Jesús Luzardo joins the show!

00:00:02
Speaker 1: Hey, this is this is our own Welcome to the Philly.

00:00:04
Speaker 2: Show, Ruben Tomorrow, Junior, Jim Saulsbery Todds. Like it's a Philly show. It is Friday, June thirteenth, twenty twenty five.

00:00:15
Speaker 3: Guys, you look well.

00:00:18
Speaker 1: I'm well, you are well.

00:00:19
Speaker 4: Jim, Ruben and I are going to tee it up later on.

00:00:23
Speaker 3: That's right, you guys are playing golf.

00:00:26
Speaker 2: We've got a very special show today. Very special show kind of reminds me of a you guys were watching, like sitcoms in the eighties and early nineties.

00:00:35
Speaker 3: They would always have a very special elf.

00:00:40
Speaker 5: You know that guy was hilarious.

00:00:45
Speaker 3: A very special elf. We have a very special show today.

00:00:47
Speaker 2: We've got Jesus Zardo joining us later as an interview that we recorded about ten days ago, and we decided to hold it because there were some issues.

00:01:01
Speaker 5: But issues corrected.

00:01:03
Speaker 3: Issues corrected, issues corrected. So let's let's talk.

00:01:07
Speaker 2: Let's talk about that, and well, first let's say this. The Phillies did not play on Thursday. They beat the Cubs on Wednesday, seven to two.

00:01:15
Speaker 3: They won the three.

00:01:16
Speaker 2: Game series against the Cubs. It's their first series victory since they took two or three from the Braves at the end of May. So they that's their what they lost three straight series before U before they beat the Cubs. So pretty good bounce back for the Phillies. They desperately needed. Bounce back for the Phillies. I would say, right, guys.

00:01:37
Speaker 5: No doubt about it.

00:01:38
Speaker 6: I mean, uh, for them to be able to, you know, turn things on and uh and a bounce back the when two out of three, it was really huge for them. Yeah, yeah, there's it's it's it was big and uh the bats came alive for a change.

00:01:54
Speaker 3: Yeah, it was nice.

00:01:55
Speaker 1: It was nice.

00:01:55
Speaker 2: But but we have hazeses Ozarto, as I mentioned as a guest, and so let's start there. It's time for the first pitch. First Pitch is powered by the Bett Parks sports book and casino app guys jesus Lozardo on Wednesday against the Cubs, five hits, one run, ten strikeouts in six innings.

00:02:23
Speaker 3: His previous two not so good.

00:02:25
Speaker 2: He had allowed twenty runs in five and two thirds innings. It was the first time in baseball history that my colleague Paul Cassell could find that a starter had allowed twenty or more runs in less than six innings and consecutive starts, and so he appeared to be back to form.

00:02:42
Speaker 3: Jim, you were there, you wrote something.

00:02:44
Speaker 2: For all phl y dot com.

00:02:48
Speaker 3: What were here? You talked to Hajesus.

00:02:50
Speaker 5: It was it was very impressive.

00:02:53
Speaker 4: No walks, no ones, ten punches, as they like to say, as the kids say, the cool kids.

00:03:00
Speaker 5: Uh, stuff was great.

00:03:01
Speaker 4: But stuff was pretty good in the two games that he got knocked around on Obviously, I thought the entire outing, obviously they needed to win. It gave him a series victory. It helped a really important picture get back on the on the on the on the right track. And I thought it was kind of a victory for for for for haes Us Lozarro, for him for his perseverance, for his character, for his toughness. I thought it was a victory for his catcher, his battery mate. You know, your catcher is your soulmate in the rotation. I thought it was a victory for the pitching coach uh and his staff.

00:03:39
Speaker 5: I thought it was a victory for.

00:03:39
Speaker 4: The manager who supported this kid, the front office who acquired the kid. I thought it was a victory for the analytics folks, their biomechanics, folks, their video folks, everybody who dove in and tried to figure out why this great season, eleven outstanding starts, why it fell off course? And obviously they figured out something. You know, there was a little bit of tip and pitches going on. They addressed, you know, how he held the ball in the set when there was a run around second base, because guys would teeing off on him with a run around second base, which would strongly suggest that there was some you know, he was giving away something and the and the guy on the second was tipping off his hitter. Uh, he ditched his sinker throw through predominantly four Steamers had a great change up. But they fixed something and he delivered. And after that game, you know, he had his confidence back. He's a I think he's a terrific young man.

00:04:43
Speaker 1: Uh.

00:04:43
Speaker 5: And and the.

00:04:45
Speaker 4: Struggles he had weren't just a couple of bad games, as you mentioned, they were historically bad and that can really do a job on your psyche. But he got back on the train. He and in this he's a mature guy. He's a level headed he's extremely smart and well spoken.

00:05:02
Speaker 5: You will see.

00:05:04
Speaker 4: I think he is mature beyond his twenty seven years. I think this would have, you know, bruised a lot of twenty seven year olds, But for him to come back so triumphantly, you know, he was almost like a microcosm of the team. He was struggling, the team was struggling, and they both did something great on Wednesday. So hats off to a lot of people, led by Jsus Wlizarro.

00:05:32
Speaker 6: Well, said Jim, and I will say this, the one thing that alarmed you as a evaluator of talent is when something is going so well and then something goes so badly and there had to be something that had had to change or something that was happening to.

00:05:50
Speaker 7: Make that change happen.

00:05:53
Speaker 6: So it was obvious for me that he was tipping pitches somehow, some way.

00:05:58
Speaker 7: There's a sophistication that's been.

00:06:02
Speaker 6: Beyond belief these days on what video people can pick up, what they can see. It was clear that the two teams that beat him up knew something that was going on, if not every pitch, then at least most of the pitches, and.

00:06:16
Speaker 7: They teed off on them. That was rectified.

00:06:20
Speaker 6: I saw very very drastic in some of the film and in some of the game, having watched it on TV, his change in his posture, the fact that he hit the ball a little bit better, he changed where his.

00:06:35
Speaker 7: Set point was, all those things, and that as a hitter.

00:06:39
Speaker 6: I mean when I played for the Cleveland Indians at the time in nineteen ninety four ninety five, nobody was better at that at Albert Bell. It's one of the reasons why he was one of such a great hitter. He could pick things out better than anybody. He wouldn't tell anybody because he was afraid somebody would tattletail once they got traded.

00:06:56
Speaker 7: So we used to get mad at him.

00:06:58
Speaker 6: But the reality of it is that there's ways to find those things out, and especially with sophistication in the video that exists in this day and age.

00:07:07
Speaker 2: Okay, So I found some uh grab some images from from Wednesday's game, and I want to get your guys opinion on this. So this is an image of Lozardo out of the stretch against the Brewers and for those who are not watching us on YouTube, Lozardo is in the stretch. His hands are belt high.

00:07:27
Speaker 3: Is that belt high?

00:07:29
Speaker 6: And probably he sets belt high is after he makes his initial uh set point in the stretch.

00:07:38
Speaker 7: Right, Okay, So there the on the left side of his hip and.

00:07:41
Speaker 3: The left on the left side of his hip. That's important.

00:07:43
Speaker 2: Okay, So here this this image is not quite as clear, but this is him out of the stretch on Wednesday against the Cubs.

00:07:49
Speaker 3: And where do you see his hands? They are just, you know, left, just below letter high.

00:07:55
Speaker 2: Would you say letter high left?

00:07:57
Speaker 5: I'll left, tighter to his body.

00:07:59
Speaker 6: Left, left breast just under his left breast, and tighter to his body.

00:08:05
Speaker 3: Yes, there we go. So now this is lazarro wind up against the Brewers.

00:08:09
Speaker 2: I don't know if I didn't see as much here, but you guys probably more talented at this than I. But this is him out of the wind up against the Brewers. Glove is out front there like eye height, and then this is what it was yes Wednesday against the Cubs. It seems to be like a little bit closer to his face, a little bit much.

00:08:28
Speaker 6: Closer to his face. There's more flexion in his left elbow. The glove is almost touching him. It's obvious that somebody was seeing his grips. Okay, first base coach, whether it was a first base coach during the court or or the hitter could see something going on with his elbow as he moved.

00:08:49
Speaker 2: Okay, and here's the best one. And this is from Pitching Ninja. If you haven't, If you guys don't are not an X, you're really missing out this or this is a must file if you're a baseball fan. This is Pitching Ninja Rob Friedman and he got this great side by side grab here.

00:09:04
Speaker 3: Yep, this is this is Lizardo.

00:09:07
Speaker 2: The image on the left is him throwing a change up out of the stretch, obviously with a run around second base, and you can very clearly see he is gripping a change up. He has this change up grip. And the image on the right is him throwing the same pitch Wednesday against the Cubs, and you can't see what pitch is coming out now. Ruben Jim and I were talking about this beforehand.

00:09:32
Speaker 3: How much if you're.

00:09:34
Speaker 6: The first, that's really really late. They probably had it before that. I mean, it's a shot, but I think that they probably already either as he was going into.

00:09:43
Speaker 7: His glove, they already had his.

00:09:45
Speaker 6: Grip because they could see it much better prior to his first to those two bad starts, they probably saw the grip early and then they can tip them.

00:09:56
Speaker 7: And that was a great shot.

00:10:00
Speaker 6: As to as to how you know that that was fairly late, but it's hard for the for the base runner to let the hitter know that late because he's almost coming forward now with his arm with his arm, so they can. But I think they probably picked it up a little earlier. They probably saw the grip earlier in his in his glove. You know, sometimes I wish I had a glove. You know, they probably just saw it, either him going in to grip it or as he was gripping it. They probably had a really good look at it from second base.

00:10:35
Speaker 4: It's tough to relay quick, but that pitching ninja shot was awesome. And you can see he's using a different glove. He had a smaller black glove when he was getting beat up and a larger tan colored glove in Wednesday's gem, I would call it a gem.

00:10:53
Speaker 5: Yeah, gem.

00:10:54
Speaker 6: I mean, I mean, you're talking about pitching against one of the best offensive teams in the game, and he delivered.

00:11:03
Speaker 2: Yeah, And so maybe you know, rectifying how he was showing the ball, you know, early, giving hitters less of an idea of what is coming. And he also Jim you mentioned in your story in just earlier that he totally dished a sinker on Wednesday. And for those people that don't know, he throws it about a little over ten percent of the time this season.

00:11:27
Speaker 3: That's only like the seventh time in.

00:11:29
Speaker 2: His career he's pitched in the game where he hasn't thrown at least one sinker. So you know, that was he totally totally ditched it. And I'm not sure the reasoning behind that.

00:11:37
Speaker 5: If it was just he I'm not sure.

00:11:40
Speaker 4: Also if he didn't throw a few and stat cast sometimes misidentified stuff because of the way, I mean, every ball moves a little differently, right, But he was asked about that and he kind of had this like knowing little grin and he didn't want to really talk about it.

00:11:57
Speaker 5: So there was something he addressed.

00:11:59
Speaker 4: Well, yeah, you definitely cut down on his usage consciously, he didn't want to give away too much. But they were teeing off on his sinker. He rode that four steamer. It was up to ninety eight. So he got sixteen swing and misses against the Cubs on Wednesday and what I am calling his bounce back gem, and.

00:12:17
Speaker 5: He had only gotten a total of nine.

00:12:19
Speaker 4: Swing and misses in his previous two outings. And I do love the swing and miss stat because you just think it shows your doing your job.

00:12:29
Speaker 5: You're missing bats, right.

00:12:31
Speaker 7: Your stuff's good, Yeah, your stuff's good. Yeah, Yeah, I know.

00:12:34
Speaker 6: It's a great effort by the kid and a great job by everybody.

00:12:39
Speaker 5: Absolutely.

00:12:40
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00:12:45
Speaker 5: You must be twenty one and if you have a.

00:12:47
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00:12:51
Speaker 2: So the Phillies play the Blue Jays this weekend of Citizens Bank Park Friday you have Kevin Goussman versus Ranger Suarez. Saturday about in Frances versus This is Christopher Sanchez, and then Sunday series finale is Jose Burrios versus Zach Wheeler. Now, before we get to hayes U Sizard, I want to say, if you can't get to the ballpark this weekend, you can stop by Delco, my.

00:13:13
Speaker 1: Neck of the woods.

00:13:15
Speaker 2: People say that Delco's a lot and the right. We've got a lot of everything. Family fun, festivals, great restaurants and bars, gardens, history, trails and outdoor activities. Take it from this Delco Dad and check it out for yourself.

00:13:26
Speaker 3: This weekend.

00:13:27
Speaker 2: Saturday, don't miss the Race for the Watershed, Duck Derby and five K at the Newland grist millan Glen Mills, five K rubber duck races and a duck theme family fun festival. And it all helps support healthy waterways in the Delco community. And Sunday Father's Day, Father's Day, It's the Father's Fishing Day at Lyndonvilla Orchards. Grab your kids and your rod and head out to the Orchard Lake. All dads fish for free. Find a full list of events at visit Delco dot com. They say Delcos a lot and they're right. And now everybody enjoy Jesus Lizardo, Jesus, thanks for joining the Philly Show.

00:14:08
Speaker 3: Really appreciate it.

00:14:09
Speaker 2: I hope you're doing well. I want to ask you as we get into June. Had these first few months in Philly exceeded your expectations? What did you expect? What is what has surprised you about pitching in Philly these first couple of months and your own performance?

00:14:28
Speaker 8: Yeah, I mean, I think I think it definitely is a little surprising to me. You know, I feel like every every baseball player has it.

00:14:36
Speaker 1: In them and has that confidence in themselves.

00:14:39
Speaker 8: But you know, I think I've been pitching really well, thankfully, and also just like integrating into the team.

00:14:45
Speaker 1: I didn't know what to expect, coming into a team with.

00:14:48
Speaker 8: Such high, you know, expectations, but also you know, a lot of superstars, a lot of talent, a lot of experience, and it's just blown me away how welcoming everyone is, how you know, how the guys who are you know, quote unquote superstars are just really down to earth guys, you know, one of the boys, and it's been awesome to be a part of it.

00:15:08
Speaker 5: It does.

00:15:10
Speaker 4: Somebody asked me about you the other day. I said, it just looks like he is loving life as a Philly. I mean, pitching in front of forty three thousand people every time you take them mount at home. You've got a great lineup behind you. Like you said, big expectations. I mean, I know Miami was kind of where you're from, but they're in a rebuild. A lot of nights stadium is empty. Just how much have you know, has this done for your just for your enthusiasm, enthusiasm level, And just like I said, loving life is a Philly.

00:15:41
Speaker 8: Yeah, I mean, loving life definitely is the right way to put it, you know, Like you said, playing Miami it was it was home for me, so that was great. But at the same time, when you're not pitching in front of you know, forty thousand, like you are here every night, you know. My last start at home against the Cardinals, I think it was raining and we so I had forty two thousand and like a Wednesday at two pm.

00:16:03
Speaker 1: So that's something that you don't really see all the time. And some of the most fun I've had playing baseball since I was in high school. You know.

00:16:10
Speaker 8: I said that during the Classic, just because of the atmosphere during the Classic, which was awesome, and this kind of replicates it, you know, day in and day out, especially when we have big games like we did yesterday, you know with the Braves and you know, the big Series, when when these teams come in and you really start to feel that home field advantage.

00:16:26
Speaker 9: So I want to go back to your childhood a little bit. You So you were born in Peru, correct, correct? And then your parents I think, if I'm not mistaken. I talked to my brother Luis about this. Did they meet at a game in mark Ibo? In because he told me that.

00:16:43
Speaker 10: I don't think so oh that was the rumor out there that they met at a game that I played for the for the Agul I know you were at least I know, I don't think you played for him, but I think that.

00:16:55
Speaker 7: You were one of their properties. Are what have you?

00:16:57
Speaker 1: Yeah?

00:16:57
Speaker 2: Correct?

00:16:59
Speaker 1: Yeah? No, for me is a big thing.

00:17:03
Speaker 8: My grandpa was, I mean a diehard when when he lived there, he'd go to the games all the time.

00:17:08
Speaker 1: You know, my parents both grew up going to the games, uh separately.

00:17:12
Speaker 8: They they are from Mada gay with both of them, you know, my whole family, I'm probably the only one with I mean within a long long line of generations, cousins, uncles, aunts, everything that wasn't born in Venezuela.

00:17:25
Speaker 1: So I just happened to be born in Peru. But yeah, I do feel Venezuelan, you know, growing up with all the traditions and stuff.

00:17:32
Speaker 2: So you're you're the only person in Major League history born in Peru.

00:17:37
Speaker 3: I believe that's still the case.

00:17:40
Speaker 2: And I know you moved from Peru to Miami right when you were like one or something.

00:17:44
Speaker 1: Yeah, I was one and a half and we moved to ye South Florida.

00:17:47
Speaker 2: Okay, So I mean this might be a dumb question, but is there any sort of like baseball community in Peru where.

00:17:52
Speaker 3: They're like, hey, haze Lousizardo is our guy?

00:17:54
Speaker 2: Or do you ever get like a random tweet from somebody in Peru? I mean, I don't know. I just I was just wondering.

00:18:00
Speaker 8: I mean, I don't I don't have social media anymore, but when I did, when I had Instagram, i'd get very random messages early on in my career from you know, people trying to start leagues up in Peru, which was interesting. I think now they're getting more of an influx of Venezuelan's moving into Peru, which now obviously causes you know, a lot of interest in I think there's gonna be plenty more prouv being born baseball players kind of with the same story that I had, you know, families that maybe moved into Peru and you know, kind of brought that passion with baseball along. But yeah, I mean I can tell it's growing.

00:18:35
Speaker 1: I don't really have family over there or friends, but just from what I have understood, and you know, I kind of keep up with it somewhat and I know that there's there's a good group of baseball players coming out of there.

00:18:46
Speaker 4: Now, were your parents working in Peru or are they students or.

00:18:50
Speaker 8: Yeah, my dad worked from Motorola and so he left Venezuela got a job in Peru and they lived there for three years and that's when I was born.

00:18:58
Speaker 5: I gotcha. That's cool, very cool.

00:19:00
Speaker 9: Hey, So obviously you were grow born, I guess, raised and went to high school in Parkland. I know you're really involved in the community there, and I know that you're involved in a bunch of things. Can you talk about some of the things that you've been doing in the community, and you know what Parkland meant to you and what that that event, that terrible event meant.

00:19:23
Speaker 5: To you as well.

00:19:25
Speaker 8: Yeah, I mean Parkland means everything to me. Yeah, I still lived there in the off seasons. Back home, I still live very close to my family and live right down down the block from Stowman Douglas. Uh, you know where the where the tragedy happened. And you know, it was obviously a tough tough time for for our community as a whole. I think everyone felt it, even if you didn't personally, if you weren't personally affected by it because it's a tight knit community, a smaller community, and you know, I went to high school there, so it really hit home for me. I knew people there at the time, and you know, I see how it affected people. So for me, it's important to get back into the communit and just give back as much as possible using the platform that you know, we have as baseball players.

00:20:05
Speaker 1: Now, I think it's it's cool to be able.

00:20:07
Speaker 8: To express, you know, ourselves in certain ways and give back in certain ways that maybe other people can't. So we've been able to do some kids camps at Stollema Douglas every year, which is it's awesome.

00:20:18
Speaker 1: You know.

00:20:18
Speaker 8: We hope to keep growing and continuing to get better. And then last year I did my first annual golf tournament, which was awesome.

00:20:26
Speaker 5: You know.

00:20:26
Speaker 8: We we did that for my foundation, and we gave back to three foundations in South Florida, the Joe Demagio Children's Hospital, the Boys and Girls Club of Broward County, and ARC Broward, which is a facility for people with special needs. And so, you know, we continue to try to do more and keep growing and get better every time.

00:20:46
Speaker 1: But getting back into the community is something big for me and my family.

00:20:49
Speaker 3: That's awesome.

00:20:50
Speaker 2: And you're doing stuff here too, right, I mean you're like donating per strikeout for the Boys and Girls Club of Philadelphia. Is that you mentioned is Boys and Girls Club something near and do to your hire? Is that just something you kind of connected with.

00:21:03
Speaker 8: I think it's something I just connected with. You know, I went and I saw in South Florida. You know, there's a lot of parts of South Florida that that are pretty rough, and the stuff that they do in those communities to get these kids off the street and on the right path, and not only with the kids, you know, how they affect the community as a whole and what they do.

00:21:21
Speaker 1: I think it's awesome. So I love, you know, giving back and being a part of it. I think, you.

00:21:25
Speaker 8: Know, kids are are the future of the country, so you got to steer them the right way. But at the same time, yeah, here I'm trying to We're doing the strikeout initiative and continuing to try to find ways to get back in the community. I've heard a lot about Chopped the Children's Hospital Philadelphia. I would love to go and get there and see what we could do. My dad's a big He's a coach of the Challenger League in Parkland.

00:21:48
Speaker 1: He works with Anthony Rizzo's father. They're both coaches there.

00:21:51
Speaker 8: And you know, so I'm a big, big part of the Challenger League back home, and I would like to do that here as well. So just trying to find the time. You know, the season's a little tough, but whenever I get a chance, I want to.

00:22:03
Speaker 4: We saw your parents on TV after your first start in Philadelphia and they were, I mean, you pitched great that Now you always pitch great here. I mean, what's this whole experience coming to Philadelphia been like for them?

00:22:17
Speaker 5: Uh?

00:22:17
Speaker 1: They love it.

00:22:18
Speaker 4: Uh.

00:22:18
Speaker 8: You know, I think that they really enjoy the atmosphere and you know this is real, uh you know, real baseball. Not a knock on anywhere else that I've been, but you know, you could feel, like I said, the atmosphere, the home the home field advantage.

00:22:30
Speaker 1: Uh. You know, the buzz around the city going into a game.

00:22:34
Speaker 8: You just see the streets, you know, flooded with Phillies gear and the stadiums, you know, packed, everyone's walking in.

00:22:40
Speaker 1: So it's a good time.

00:22:41
Speaker 8: They're having a great time, you know, making it out to all my starts. They love coming and staying with me and cooking me home cooked meals. So and I don't complain about it.

00:22:49
Speaker 3: That's that's the worst for you either.

00:22:50
Speaker 1: Hey, I'm all for it.

00:22:52
Speaker 9: So I noticed that you're you seem like a pretty emotional guy, and it and it to me from the outside looking in, And you can correct me if I'm wrong, But it seems like the fan base sort of up lifts you up and you get fired up to pitch. I mean, I know you're pretty emotional, and I know you want to do well.

00:23:11
Speaker 7: I mean that sort of seems to be your personality.

00:23:15
Speaker 1: Dude, the fan Does the fan base take you to that next level here? I would say so, yeah. I think that.

00:23:22
Speaker 8: You know, in places where where there's not that many fans, you almost have to create your own adrenaline. And you know, it's not hard to create your own adrenaline when you're facing you know, another big league hitter. So I think we always have those jitters in that adrenaline. But when you know, when you have forty thousand behind you and and they're cheering you on, and you can almost feel like that confidence building. So yeah, I mean I feel like when I'm off the mound, I'm completely different. I'm not really that emotional. I'm pretty level headed and quiet. But when I get on the mound, it's just a different It's just a different human being on there.

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00:24:53
Speaker 4: Now, hay sus I wanted to ask you one more. It's Stoneman Douglas for folks out there who don't know, is an incredible baseball program. Every year they're in the top ten of anybody who ranks high school baseball programs. I mean, obviously Heyeslusuzardo, that Kolbe Mayo, Roman Anthony. I think it was a great prospect with the Red Sox, just a great program. But when I actually hear you speak, you're incredibly well spoken, and I'm imagining you were a good student, did you and you were a big prospect coming out of high school and draft prospect, But did you have a college commitment?

00:25:34
Speaker 8: And think I was planning on going to the University of Miami, and I was pretty pretty dead set on it too.

00:25:40
Speaker 1: I was a pretty good student.

00:25:43
Speaker 8: In high school, and I you know, college is a big thing for my parents. My sister went to college. My parents both went to college, So yeah, I was I was pretty dead set on going to college. The NATS came and obviously offered me life changing money. So it's hard for me to turn away, but I still made a promise to my dad that, you know, I need to get a college degree before I die.

00:26:04
Speaker 1: So I'm gonna promise.

00:26:07
Speaker 3: What are you going to get your degree in?

00:26:10
Speaker 8: I tried finance when I was in rookie ball, but micro macroeconomics wasn't my favorite.

00:26:16
Speaker 1: So now I got to look for something else, maybe business, something. But I told him I would do it, So I'm gonna do it for you. That's terrific.

00:26:24
Speaker 3: That is awesome.

00:26:25
Speaker 2: And you know, one of my favorite stories I've written in a long time, Hazes. A couple of weeks ago, I was talking about just your preparation before a start, and we were talking a lot about your superstitions and for people that haven't did not read that story, like you're very specific. And when you begin your prestart routine, when you walk onto the field, when you make your first throw onto the field, can you kind of talk or you know, tell us a little bit about that, why that started, how that started, and how it might just help you mentally, like get prepared for a start before big game.

00:26:55
Speaker 8: Yeah. For me, just like I have a lot of I'm a big numbers guy. I think you know, numbers have meetings behind them, and you know, I would say, you know, I'm pretty religious as well, so there's a lot of times, you know, I'll just say, you know, show me forty four if I'm on the right path, and I'll randomly be driving to the field and I'll see a forty four license plate, or I'll be rolling out and I'll look on the ceiling and the fan has you know, forty four on it. Just random things like that that, you know, give me a little confidence here and there, a little piece of mind. It almost, you know, it almost assures me.

00:27:27
Speaker 1: That today's my day.

00:27:28
Speaker 8: And but if I don't see it, you know, it's not like I hit the panic button and I'm you know.

00:27:33
Speaker 1: It's the end of the world.

00:27:35
Speaker 8: But yeah, for me, fours and eights have always been big. So anytime I walk out to the field has to add up to a four and eight, and the same with the first throw of the day has to add up to a four or in eight.

00:27:45
Speaker 1: So me and Aj Puck.

00:27:47
Speaker 8: Aj Puck, the reliever with the Diamondbacks, a real good friend of mine, and he kind of feels the same way.

00:27:53
Speaker 1: So we kind of developed that together. He's a reliever.

00:27:56
Speaker 8: So it's a little bit tougher and I'm more superstitious in my routine. But fours and eights have always been been the thing.

00:28:03
Speaker 3: But I mean, obviously you wear the glasses.

00:28:05
Speaker 2: They're not prescription, right, you know that's that's kind of a good luck thing as well. And your coffee order, I love that too, you get it?

00:28:12
Speaker 1: What is it?

00:28:12
Speaker 3: A cold brew with almond milk at Starbucks?

00:28:15
Speaker 1: Yeah?

00:28:15
Speaker 8: And I and now nowadays I can't stand the taste of it. It's just at this point I need to drink it because I'm so supersticious.

00:28:24
Speaker 5: Do they know you yet at the neighborhood Starbucks?

00:28:27
Speaker 1: Not yet, but I'm sure by the end of the season they will.

00:28:30
Speaker 9: Hey, so I've actually I was super superstitious as well. Do you ever try to test it in the minor leagues or anything like that, like try to do something different just so you know you're okay if things don't work out.

00:28:42
Speaker 1: Have you done that before? Yeah? I have. Well, this year I did it with the glove.

00:28:47
Speaker 8: I switched up my glove and normally, I you know, I wear the same gamer all year, whether it's good or bad, and this year I started to I tried like little switches here and there. I actually had a hot coffee one day. I forgot where we were, but it was freezing and I was like, I can't have cold grew and you might have been in Chicago and I had a hot coffee and it went well, and I was like, maybe you know, but I don't like to mess with it too much, so I try to limit my superstition.

00:29:11
Speaker 1: Uh, you know when I when I leave it.

00:29:14
Speaker 3: That's right, I forgot it. You forgot you switched the gloves up.

00:29:16
Speaker 5: You were all.

00:29:17
Speaker 2: You used to only have an all black glove right now you've got like a cream colored one as well that you mix in.

00:29:23
Speaker 5: Yep.

00:29:23
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, that's all.

00:29:24
Speaker 9: I wanted to talk a little bit about Caleb Coffin and how he's affected you so far and what al important he's been to you. Obviously, you came up with the new pitch during the course of the spring training, broke it out, broke out that sweeper. Can you talk a little bit about that overall development as that happened as you built your relationship with Caleb.

00:29:43
Speaker 8: Yeah, Caleb has been awesome for me, and you know, I think we bounced or we we balance each other out pretty well because he's a good mix of like old school, uh, you know, you have old school pitching coaches who are all feel and you know how it looks visually and reading the swing, and then you have a little bit of new school pitching coaches as well, who are very analytic driven. You know, the metrics, say this, you know analytically, this is what we.

00:30:09
Speaker 1: Should throw guys. So he's a perfect mix of both.

00:30:11
Speaker 8: I think he does a good job of analyzing the metrics and the numbers and all that and simplifying it and knowing how to tell a player or a pitcher, you know, what they what they need to hear, and how it's going to help them. I think every guy's different. Some guys might be a little more analytic driven, some guys might be less. So I think he has the perfect mix. And as well, he mixes that with reading swings and visually how that looks. So I think that that's the perfect balance in a pitching coach. And he helped me a lot with the sweeper, Like we've been saying, just he kind of put it in my head. I went ahead and I started tinkering with it. I work out down in West Palm Beach, and you know, so we have some pitching coaches out there that they did a great job with me.

00:30:53
Speaker 1: They kind of showed me a grip. We just went with it, and then you.

00:30:57
Speaker 8: Know, progressively building that into because the new which is a little different stress on the arm. So I was working it progressively in the offseason, filled in Caleb Cotham, Mark Lowie, our pitching guys here, and then when we got to spring, you know, we kind of had to take our lumps and bumps with how we were gonna attack hitters, and we couldn't really We had to find the right the right mesh, the right time, the right places in the count to use it. And you know, by the end of spring, I think we did a really good job with nailing that down.

00:31:26
Speaker 4: I was wondering for the for the listeners and the viewers, could you give us a simple breakdown of the difference between the slot a slider and a sweeper. I mean, you you threw a backfoot slider.

00:31:39
Speaker 5: I remember, uh.

00:31:41
Speaker 4: I think it was Castianos in spring training when somebody asked him, Hey, what do you think again, jose Hayesis Lozzardo, He said, uh, it's great it's a great pitcher, and that backfoot slideer I don't have to face it anymore.

00:31:53
Speaker 5: But now it's a it's a sweeper.

00:31:56
Speaker 4: Just give us a little breakdown of the difference in those two pitches.

00:31:59
Speaker 8: Yeah, so, I mean, basically, I've never had a pitch that moved so much horizontally towards the right handed hitter. Everything was always either very up and down or would run away.

00:32:11
Speaker 1: So now it just helps me. My slider is more of a gyro slider.

00:32:16
Speaker 8: They call it a bullet spin slider, so it spins like a bullet and it kind of just drops visually to me, The good ones have a little turn, but if you look at it analytically, it's it doesn't move at all.

00:32:28
Speaker 1: It doesn't.

00:32:28
Speaker 8: It just stays dead straight, just goes down. So that's I mean, those sliders are very effective, but for me, I needed something that went into the right handed hitter and kind of made them aware of stuff moving into them.

00:32:40
Speaker 1: And then that's where the sweeper comes in. Where you get that whether it's.

00:32:44
Speaker 8: Seven or to ten or to thirteen inches of horizontal movement inwards.

00:32:50
Speaker 3: Do you have a ball with you? Could you show us how you throw it?

00:32:53
Speaker 1: Yeah, for me, this is my sweeper grip guys. A lot of guys mess with the thumb.

00:33:00
Speaker 8: For me, that was like the biggest thing, finding that the thumb on the side would really help me and just have more ball security. And then basically just think of throwing a football and having that ball spin out and then you want that side spin on it and have it tumble away.

00:33:15
Speaker 2: And then what about can you show us how is this the slider different?

00:33:18
Speaker 8: Then I guess, so the slider is right here, and then basically you just throw it, stay behind it, and then that ball you're gonna I'm gonna pronate it and it just spins like that. So then that when it spins like a bullet, it'll just drop as opposed to the side spin.

00:33:32
Speaker 2: So I remember in that first Grapefu League start you threw the sweeper, and I remember you're saying like it's let's I'm trying it. I don't even know if it's going to be a real pitch or not. Were you just kind of trying to lower expectations or were you to legitimate, Like I don't I don't know if this is going to be something I carry in the season, Because now you look at it, and it's like you throw it almost thirty percent of the time, so you know, it's it's become like, really obviously a big part.

00:33:56
Speaker 3: Of your success is here.

00:33:58
Speaker 8: Yeah, Now, I think I was just trying of lower expectations. The second I threw it in the offseason, I knew that this was going to be a weapon for me. It just visually looked really well, metrically looked really well. It was something that I didn't have confidence in the early in spring, at least, I didn't have confidence in the command of it. You know, now I'm able to throw at both sides of the plate, you know, beneath the zone as well, and early on it was just kind of like grip it and rip it and just you know, hope it moves.

00:34:25
Speaker 1: But you know, in the in the years past, I've also.

00:34:27
Speaker 8: Tried to add a cutter, I've tried to add a curveball, and I come into spring with high expectations and I ended up just banging the pitch completely and sticking with what I had.

00:34:36
Speaker 1: So this year is more of let's.

00:34:38
Speaker 8: Just take it slow, let's see what we have, and then you know, as it progressed, obviously became a weapon for me.

00:34:45
Speaker 4: So so the sweeper, I mean, this was not brought up to you in clear Water. This you would trade it to the Phillies and then you had conversations I guess by phone or maybe video with Caleb, and at that point he suggested to sweeper. I mean, it takes some faith in a guy to buy in before even really meeting him in person, doesn't it.

00:35:04
Speaker 1: Yeah.

00:35:05
Speaker 8: I mean, but also if you just look at the track record, you know Zach has added sweeper. I think he's added a couple of pitches and you know, yeah, splitter and it's been it's been incredible. So I mean, just the fact and also him just asking me. He asked me, hey, have you ever thrown a sweeper?

00:35:22
Speaker 1: I said no, and he just left it at that. And I think it was the day I got traded.

00:35:26
Speaker 8: I got home, I called him and he just left it at that, And that kind of sparked my brain into saying, you know, if he's asking me that question, maybe you know he sees something the potential and the sweeper. And then when I brought it back to him, like hey, you know I've been working on the sweeper, he was all for it.

00:35:41
Speaker 1: And you know they loved how it looked.

00:35:44
Speaker 8: But I think, like like I said earlier, Caleb does a great job of he wants guys to mess around and tinker a little bit, but he also wants to simplify it as much as possible, and he kind of leaves it in your court.

00:35:55
Speaker 4: Where does JT fit into your success here in Philadelphia?

00:36:00
Speaker 8: I mean extremely high, you know, not many guys. I would say JT and march On both. March On takes heavily after JT. And in the sense of he it looks like, you know, he follows his every move in a good way because JT is one of the hardest workers I've ever seen in the weight room. On the field, you see him every day you walk in early. He's studying the hitters, doing going over his counter reports, and you know, so it's not by chance that the pitching staff, you know, does what it does. When you have guys behind the plate that really know what they're doing, you know, you have confidence. Every time JT puts a pitch down for me, I have a confidence that he saw something in the video, saw something in the numbers, see something you know in the bat He's great at visually seeing what you know, a hitter swing hitters take the way they set up. I mean, he's just the full package back.

00:36:46
Speaker 1: There, real smart, real tough, and you know he he keeps a cool and.

00:36:52
Speaker 8: Level head back there, especially a guy like me. You know, I get adrenaline flowing and I just want to blow people away sometimes, and he's more of, you know, the level head of let's throw this, let's throw this. You know, let's get this guy out, let's be smart about things. So you know, I wouldn't be where I am today without him.

00:37:07
Speaker 3: For sure.

00:37:09
Speaker 9: You've been in the big leagues sometime now, and you've sort of bounced a little bit to different organizations. Where was it for you when you finally felt like my feet are firmly planted into the ground and I know that I'm going to be a quality major league baseball player.

00:37:27
Speaker 3: And what was that like to Because I.

00:37:30
Speaker 9: Went through that moment at some point, I wasn't ever a quality but I felt much more comfortable in my own skin as a major league player.

00:37:36
Speaker 7: And I was curious as to when it happened for you.

00:37:39
Speaker 8: And how Yeah, for me, I would say twenty twenty three with the Marlins was the year that you know, I was I think my fifth year, parts of five years in the big leagues.

00:37:52
Speaker 1: You know, I was a little older.

00:37:53
Speaker 8: Got more mature, and just understanding. You know, that year I threw, I had a full season of health through thirty two starts, i want to say, or thirty one starts, understood what it took to be, you know, a full season starting pitcher and how long that season really is. But I felt like that was where I kind of turned the point, you know, early in the year that year that I felt like every time I went out there, you know, I could give us a chance to win, doesn't matter who's on the other side.

00:38:18
Speaker 1: And you know, last.

00:38:20
Speaker 8: Year was frustrating, but being an open day opening Day started for the Marlins, it was just it was just for me kind of gave me that confidence, even though I got hurt at the end of last year going into this year, just remembering, you know, you can't do it. You know, you've been there before, you've done it, you know, so it's nothing new. And so now just coming in here, I had, like you said, I already felt like, you know, I had to established myself somewhat, and then coming to a team who had already faced me and knew what I could do.

00:38:48
Speaker 1: It didn't feel like I had to to go out and do more.

00:38:51
Speaker 2: Jesus, talking a lot of your teammates, they say, oh, man, Jesus, man, he he's a real competitor.

00:38:57
Speaker 3: Man, this this dude competes. This dude.

00:38:59
Speaker 2: I remember actually ask Kyle Schuber after a game and go, you guys always say that, but what does that actually mean? Like when you say a guy as a competitor and he says, it's kind of like a vibe maybe or just so you can just tell that he's going to grind through it even if things are going right.

00:39:10
Speaker 3: I'm wondering, like before.

00:39:12
Speaker 2: A game, during a game, or you guy that you know, don't talk to me, like, guys wanna stay out of my way? Can you have a conversation with teammates Like is that part maybe what they're talking about or what do you.

00:39:23
Speaker 3: Think they mean when they say that.

00:39:26
Speaker 5: I don't know.

00:39:26
Speaker 8: I mean, I think one of the greatest compliments you can ever get is, you know, being a competitor. I always want to compete, you know, watching that Michael Jordan documentary when he says I have a competition problem, Like I really have a competition problem. I just love to compete and whether it doesn't matter what we're doing. We could be playing Domino's, playing horse basketball, it doesn't matter anything. I always want to win. But I think you know, before games if you ask, if you ask a lot of the guys, some guys might give you mixed answers. A lot of the Latin guys say that they can't talk to me before I pitch because I'm pretty liked. But I feel like, you know, I'm pretty easy going. Guys can talk to me. I can have a conversation. But like when it's a couple hours before the game and I have my headphones on, like I'm I'm locked in one hundred percent and I'm ready to go, and I feel like I just turned it, Like I said, I turned into someone else when I when I go to pitch, and it's just a very competitive, always on go and then the second that you know, Skip tells me I'm done, then then it's over.

00:40:25
Speaker 1: Then I am smiling again.

00:40:27
Speaker 8: I'm messing around, But uh, there's not much messing around going on on day games for me.

00:40:32
Speaker 2: What are you listening to pregame to get you in the zone?

00:40:35
Speaker 1: Uh, it's a good mix. I got some Latin music some uh someday, don't A lot of rap, A lot of old school rap, uh New York like nineties, Uh, mob deep like that type of stuff.

00:40:46
Speaker 5: Nice.

00:40:48
Speaker 9: Hey, So it's just kind of curious, just on the sort of the lighter side. What other things do you like to do off the field, I mean the many hobbies your interests, or you're a golfer, your fisherman, what do you what kind of stuff do you.

00:40:59
Speaker 8: Do a little bit of everything. I like to I like to fish a lot back home.

00:41:03
Speaker 1: I don't have a boat, but anytime I get invited out on one, I'll be there. Able to afford plenty of boats hopefully hopefully soon.

00:41:10
Speaker 8: Yeah, but a lot of lake fishing around my house. Big big golfer leg going to the beach, anything really outdoors, you know, back home in the winters, Florida's beautiful, so we try to get out, whether it's the beach, paddleboarding, fishing, golf. I like to hunt every once in a while if I get invited for that. So I'm a little bit of everything.

00:41:33
Speaker 4: Hey, before we before we run out of time, I wanted to tell you have a history with Andrew Painter from the same area, worked out the same facility. Uh, you spent some time obviously in spring training. Tell the Phillies fans what they're gonna get from this kid, Probably they're not too near a future.

00:41:49
Speaker 8: Yeah, Painters is awesome, you know. I I love messing with him. He's an awesome kid, great kid, hard worker. That's what kind of blows me away. He's he's very mature for his age. He almost acts like, uh, you know, I view him as as a peer of my own age. I remember going and visiting, uh his high school coach at the time, and he was in high school, and it just kind of blew me away. I'd always heard a lot about him, he was way younger than me. But yeah, the more I got to know him, you know, a couple of seasons ago, we played a lot of pickball together and uh so we got very competitive at that and we were It's just great, great to see, you know, that side of him outside of the baseball field, because you know how good of a kid he is, how hard he works. Uh, but when he when he does turn it on, when he starts to play and when he starts to pitch, you could see kind of that mode going for him, and that's when you know he wants to do the best. And I think that that's what makes him so good is that, you know, he's always striving to be great and uh, you know, I think that.

00:42:44
Speaker 1: That it's something that he can definitely achieve. So I'm excited for him.

00:42:47
Speaker 4: Did he have kind of a legendary aura as a high school kid?

00:42:51
Speaker 8: Uh?

00:42:52
Speaker 1: Yeah.

00:42:52
Speaker 8: I mean you have a lot of good baseball players coming out of South Florida, so there's a you know that that joke of like a prospect a suspect, you never know what they're gonna be. But I feel like at an early age, you could tell.

00:43:05
Speaker 1: That Painter was just going to be, you know, a stud.

00:43:09
Speaker 8: You know, he had the build for it, but he wasn't you know, extremely loud and cocky kid. He was just kind of quiet under the radar, and he would just he would just be really good.

00:43:17
Speaker 1: So yeah, it's it was.

00:43:20
Speaker 8: It's incredible to see. But yeah, we have we have a lot of soft Florida guys on this team. It's actually it's actually pretty fun to be around you. Yeah, me and Maxwell's are the day I actually blow out my elbow in high school my senior year, he was the starting pitcher on the other side.

00:43:34
Speaker 3: Really, wow, that's wild. Who's better at pick a ball? Who wins me?

00:43:39
Speaker 1: You could ask?

00:43:40
Speaker 8: Yeah, eyeball any stinks at it? But yeah, if you ever talked to him about pick a ball, you.

00:43:45
Speaker 1: Gotta ask him. You're left myself.

00:43:48
Speaker 5: Yes, what's your rating? You got? You got you rated?

00:43:51
Speaker 4: No, I don't know.

00:43:52
Speaker 8: My dad plays every day all day long. He's like a four four and I don't know. So he's pretty good.

00:43:57
Speaker 1: I'm not. I just go and try to keep up with him. That's awesome.

00:44:01
Speaker 2: And then one last one for me is are you're a hockey fan as well?

00:44:04
Speaker 9: Right?

00:44:04
Speaker 2: Are you a Panthers fan?

00:44:05
Speaker 1: Panthers fan?

00:44:06
Speaker 2: Okay, so Congratsia? Yeah, did you did you get on uh Jordan's and Thomas?

00:44:14
Speaker 5: I was.

00:44:15
Speaker 8: I was talking a lot of a lot of smack to Topper. I might have got on his nerve a little bit, which was pretty funny. But yeah, me and Jordan, I mean we were going out it left and right. I knew he was a big Toronto Leaf fan, so every every chance I got, I could chirp him.

00:44:30
Speaker 4: So the deciding game between the Leafs and the Panthers was on when you guys were on the plane and route to Denver.

00:44:38
Speaker 5: Were you able to watch that game?

00:44:40
Speaker 1: Yeah, me and me and Jordan were sitting next to each other. I had the game on. I was cheering every time we scored. It was great.

00:44:45
Speaker 5: And then they absolutely blitzed Caroline.

00:44:48
Speaker 8: Yeah again, Yeah, thankfully, that's the fantastic. Hopefully they do the same as last year and they'd be Mike Jesus, but we'll see.

00:44:57
Speaker 4: He's but some of the Panthers, man, they are.

00:45:02
Speaker 8: Yeah, I love one thing I will say, But I mean I've been going to those games since I was thirteen. We used to park across the street and scout tickets for like seven bucks. In high school, they weren't great, so now seeing where they are now, but I just love seeing how gritty they are. It's something that honestly like fires me up and and and uh, you know, I love that side of hockey that we can I wish we could bring into baseball, how gritty they are and how in their in their face they are all the time. You know, they're always, you know, just trying to get under the skin of the other team. And I love that about them. I love Matthew Chuck. I'm a big fan of his.

00:45:38
Speaker 5: I like him too.

00:45:39
Speaker 4: He's he's a he's a good player all around and you'll get onto your skin. He's tough at his brother. I mean, look what they did in the UH in the Four Nations. So yeah, well that it's gonna be a great final. I love the fun and Stanley Cupp as well.

00:45:55
Speaker 1: That's gonna be great.

00:45:56
Speaker 3: Yeah.

00:45:57
Speaker 2: Well, hazus, thanks a lot, like good luck to your panthers, and good.

00:46:00
Speaker 5: Luck to you for the rest of the season.

00:46:02
Speaker 2: We had a lot of fun talking to you, so thanks so much for joining us.

00:46:06
Speaker 1: Man, it was great.

00:46:07
Speaker 2: The Philly Show is brought to you by the Foul Territory Network. Subscribe to The Philly Show on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. If you like us, give us a review, Follow us on Instagram, TikTok x, Facebook, and threads. Find Rubens analysis before, during, and after Phillies games on NBC Sports Philadelphia, on the Sports Radio ninety four, WIP Morning Show, and MLB Network. Find Jim at all phl y dot com. Find me at MLB dot com

00:46:34
Speaker 3: The Phillies Beat newsletter, and MLB Network