you know, the mind, like I said is the most powerful thing anybody can have.

Evan 24:31

You played in the MLB for two years with the Cardinals. How often did you get to pick the brains of other players

John 24:38

every day Every day Like all right, different situations. I pick the brain of Chris carpenter and Adam Wainwright on how they get hitters out. Pick the brain on with Albert Pulhos, our pools and hitting in all different situations. Also did that with Jim admins on Hitting because he was lefty and then also I did with Jim Emmons picked his brain about you know, how to how to become a better outfielder you know how to how to approach the game with different hitters and their power where do they hit the ball the most and how does he you know, get around the baseball to you know, have a better throw up a better throwing, you know, position to the basis and also with you know, yadi Molina same thing you know how he would go about you know, calling pitches for different hitters slap guys power guys, average guys, you know, just different scenarios. And then also, as I was getting older in my career, I spoke to the coaches on you know, how to coach how to be a manager how to be a hitting coach, you know, and how to teach. You know, the guys

Evan 25:53

yeah, was there one piece of advice that stood out to you the most

John 25:59

a lot of time times guys would just say, you know, just be true to yourself and know, know your game. You know, don't if you're a slap guy, don't try to be a power guy. If you're a power guy, don't try to do too much. Just play your game and try to be the best player for your team.

Evan 26:20

youth baseball players like me, we dream of playing in the MLB playing in the World Series is the next level. How much different as a World Series game than a regular season?

John 26:31

Well, it's, it's mind blowing. It's it's excitement from before the first pitch. So even after the last pitch. It's just an experience because now you know, you have 32 teams, and usually, only your fans and the team's fans that you're playing against are watching. Now it's the World Series. You're the only two teams left now you have a million have fans watching you, you know, even if they're fans of someone else, they're watching the game. So that's where they call it you know, that's the stage that's where your dad, you know, being a an artist in the music industry. He'll be at a club and then all of a sudden he's playing in the Super Bowl. You know he's playing halftime the Super Bowl and it's like, everybody's watching you now. You know and it's the same kind of the same aspect and not top of that is like I said, You can't let the moment get too big. treated as just like for me, yes, I was nervous but at the same time, I just treat it as a you know, backyard, you know, baseball game with my friends. I didn't let the moment get too big for me.

Evan 27:48

What was your reaction when Adam Wainwright threw that last pitch to strike out Brandon Inge and win the World Series.

John 27:57

Mind blowing, Unbelievable. dream come true. Just Is this real? Just everything you can think of as a kid just at that moment was real

Evan 28:14

What's your favorite memory from the World Series?

John 28:18

when Adam Whainwrigh struck out, Brandon Inge, because it was over. Yeah, just to celebrations. Just knowing that we were world champions, and nobody could ever, ever take that away from us.

Evan 28:34

That's awesome. And now I want to move on to the Rapid Fire question.

John 28:38

All right, let's do it. Oh, hotseat?

Evan 28:42

What was your favorite team growing up

John 28:44

New York Yankees.

Evan 28:46

Who's your favorite power hitter of all time.

John 28:50

I would have to say Ken Griffey Jr. Because him and Barry Bonds but Ken Griffey Jr. The most because I'd followed him a lot,

Evan 28:57

in your opinion, who's the best clutch player of all time.

John 29:02

I would love to say, postseason wise is Derek Jeter and and just like all around when I was playing like my first, those first 10 years just watching his Albert Pulhos and then Now, obviously, you know Mike trout.

Evan 29:22

Last but definitely not least, how often do you clean your World Series ring?

John 29:27

Oh, probably every month just to check if it's still in the safe.

Evan 29:38

Are there any projects you're working on or have coming up that you'd like to share?

John 29:42

Going back to be the hitting coach for the Cleveland railroaders I'm excited about that. And then hopefully, you know if everything works out, either continue there or throw my hat in the ring for an MLB job.

Evan 29:57

Where can people go to follow you or learn more about you?

John 30:00

I'm at the Yorkville baseball Academy on 106 and First Avenue in New York, New York. I'm there Monday through Saturday. And then Google.

Evan 30:11

JOHN, thank you so much for being here.

John 30:14

Oh, you're awesome kid

Evan 30:15

and sharing great knowledge with the born to baseball community.

John 30:19

Thank you very much for having me.

Evan 30:20

So it's tradition around here to have some ice cream after so you're ready?

John 30:24

Let's get it

Evan 30:27

Thank you all for listening in. We really hope you enjoyed this episode. Be sure to hit the subscribe button and be the first to know when new episodes launch. Check us out at borntobaseball.com for free resources and new gear. Download the borns baseball app to have real time conversations, share your game and video highlights and be celebrated by our BTB team and of course on social media @borntobaseball where we can connect live. Now let's play ball.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai

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