He called me the other day for some information and here’s a couple small excerpts of what I had to say from Tim’s article…

“You’re preaching to the choir, you’re talking to a guy who made his house payments [by calling and running a game],” said Brent Mayne, who caught in the major leagues from 1990-2004. “What’s the most important part of the game? Pitching. If it wasn’t, why would teams throw this kind of money around lately? [That said] you have to have a good catcher. It’s like having a phenomenal race horse, but no jockey. Will the horse win the race without one? Probably not. Someone has to know when to use the crop and when not to.”

“Some pitchers need to be patted on the back, some need to be kicked in the ass, and a catcher has to have a feel for that,” Mayne said. “That’s extremely important, and it’s rare today. You have to be able to sense that. You have to be an amateur psychologist in some ways. There’s so much more to pitching than following a scouting report to a tee. That’s not how it works. That’s not the ultimate decision. The ultimate decision is the feeling in your gut. Carlos Ruiz has that, and Cliff Lee knows he has that. Anyone can sit in the stands and look at a scouting report, or an iPod, and know what to throw next. But sitting in the stands, you can’t see the subtle shift that the hitter makes after a pitch. Only the catcher can see that. And that’s where the feel for the pitcher comes in. The best pitch any pitcher can throw is the one he can throw with conviction, whether it’s the right pitch or the wrong pitch. The catcher’s job is to give him that conviction.”

If you’re interested, click here to read the rest of the article…enjoy.

So I’m sure you’d like me to comment on something baseball related but…not now. (If you really need a fix, check out the latest tip I put out a couple days ago.) I’m going to go off the board and report about a fantastic art show I saw the other day. Steve Roden’s “in be tween” at the armory center for the arts in Pasadena. One thing that’s really nice about this new job I have is that I’m all over L.A. I love Los Angeles for a lot of reasons, but one of the biggest is because it’s full of art. And I love art.

I’ve mentioned it in a few past blogs, but I see a correlation between good art and athletics. The flow, the risk, the intuition, the creativity, the “in-the-momentness” of both acts are very similar to me. Enter Steve Roden. I’m no expert in the field, but I know what I like and his stuff felt honest and right. I’d highly recommend his show to anyone interested and in the L.A area. He also maintains an interesting blog.

Roden’s art runs the gamut…painting, sculpture, sound, movies, drawing, collage, etc. Here are a few pictures of his stuff that I snapped at the show…enjoy.

To be honest, I really have no clue what I’m doing. I mean, I obviously know what a good player looks like. But I’m just learning how to break it down into degrees of “how much I like him” and putting that in scouting vernacular. Basically learning how to make an accurate evaluation of an amateur player so the people spending money with the Padres know exactly what they’re purchasing.

How do I do that? I go to a lot of games. I videotape. I get running and throwing times with a stopwatch. I get velocities with my radar gun. I look at body makeups, watch mannerisms, watch how players interact, watch them take b.p and ground balls. I pay attention to how they throw, hit, and field. I watch to see how they handle adversity. I talk to other scouts, parents, coaches, and the players themselves. Basically I’m an information gathering machine in a Prius.

The honest truth about what I see so far? A truckload of below average players, a lot of mediocre players, and a handful of potential prospects. Baseball must be a tough game. Genetics must be a tough game. You’ve gotta have a lot of skill and luck on your side to be a prospect.

The one thing I can say without a shadow of a doubt is that in California (probably the rest of the country too), if you can play, one of us is gonna find you. Nobody’s slipping through the cracks. If you’re a parent or a kid at least you can scratch that off your list of concerns.

So after about a month of doing this gig, so far so good. It’s fun to be in the early stages of a learning curve and I’m loving getting a paycheck again. The driving hasn’t got to me (yet?). I really do enjoy going to games and evaluating. And the cast of characters that comprise the southern California scouting force are entertaining to say the least. Maybe not as entertaining as Mathew McConnaughey’s gay scout on Eastbound and Down, but funny none the less. Stay tuned…

Mathew McConnaughey as a gay scout from Texas on Eastbound and Down.

I find it interesting that regardless the outcome, Bengie Molina will be taking home a ring because he played half of the 2010 season with both teams. I’m sure he had a huge impact on the young pitching staff of the Giants and a big reason they’re in the position that they’re in. Ditto for the Rangers.

Say what you will about the Molina brothers…they’re a little rotund, slow, whatever. The fact is, these cats are getting it done. One of them is in the hunt every year getting a big hit or putting in a solid defensive performance. No doubt, Posey, Mauer, or even Ruiz are easier on the eyes and we’d all probably rather watch them. But you’ve gotta hand it to them, the Molina’s have a knack for getting to the big dances.

So who am I rooting for? Tough one. I played for the Giants and they’re in California. I’ve still got friends there. I love Krukow and Kuiper and Miller. I can’t take my eyes off Lincecum when he pitches. I love their stadium. On the other hand, Texas might as well be a separate country, but they have Wash and Hurdle and I love watching Vlad, Kinsler, Hamilton, and the rest of their offense do their thing. And I feel the same way about Lee as I do about Lincecum. Soooooo….I’ll take Texas I guess.

And I really love the mash up of misfits that the Giants run out on the field. Obviously their pitching is fantastic, but how that group of position players came together and got this far is amazing. It makes Brian Sabean look like a genius.

Wash was the 3rd base coach for the 1997 A's team I played on...he's solid. I'm happy the Rangers stuck with him and I'm happy he's persevered.

The reality though is New York is New York. Their second string team is probably better than the Giants. And Philly is going to feature Halladay, Oswalt, and Hamels on the bump. If I had to bet the farm, I’d bet on these two teams. One thing we can pretty much bank on in both series is that we’re going to see some pitching. The year of the pitcher is going out with a bang.

As a side note, I’ve taken a position with the San Diego Padres as their greater Los Angeles area scout. I feel like I have a pretty good knowledge of the game, but not a whole lot from a scouting perspective. I’m looking forward to learning how to evaluate players and this new chapter in my baseball adventure. See you at the ballpark.

Twins – Joe Mauer. You’ve gotta know how I feel about this guy already…in short, fantastic, technically sound, but entertainment wise (defensively), kinda like watching paint dry. He’ll smooth you to sleep.

Philly – Carlos Ruiz. You should probably already know how I feel about this guy too. One of my favs. Obviously not in the same planet as Mauer offensively, but defensively right there. Entertaining to watch and mechanically sound.

Giants – Buster Posey. The second coming I guess. I really haven’t seen him enough to give an accurate judgement; however, here’s what I’ve seen so far. Offensively a terror, defensively new to the position and a work in progress…if someone out there knows him, give him my number and I’ll help him get right. Can’t wait to watch him more.

Cincinnati – R Hernandez/Ryan Hanigan. I’ve seen and played against Ramon quiet a bit and I like him. Not exactly my style, but I like his offense and his defense isn’t horrible. I haven’t seen Hanigan at all.

Texas – Bengi Molina. I love him because he’s slower than me. Seriously, I love the way this guy goes about his business. We might also get to see local So Cal product Matt Treanor.

Tampa Bay – J Jaso/D Navarro/K Shoppach. I’m sure all of these guys are good catchers. One of them might be defensively fantastic, I just haven’t seen enough to make a call. But, if nothing else, this trio should be an encouraging sign for the catching youth of the world…if this is the crew one of the best baseball teams on the planet is featuring, anyone has got a chance.

Yanks – Posada/Cervelli. Posada is Posada. He’s gonna clank a few balls, but he’s gonna get it done. I appreciate Francisco’s enthusiasm and how hard he plays, but what can I say…he bugs me.

San Diego? – N Hundley/Yorvit Torrealba. See my comments on Tampa Bay.

Hotlanta? – Brian McCann. Obviously offensively dangerous. This is going to sound weird  because I’ve seen this guy catch at least a dozen times, but I don’t have a clue how good or bad this guy is defensively. I’ve gotta pay attention.

Brian McCann.

Francisco Cervelli.

Nick Hundley.

Ramon Hernandez.

John Jaso.

Bengie Molina.

I’m especially interested because this four hour series focuses on my era (1990-2005). This includes such huge events as the 1994 strike that cancelled the World Series, the McGwire/Sosa home-run chase, Barry Bonds, the rise of Latino and Asian players, and steroids/performance-enhancing drug use. I’m excited…Ken Burns + the steroid era = good.

A graph of the footprints of all major league fields from Flip Flop Fly Ball.

And on another note, a friend of mine turned me on to a neat little website called Flip Flop Fly Ball. You know I’m into baseball art and quirky sites…well, here’s a good one. Do yourself a favor and don’t miss his graphs…make sure to click on and enlarge them so you can see what they’re all about. I laughed my butt off.

That’s all I’ve got for now. September in Southern California equals good surf and empty beaches which results in less blogging. Adios.

Picture from Flip Flop Fly Ball of one of my favorite hitters.

Pedro. Simple but nailed it...another great drawing from Flip Flop Fly Ball.

I’ll guarantee this 18 minute throwing video will improve your caught stealing percentage, lower your “pop” times, and improve your understanding of the position. As with all of the clips, the material presented is appropriate for coaches and players of all levels, from Little League all the way to the big leagues. Learn the right way from a pro!

Here is a general outline of the topics covered in the How to Throw Out Base Runners video…enjoy.

1. Opening discussion (sub 2 second “pop time”)

2. Throwing priorities

A. Accuracy
B. Timing & Quickness
C. Velocity

3. Handwork & Exchange

A. Let the ball travel
B. Whipping glove up to ear (over-rotation)
C. Arm Arc
D. Quickness

4. Footwork

A. Proper direction
B. Come out low (in legs)
C. The “X” Factor

5. Timing

A. Syncing left foot with right hand
B. Starting “on time”
C. Throwing from a position of balance and power

6. Conclusion (game speed example)

7. Slow Motion Views

Click here to view the whole video.

So, when I picked up the paper this morning I was surprised to see a guy by the name of John Lindsey on the front page. It’s September call up time and it turns out, this guy is getting his first taste of the big leagues after spending 16 years in the minors. I repeat, 16 years.

I’ve heard of some pretty awesome things, but this is one of the awesomest. I’m pretty sure we can safely assume this Lindsey guy loves baseball. I’m pretty sure he wasn’t getting rich in Albuquerque or any of the other towns he played in for the last decade and a half.

Turns out, Lindsey led the PCL in hitting this season at the age of 33. As his father was quoted as saying, “Follow your dream, never give up. If you believe in and have a passion or a love for something, don’t quit. Play until they take the uniform off.”

John Lindsey, 1,571 games and 5,589 minor league at-bats before being summoned to the show.

And here’s even better news for all of those catchers out there. Here’s three more September call ups, all whom are catchers and all whom have persevered. I’ve said it a million times before as it relates to catching. There just aren’t enough good catchers to go around. If you just hang in there and learn the craft, chances are you’re going to get a pop. Here’s living proof…a heartfelt congratulations to all of these guys. May you all stick long enough to max out your pensions!

Max St. Pierre, 14 seasons and 978 minor league games before getting the call.

J.C. Boscan, 14 seasons and 976 minor league games before joining the Major Leagues.

Brian Esposito, 11 seasons, 669 minor league games with 6 teams before making it up.

For those interested, here is a link to the full length L.A. Times article about all of these players.

Basically he gave the standard “it’s just one of those things” response; however, he did go into how much he and the other guys on the Braves staff loved pitching at home and that maybe that had something to do with it. Hudson went on to add that in some ballparks, pitchers felt uncomfortable because the mound had the illusion of being far away. In Atlanta, and he named a few others, he felt like the mound was right on top of the hitter and that this feeling had a lot to do with his confidence and ultimately his success.

Interesting. I never really thought of that. I obviously had these thoughts as a hitter, but I just never flip flopped it. I definitely had parks where I saw the ball better, where the mound seemed further back, where I just felt more comfortable. I also had places where the pitcher seemed like he was going to touch me and I didn’t see the ball at all. I know all field dimensions are consistent in the big leagues, it’s obviously just an optical illusion.

Which got me to thinking. If someone ever pays me a few million dollars to design a field, I’m getting the best magician/optical illusion guy and maybe the best movie set designer guy or girl to throw in their two cents about how to make the mound look closer from a pitcher’s perspective and farther away from a hitter’s view at the plate. Don’t you think that makes sense? Doesn’t it make sense that your pitchers and hitters feel as comfortable as possible?

For the your pitchers, maybe make sure the backstop is pretty close make the color light or dark depending on which would make it appear tighter in. And do similar things for the hitters. I’m not exactly sure what these things are…that’s why we’re hiring the magician and the designer. I wonder if teams do this already?

While were at it, I would absolutely make sure that the visiting teams bullpen mound was different from the mound on the field. Shorter, higher, different dirt consistency, whatever. Not messed up or anything, just different. That can’t be good for the opposing pitchers right? They’ve gotta hate that. Technically, that’s not cheating is it?

Ah well, maybe it is. But you know what they say in baseball…”if you’re not cheating, you’re not trying.” Anyway, just some thoughts.

A view from the mound at Dodger Stadium.