As you should know by now, the Marlins have added Randy St. Claire to the coaching staff.
The Marlins have hired former Washington Nationals pitching coach Randy St. Claire as their new pitching coach, a source said Tuesday. St. Claire confirmed he has agreed to a two-year deal.
``I'm very excited -- what a great staff to be able to work with,'' St. Claire said. ``I've seen them pitch a whole lot, and it's a very talented group, and I'm looking forward to working with them. I'm not going to come in and start making wholesale changes on guys. I think some of the guys have pretty solid mechanics, and their deliveries are good.
``It's more watching them and getting familiar with them and seeing if there are some minor things that can lead to major changes.''
While I'm not an avid follower of the Nationals, though I do pay some attention to the team, I can't say I know much about his style of coaching. Normally, when a pitching coach is replaced by someone in the organization, St. Claire's case, you can sometimes learn something about him from the comments of the coach who replaces him. Of course, this doesn't work if the replacement is from an outside the organization.
So let's see what Steve McCatty and the Washington press had to say:
With McCatty, the Nationals have adopted a philosophical shift -- a change they hope can aid the staff's tendency to nibble at the strike zone.
That shift being:
The move brings a new voice and different philosophy into the clubhouse. Where St. Claire was big on watching video and working on fixing the mechanical problems his pitchers were having, McCatty described himself as "an old-school" pitching coach. His philosophy – while not ignoring mechanics and video work – is geared towards preparing his pitchers mentally for the stressful situations they will face.
"I firmly believe that when you're in the big leagues you're talented enough that if your mental approach will allow you to compete and just go out and be aggressive and attack the zone, I think you're going to find out you'll have lower pitch counts, a lot more innings pitched and more success," McCatty said. "I really think that a positive approach is more effective at times than always worrying about, 'Well, where are my hands at?’ Where am I at on the rubber?’ Where am I landing here?' By the time you do all that, when you go to throw the ball you're not making the pitch you need to make."
(Emphasis is mine.)
Hmmm... I'm all for working on mechanics, it helps one to pitch more efficiently and if done right, keeps you off of Dr. Andrews team. However, thinking about them during a game? That normally doesn't lead to good results. Oh sure, telling a pitcher during the game that his glove hand is flying open is one thing, but a pitcher constantly thinking about mechanics while pitching is another. That is what bullpen sessions are for.
Like I said I haven't followed his work throughout his coaching career, so I really don't know what to expect. And I am willing to give the man a fresh start. Time will soon tell whether his nickname will be: Saint or Jerky.