Post by THE Mister Marlin on Nov 22, 2007 11:09:23 GMT -5
MIAMI -- Dealing with a young Florida pitching staff is nothing new for Mark Wiley. What will be different now in his second stint as a Marlins coach is a number of the names have changed from a few years ago.
Hired recently as the Marlins' pitching coach, Wiley regains the title he previously held on manager Jack McKeon's staff in 2005.
Back then, Wiley worked with a rotation that featured Josh Beckett, A.J. Burnett and Dontrelle Willis. In the first half of the '05 season, Al Leiter was part of the rotation before his struggles led to him being designated for assignment and eventually dealt to the Yankees for cash considerations.
Filling Leiter's spot was lefty Jason Vargas, then a rookie who stepped up then and finished 5-5 with a 4.03 ERA in 13 starts. Veteran Brian Moehler also collected his share of starts, 25 in all, due to injuries and inconsistencies.
Those Marlins challenged in the Wild Card race until mid-September, only to stumble in the final weeks on their way to an 83-79 finish. The rotation, however, featured a breakout year from Willis, who paced the Major Leagues with 22 wins. Beckett, now a playoff hero and 20-game winner for the Red Sox, enjoyed his first winning big league season in '05, going 15-8 with a 3.38 ERA.
Now, only Willis remains, and it remains unclear if the D-Train will be with the club when Spring Training opens in February. The Tigers are among the teams that have inquired about the 25-year-old left-hander, a two-time All-Star.
Barring any trades or free-agent signings, the projected rotation now includes Willis, Scott Olsen, Sergio Mitre and Rick VandenHurk. The fifth spot is up for grabs. If healthy, Ricky Nolasco, who is throwing well at the Arizona Fall League, and Anibal Sanchez, recovering from shoulder surgery, will be in the mix.
Wiley says working with young pitchers requires making them feel they belong.
"I really believe that you can overanalyze," Wiley said. "When you are competing in the big leagues, and you first get there, there are mechanical things that you need to keep an eye on. But it's really the mental approach of the game that really short-circuits some guys and keeps them from being real comfortable at the big league level."
Injuries ravaged the Florida rotation last season, creating a difficult challenge for then-pitching coach Rick Kranitz, recently hired by the Orioles.
VandenHurk's rapid rise to the big leagues is a prime example of what transpired. The right-hander from the Netherlands was slated to open his season at Double-A Carolina. But some injuries to other pitchers resulted in him making a big league start before he tossed a pitch at the Double-A level.
"I know we had some guys who got moved pretty quickly last year," Wiley said. "VandenHurk was moved along pretty quickly, because of injuries he was forced to go there.
"He did some of the stuff young guys are going to do. His stuff is good. He's a physical guy. He looks like he can establish himself as a solid Major League pitcher. He just got there early and he had to learn on the run."
Shoring up the rotation is the organization and Wiley's biggest offseason challenge.
In '07, the Marlins' starting pitchers had a Major League-worst 5.58 ERA to go along with a 42-63 record. Their opponents' batting average against was .304, which also ranked last in the big leagues.
Counting the relievers, the Marlins' team ERA was 4.94, and the staff's 661 walks were the third most in the Majors.
"I feel it's important to make the guy aware of the things he has to do to make himself better," Wiley said. "The physical things, the mental things, the preparation -- the things you hear so much about -- the young guys really haven't had a lot of practice in those areas. It's my job to teach them. I've always felt it is very important to be on the same page with the catchers. That's why I have the catchers in the pitchers' meetings all the time. They are such a big part of helping the pitchers be successful."
Getting their starters deeper into games will be essential to the Marlins next season. Last season's starters compiled 857 innings, joining Texas and Washington as one of three rotations not to post a complete game.
In 2005, the Florida starters ranked eighth in the Major Leagues in ERA (3.81), and they compiled a 65-57 record. Their 14 complete games were second only to St. Louis' 15, and the Florida starters logged 967 1/3 innings.
For the past two seasons, Wiley served as a special assistant in the Colorado organization. He makes his year-round home in Boca Raton, Fla., which made it easier for him to scout a number of Marlins games.
"For me, when I've had young pitchers, there are a lot of things that go into making that guy aware and feeling good about himself, and having him feel like he can compete at the Major League level," Wiley said. "When he feels like he is not in over his head, and that he is accepted as a big league player, once a guy feels those things, he becomes much better rather quickly."
Hired recently as the Marlins' pitching coach, Wiley regains the title he previously held on manager Jack McKeon's staff in 2005.
Back then, Wiley worked with a rotation that featured Josh Beckett, A.J. Burnett and Dontrelle Willis. In the first half of the '05 season, Al Leiter was part of the rotation before his struggles led to him being designated for assignment and eventually dealt to the Yankees for cash considerations.
Filling Leiter's spot was lefty Jason Vargas, then a rookie who stepped up then and finished 5-5 with a 4.03 ERA in 13 starts. Veteran Brian Moehler also collected his share of starts, 25 in all, due to injuries and inconsistencies.
Those Marlins challenged in the Wild Card race until mid-September, only to stumble in the final weeks on their way to an 83-79 finish. The rotation, however, featured a breakout year from Willis, who paced the Major Leagues with 22 wins. Beckett, now a playoff hero and 20-game winner for the Red Sox, enjoyed his first winning big league season in '05, going 15-8 with a 3.38 ERA.
Now, only Willis remains, and it remains unclear if the D-Train will be with the club when Spring Training opens in February. The Tigers are among the teams that have inquired about the 25-year-old left-hander, a two-time All-Star.
Barring any trades or free-agent signings, the projected rotation now includes Willis, Scott Olsen, Sergio Mitre and Rick VandenHurk. The fifth spot is up for grabs. If healthy, Ricky Nolasco, who is throwing well at the Arizona Fall League, and Anibal Sanchez, recovering from shoulder surgery, will be in the mix.
Wiley says working with young pitchers requires making them feel they belong.
"I really believe that you can overanalyze," Wiley said. "When you are competing in the big leagues, and you first get there, there are mechanical things that you need to keep an eye on. But it's really the mental approach of the game that really short-circuits some guys and keeps them from being real comfortable at the big league level."
Injuries ravaged the Florida rotation last season, creating a difficult challenge for then-pitching coach Rick Kranitz, recently hired by the Orioles.
VandenHurk's rapid rise to the big leagues is a prime example of what transpired. The right-hander from the Netherlands was slated to open his season at Double-A Carolina. But some injuries to other pitchers resulted in him making a big league start before he tossed a pitch at the Double-A level.
"I know we had some guys who got moved pretty quickly last year," Wiley said. "VandenHurk was moved along pretty quickly, because of injuries he was forced to go there.
"He did some of the stuff young guys are going to do. His stuff is good. He's a physical guy. He looks like he can establish himself as a solid Major League pitcher. He just got there early and he had to learn on the run."
Shoring up the rotation is the organization and Wiley's biggest offseason challenge.
In '07, the Marlins' starting pitchers had a Major League-worst 5.58 ERA to go along with a 42-63 record. Their opponents' batting average against was .304, which also ranked last in the big leagues.
Counting the relievers, the Marlins' team ERA was 4.94, and the staff's 661 walks were the third most in the Majors.
"I feel it's important to make the guy aware of the things he has to do to make himself better," Wiley said. "The physical things, the mental things, the preparation -- the things you hear so much about -- the young guys really haven't had a lot of practice in those areas. It's my job to teach them. I've always felt it is very important to be on the same page with the catchers. That's why I have the catchers in the pitchers' meetings all the time. They are such a big part of helping the pitchers be successful."
Getting their starters deeper into games will be essential to the Marlins next season. Last season's starters compiled 857 innings, joining Texas and Washington as one of three rotations not to post a complete game.
In 2005, the Florida starters ranked eighth in the Major Leagues in ERA (3.81), and they compiled a 65-57 record. Their 14 complete games were second only to St. Louis' 15, and the Florida starters logged 967 1/3 innings.
For the past two seasons, Wiley served as a special assistant in the Colorado organization. He makes his year-round home in Boca Raton, Fla., which made it easier for him to scout a number of Marlins games.
"For me, when I've had young pitchers, there are a lot of things that go into making that guy aware and feeling good about himself, and having him feel like he can compete at the Major League level," Wiley said. "When he feels like he is not in over his head, and that he is accepted as a big league player, once a guy feels those things, he becomes much better rather quickly."
