WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.360 --> 00:00:05.839 Not five miles an hour, ratting two his head, he 2 00:00:05.960 --> 00:00:06.879 hopped down. 3 00:00:06.879 --> 00:00:11.839 First with the mount Bonius face, and on the very 4 00:00:12.039 --> 00:00:15.759 next pitch he up in stow second fase. 5 00:00:17.760 --> 00:00:19.120 With gretest. 6 00:00:21.000 --> 00:00:28.000 He wasn't born, he had dir Yes uniform. 7 00:00:28.559 --> 00:00:32.520 All right, what is up you muddy be siders. We 8 00:00:32.799 --> 00:00:37.000 have a great show coming up for you episode forty. 9 00:00:37.359 --> 00:00:41.840 My friend is joining Nate Handy and the rook to 10 00:00:41.960 --> 00:00:45.920 talk about his brand new pitching coach job, evaluating those 11 00:00:46.039 --> 00:00:49.880 dumb non athlete pitchers and maybe we'll get into some 12 00:00:50.079 --> 00:00:53.240 good old storytelling or two. But Nate, can we welcome 13 00:00:53.280 --> 00:00:58.479 in my buddy, pitching coach for the University of Washington Huskies, 14 00:00:58.719 --> 00:01:00.640 Connor Lambert Connor, Hi, you doing. 15 00:01:00.799 --> 00:01:03.079 Matt, I'm doing great. Thanks for having me, Nate. Thank 16 00:01:03.119 --> 00:01:05.439 you guys. Allow me to come on the show and 17 00:01:05.599 --> 00:01:09.359 talk a little ball and yeah, maybe enlighten some folks 18 00:01:09.640 --> 00:01:12.799 or not, you know whatever, maybe make it people a 19 00:01:12.840 --> 00:01:14.879 little dumber. I don't know, but I'll do my best. 20 00:01:14.920 --> 00:01:16.840 And that's what we do here. 21 00:01:16.879 --> 00:01:20.760 Con We we are just spouting nonsense left and right. 22 00:01:20.840 --> 00:01:23.799 Occasionally we're right, and when we're right, we call back 23 00:01:23.840 --> 00:01:25.599 to it all the time, and then we just ignore 24 00:01:25.640 --> 00:01:28.319 the times where we're wrong. That's the Nate Handy specially 25 00:01:28.319 --> 00:01:31.120 I learned from the best. But Nate has wanted to 26 00:01:31.159 --> 00:01:34.840 have you on this podcast, like since he heard about you. 27 00:01:35.040 --> 00:01:38.159 He's obviously, as our listeners know, a huge pitching guy. 28 00:01:38.319 --> 00:01:40.879 And I'll give Nate some credit. He is pretty good 29 00:01:41.000 --> 00:01:44.239 at evaluating guys based on just a couple of looks 30 00:01:44.680 --> 00:01:46.760 here and there. So he I think you and here 31 00:01:46.760 --> 00:01:49.480 are going to really geek out. So it's an exciting 32 00:01:49.519 --> 00:01:51.719 time for Nate. He can't even get a word in 33 00:01:51.799 --> 00:01:54.439 because he's so giddy. He's like, you guys can't see 34 00:01:54.480 --> 00:01:56.640 him on the pod, but he's like literally in his 35 00:01:56.719 --> 00:01:59.400 corner in his garage laughing because he's so excited. 36 00:01:59.640 --> 00:02:02.359 That is true. Like I said before we started recording, 37 00:02:02.439 --> 00:02:04.959 Connor like, just thank you man. I've just always wanted 38 00:02:05.000 --> 00:02:08.000 to talk to a stud badass pitching coach, and you're 39 00:02:08.000 --> 00:02:10.639 making that happen here. So thank you. Thanks for coming on. 40 00:02:10.800 --> 00:02:13.199 Oh Nate, you're too you're too kind. Yeah. No, it's 41 00:02:13.599 --> 00:02:17.599 what you just described about recruiting and seeing guys you 42 00:02:17.599 --> 00:02:19.439 know a couple of times and being able to evaluate. 43 00:02:19.719 --> 00:02:22.000 That's my job right there. That's that's what it is. 44 00:02:22.080 --> 00:02:24.240 So if I can shed any light, hope to I 45 00:02:24.280 --> 00:02:26.240 hope to be able to do that. You guys are awesome, obviously, 46 00:02:26.280 --> 00:02:28.120 Matt and me go way back, and Nate, you can 47 00:02:28.120 --> 00:02:30.319 stop using badass because I don't know about it. 48 00:02:31.520 --> 00:02:34.520 Well, I don't know our listeners might not agree with 49 00:02:34.560 --> 00:02:37.120 that here after we get going here. But congratulations on 50 00:02:37.199 --> 00:02:39.520 the new gig man. You've been at it for what 51 00:02:39.680 --> 00:02:40.960 on the job for a month now? 52 00:02:41.159 --> 00:02:41.319 Is that? 53 00:02:41.439 --> 00:02:41.719 Yeah? 54 00:02:41.800 --> 00:02:44.960 Yeah, a little over. Yeah, it's been it truly has 55 00:02:45.000 --> 00:02:47.120 felt like work from home because I'm still down here 56 00:02:47.159 --> 00:02:49.520 in Portland. I'm sitting in a kitchen full of boxes. 57 00:02:49.680 --> 00:02:51.919 We're getting ready to move up here in weeks time. 58 00:02:52.039 --> 00:02:54.080 I've just been kind of working out of PDX and 59 00:02:54.199 --> 00:02:56.000 flying to where I need to fly and seeing the 60 00:02:56.039 --> 00:02:58.840 guys and doing the recruiting trail. But that's we're in 61 00:02:58.879 --> 00:03:01.120 a quiet period now. So we had camp last week 62 00:03:01.520 --> 00:03:03.000 for a full week, so I was up in Seattle 63 00:03:03.199 --> 00:03:05.080 kind of. It's almost a little bit of commuting but 64 00:03:05.199 --> 00:03:07.000 being able to stay with some buddies up in Seattle, 65 00:03:07.000 --> 00:03:09.280 and it's been good. It's a lot of evaluation, it's 66 00:03:09.280 --> 00:03:11.080 a lot of meetings, it's a lot of catching up. Man, 67 00:03:11.120 --> 00:03:12.960 It's it's a lot of zoom calls right now. It's 68 00:03:13.120 --> 00:03:17.280 time period for college baseball coaches is you know, we 69 00:03:17.400 --> 00:03:20.719 just got the ability to start talking to the twenty 70 00:03:20.800 --> 00:03:23.039 twenty sixth class, which are juniors to be in high school, 71 00:03:23.080 --> 00:03:25.039 and so it's a lot of phone time. And then 72 00:03:25.120 --> 00:03:27.199 once we get into September, we can start having those 73 00:03:27.360 --> 00:03:29.919 that class on campus. So you're rounding out your your 74 00:03:29.919 --> 00:03:31.840 twenty twenty five class a little bit. You know. I 75 00:03:31.840 --> 00:03:34.960 think there's some different dynamics to that with transfer portal, 76 00:03:35.120 --> 00:03:37.400 you know, and your twenty twenty five class and that 77 00:03:37.560 --> 00:03:39.439 being something it's come full circle at the end of 78 00:03:39.719 --> 00:03:41.560 or at the at the end of May next year. 79 00:03:41.599 --> 00:03:43.960 And then yeah, and then the twenty sixth class. You're 80 00:03:43.960 --> 00:03:46.000 oping to add a few guys early right now and 81 00:03:46.240 --> 00:03:48.479 continue to evaluate. But I mean, it's it's a little 82 00:03:48.479 --> 00:03:50.319 bit of a mess. I mean, the NCAA is coming 83 00:03:50.360 --> 00:03:52.759 down with different roster sizes right now, what they're going 84 00:03:52.840 --> 00:03:55.319 to do with scholarships. You know, courts are deciding a 85 00:03:55.319 --> 00:03:57.159 lot of the stuff right now. I just actually read 86 00:03:57.159 --> 00:03:59.599 something on Yahoo our head coach done us something about 87 00:03:59.719 --> 00:04:03.000 not not necessary lawsuits, but just things that student athlete 88 00:04:03.240 --> 00:04:06.680 representatives are wanting to accept or not wanting to accept. 89 00:04:06.680 --> 00:04:09.400 And it's no one knows what roster sizes are going 90 00:04:09.439 --> 00:04:11.680 to look like. So like recruiting is truly in the 91 00:04:11.759 --> 00:04:14.159 dark right now, which is just different. Sorry to ramp on, 92 00:04:14.280 --> 00:04:16.959 but a new territory for all of us coaches and 93 00:04:17.439 --> 00:04:21.000 so that's it means extra conversations that last probably too 94 00:04:21.040 --> 00:04:22.720 long about how we're going to do this or how 95 00:04:22.720 --> 00:04:24.759 we're going to do that, and just kind of the 96 00:04:25.120 --> 00:04:26.160 nature of the beast right now. 97 00:04:26.360 --> 00:04:28.279 I was going to ask you about that Connor. You know, 98 00:04:28.319 --> 00:04:32.079 we've talked about this before, but the transfer portal didn't 99 00:04:32.079 --> 00:04:36.800 exist when we were playing, and that wasn't really something 100 00:04:36.839 --> 00:04:40.000 that was available to us. How has that changed the 101 00:04:40.040 --> 00:04:43.920 recruiting landscape? I mean, obviously, like coaching changes happen and 102 00:04:44.000 --> 00:04:46.680 then guys are going all over the place and we 103 00:04:46.680 --> 00:04:49.160 saw some of those dominoes led to you end up 104 00:04:49.199 --> 00:04:51.519 moving through it to Seattle too. How do you guys 105 00:04:51.560 --> 00:04:54.000 approach that as a staff that you did with the 106 00:04:54.040 --> 00:04:57.399 transfer portals? What are those conversations look like when somebody 107 00:04:57.519 --> 00:05:00.199 enters the portal to you, landing them. 108 00:05:00.120 --> 00:05:02.639 Hard to speak just yet about what our conversations look 109 00:05:02.720 --> 00:05:05.000 like for getting guys in the transfer portal. I know 110 00:05:05.120 --> 00:05:08.360 that we have preliminary conversations right now just about the 111 00:05:08.360 --> 00:05:10.560 idea of what we want to do. And I think 112 00:05:10.600 --> 00:05:14.720 that being older in college baseball is a smart thing, 113 00:05:14.879 --> 00:05:17.800 you know, whereas like you know, at the professional level, 114 00:05:17.839 --> 00:05:20.199 like we want old players on our roster. I mean 115 00:05:20.480 --> 00:05:21.959 that kind of is the deal. I mean, that's not 116 00:05:21.959 --> 00:05:23.759 to say we don't want freshmen to come in and 117 00:05:23.759 --> 00:05:25.680 develop them and do that thing. I think that's something 118 00:05:25.680 --> 00:05:27.759 that I really specialize in, to be honest, is taking 119 00:05:27.800 --> 00:05:30.279 guys that are younger and you know, really helping them 120 00:05:30.639 --> 00:05:32.680 mentor them through those those years. And I think that's 121 00:05:32.680 --> 00:05:35.560 where I had a lot of success at Portland. Transfer portal. 122 00:05:35.720 --> 00:05:39.560 Landscape is just all about money. It feels like nil 123 00:05:39.839 --> 00:05:41.639 and what can you do for me? And I get it. 124 00:05:41.800 --> 00:05:43.600 That's a part of it, you know. I think you 125 00:05:43.680 --> 00:05:45.800 feel like you can add to your roster, you know, 126 00:05:45.839 --> 00:05:47.519 if we have two or three spots open right now 127 00:05:47.560 --> 00:05:49.480 in our twenty twenty five class for let's say, what 128 00:05:49.560 --> 00:05:52.079 we are projecting as just a thirty four man roster, 129 00:05:52.199 --> 00:05:54.560 which is hard to say because who knows, but let's 130 00:05:54.560 --> 00:05:56.800 just use that as a baseline. We might just go, hey, 131 00:05:56.800 --> 00:05:58.519 we're going to punt this down the road. You know, 132 00:05:58.560 --> 00:05:59.879 we're going to call it good on the twenty twenty 133 00:05:59.879 --> 00:06:02.759 five incoming freshmen, and we're going to we're gonna just 134 00:06:02.879 --> 00:06:04.839 plan on that we're going to figure out two or 135 00:06:04.839 --> 00:06:06.759 three guys in the four thousand guys that into the 136 00:06:06.800 --> 00:06:09.120 transfer portal come next to May at the end of 137 00:06:09.160 --> 00:06:11.920 May or whatever so, and then rifling through that is 138 00:06:12.040 --> 00:06:15.040 just its own beast. I mean, I sat there the summer. 139 00:06:15.199 --> 00:06:18.680 There's you know, on the nc DOUAA website Transfer Portal. 140 00:06:19.000 --> 00:06:22.480 It updates daily daily, and if you are actually not 141 00:06:22.600 --> 00:06:25.199 paying attention to it daily, it's so easy to get behind. 142 00:06:25.639 --> 00:06:28.920 Like waivers Nate, like you sift them through our muddy 143 00:06:28.959 --> 00:06:31.160 b siders to find the guys that you like. 144 00:06:32.160 --> 00:06:34.240 And then on top of that, you have other websites 145 00:06:34.279 --> 00:06:37.000 that are uploading that data and they're now putting, you know, 146 00:06:37.040 --> 00:06:39.600 statistics with the It's truly like a it's a free 147 00:06:39.600 --> 00:06:42.600 agent pool. Yeah, it's it's interesting. Some of the websites 148 00:06:42.639 --> 00:06:44.920 that I was using this this summer to just kind 149 00:06:44.959 --> 00:06:48.759 of help me navigate all their positions, their stats. You know, 150 00:06:49.759 --> 00:06:51.560 kind of using the key stats that I like to 151 00:06:51.600 --> 00:06:54.160 look at and evaluating, you know, just raw data on 152 00:06:54.279 --> 00:06:56.680 these guys and figuring out who's good. The problem is 153 00:06:57.120 --> 00:06:59.319 everyone probably looks at the similar things and go i 154 00:06:59.319 --> 00:07:02.199 mean pictures they go first, like a good picture, answer 155 00:07:02.279 --> 00:07:05.720 to portal. It's like the hottest girl opening to go 156 00:07:05.759 --> 00:07:08.199 to prom, you know, so it's like everyone lines up 157 00:07:08.279 --> 00:07:10.920 take her to prom, and you know, hitters, position players. 158 00:07:11.480 --> 00:07:13.480 It's not as if the best ones don't go pretty quick, 159 00:07:13.480 --> 00:07:15.720 because they do. But you know, the really high profile 160 00:07:15.839 --> 00:07:17.600 names what's his name that went to A and M 161 00:07:17.639 --> 00:07:21.040 from Stanford Montgomery like that drops into the portal. I 162 00:07:21.040 --> 00:07:24.639 mean it's within you know, hours. To be honest, it's 163 00:07:24.639 --> 00:07:27.279 probably I mean, I'm not saying this happens, but it 164 00:07:27.360 --> 00:07:29.279 does seem like it. It's you know, he already knows 165 00:07:29.319 --> 00:07:31.199 where he's going before he jumps in the portal and 166 00:07:31.439 --> 00:07:33.879 the amount of money he's getting. So yeah, that that 167 00:07:34.000 --> 00:07:37.000 navigation of that thing is it's a beast. And that's 168 00:07:37.040 --> 00:07:39.399 why four coaches you need. I mean you literally need 169 00:07:39.480 --> 00:07:42.000 four or five coaches keeping up five six coaches. I mean, 170 00:07:42.000 --> 00:07:44.319 our operations will be on it. I mean, we'll all 171 00:07:44.319 --> 00:07:46.160 be on it together. It's just yeah, it's a lot, 172 00:07:46.199 --> 00:07:48.120 but it sounds the useful tool. 173 00:07:48.240 --> 00:07:50.399 It is kind of fun too. 174 00:07:50.680 --> 00:07:53.920 Yeah, I mean there is like it's a lot. I 175 00:07:53.959 --> 00:07:56.800 mean I don't know, like, yeah, the thing is it's 176 00:07:56.800 --> 00:07:59.360 hard and fast decisions. It's like too, I'm all for 177 00:07:59.600 --> 00:08:01.000 you know, hey, I can see a guy a couple 178 00:08:01.040 --> 00:08:02.959 of times and there's evaluation there. I can watch him 179 00:08:03.000 --> 00:08:05.040 on video. And if we're not talking about the guy 180 00:08:05.079 --> 00:08:08.120 that just started on you know, Saturdays for Boston College, 181 00:08:08.160 --> 00:08:10.839 Let's say it's hard to you know, this mid major 182 00:08:10.879 --> 00:08:13.399 Sunday guy that is a left hander that's eighty six 183 00:08:13.480 --> 00:08:15.480 eighty eight. You know, he's you know, pretty good and 184 00:08:15.480 --> 00:08:18.079 had pretty good numbers, but does that you know, transfer 185 00:08:18.120 --> 00:08:20.079 over to the big ten or you know what would 186 00:08:20.120 --> 00:08:21.759 have been the Pac twelve Like and then you're just 187 00:08:21.800 --> 00:08:23.360 going in on him. But then you're hearing you know, 188 00:08:23.439 --> 00:08:25.199 such and such as in on him for one hundred 189 00:08:25.279 --> 00:08:27.279 k and il and you're going like, are you kidding me? 190 00:08:27.399 --> 00:08:30.480 Like this guy eighty seven miles per our left hander 191 00:08:30.480 --> 00:08:33.480 that didn't walk anybody and through seventy innings, like it's amazing. 192 00:08:33.519 --> 00:08:35.960 Stuff like that. It blows my mind in the transfer portal. 193 00:08:35.960 --> 00:08:38.399 Like you guys, like you're just this is where it Matt, 194 00:08:38.440 --> 00:08:40.639 if we did have transfer portal back in our day, 195 00:08:40.720 --> 00:08:43.840 like Johnny Average that throws a bunch of strikes and 196 00:08:43.960 --> 00:08:46.200 like has played at a power five, if he decides 197 00:08:46.240 --> 00:08:49.000 to jump in the portal, I got like, just you're 198 00:08:49.039 --> 00:08:51.159 just gonna get twenty five thousand dollars at minimum. It 199 00:08:51.159 --> 00:08:53.360 seems like, wow, it is weird, But I don't know, 200 00:08:53.399 --> 00:08:55.480 it'll maybe it'll maybe it'll come to a tipping point. 201 00:08:55.519 --> 00:08:57.600 I don't know, we'll see this thing is ever changing. 202 00:08:57.600 --> 00:08:58.759 I feel like I would have made a lot of 203 00:08:58.759 --> 00:09:01.919 stupid decisions if some through fifty thousand dollars at me 204 00:09:02.200 --> 00:09:05.399 in college. There is a massive piece of this thing 205 00:09:05.399 --> 00:09:07.559 that like I'm glad it wasn't around because like I've 206 00:09:07.639 --> 00:09:09.320 got to learn a lot about myself in callege, you 207 00:09:09.320 --> 00:09:10.879 know what I mean, Like as you know, like my 208 00:09:11.000 --> 00:09:13.720 path was not like super smooth and easy and a 209 00:09:13.720 --> 00:09:16.039 lot about this on just eat between you and me 210 00:09:16.080 --> 00:09:18.159 and on all our other buddies. But it's just like 211 00:09:18.200 --> 00:09:20.120 I needed that, Like some of these guys are going 212 00:09:20.200 --> 00:09:22.639 to really miss out on the being told you suck 213 00:09:23.080 --> 00:09:25.360 and like they don't ever figure it out. I don't 214 00:09:25.360 --> 00:09:27.720 know like I needed it, and I actually think it's 215 00:09:27.759 --> 00:09:29.679 the reason why I'm sitting here talking to you guys, 216 00:09:29.720 --> 00:09:31.200 Like I don't think i'd be doing this if I 217 00:09:31.320 --> 00:09:33.759 transferred and went somewhere that you know, said hey, you're 218 00:09:33.759 --> 00:09:34.200 really good. 219 00:09:34.440 --> 00:09:36.919 But anyway, kind of one of my questions because I'm 220 00:09:37.039 --> 00:09:39.879 I'm way more naive about the college scene the YouTube 221 00:09:40.000 --> 00:09:43.360 are that was just curious, Like a pitching coach and 222 00:09:43.480 --> 00:09:46.440 a program like yours, how just how involved they actually 223 00:09:46.480 --> 00:09:49.440 are in recruiting. It sounds like pretty involved, but like 224 00:09:49.879 --> 00:09:53.000 you get eyeballs on, like everybody that's coming in some 225 00:09:53.200 --> 00:09:54.759 do you have other people doing I don't know. I 226 00:09:54.759 --> 00:09:56.519 have no idea what that looks like. I just want 227 00:09:56.559 --> 00:09:58.120 to paint a little picture. 228 00:09:57.879 --> 00:10:00.200 A good question. Where I was at Portland, I was 229 00:10:00.399 --> 00:10:03.000 pitching coach and associate head coach recruiting coordinator, and I 230 00:10:03.039 --> 00:10:04.679 had to watch I mean I had to watch everyone 231 00:10:04.759 --> 00:10:07.120 coming into the program with the recruiting coordinator title on 232 00:10:07.200 --> 00:10:10.480 my head. At DUB my responsibility is to be the 233 00:10:10.480 --> 00:10:12.639 head coach of the pitchers, and so I need to 234 00:10:12.879 --> 00:10:15.320 get eyes on every picture that we're considering that we 235 00:10:15.360 --> 00:10:18.919 have an offer on that we're talking to each one needs. 236 00:10:18.960 --> 00:10:21.720 As far as moving forward with a guy, it is 237 00:10:21.840 --> 00:10:23.960 going to come through me. And so yeah, I'm not 238 00:10:24.000 --> 00:10:27.000 going to necessarily see everybody live that we have to 239 00:10:27.039 --> 00:10:28.639 go on. I mean, there's some just I mean, I 240 00:10:28.679 --> 00:10:30.000 just got off a zoom call with a kid that 241 00:10:30.039 --> 00:10:32.039 I haven't seen live, but he pitched it under Class 242 00:10:32.039 --> 00:10:34.840 Area Code Games, which is a pretty high profile event. Yeah, 243 00:10:34.919 --> 00:10:37.039 our head coach and our recruiting corner saw him, and 244 00:10:37.279 --> 00:10:39.559 I went and watch his video on Synergy and it 245 00:10:39.639 --> 00:10:41.200 looked really good, and I was like, yeah, this kid's 246 00:10:41.200 --> 00:10:43.159 a no brainer, Like we got to let's go off him, 247 00:10:43.240 --> 00:10:44.879 and so we did. But yeah, it's a good question. 248 00:10:45.000 --> 00:10:47.000 It's we try to find tooth combent with the pitchers, 249 00:10:47.000 --> 00:10:48.799 at least I do, and it's not a perfect science 250 00:10:48.840 --> 00:10:49.399 by any means. 251 00:10:49.799 --> 00:10:53.440 Yeah, do you have a pitching archetype that you're after, 252 00:10:53.879 --> 00:10:56.480 Like there's some measure of it where you're looking for 253 00:10:56.519 --> 00:10:59.799 the clay that you are good at molding. But there's 254 00:10:59.799 --> 00:11:03.039 all so, Okay, I saw a guy and he was 255 00:11:03.080 --> 00:11:05.759 a dude for three innings and everyone else is going 256 00:11:05.840 --> 00:11:07.759 to see that too. Is there is there some kind 257 00:11:07.799 --> 00:11:10.200 of archetype that you're you're looking at as you're as 258 00:11:10.200 --> 00:11:12.679 you're looking at high schoolers, And does that change between 259 00:11:12.799 --> 00:11:16.080 high schoolers versus guys you're evaluating in the transfer portal. 260 00:11:16.240 --> 00:11:18.720 It's a good question. Yes, I think there is. I 261 00:11:18.720 --> 00:11:22.440 think I think you're drawn to a certain type. I 262 00:11:22.480 --> 00:11:24.639 guess mine would be you know, I think it always 263 00:11:24.639 --> 00:11:26.679 starts with strikes for me. You know, guys, if guys 264 00:11:26.720 --> 00:11:29.279 can't throw strikes at the amateur level, let me say 265 00:11:29.279 --> 00:11:31.200 that at that high school level, they're not going to 266 00:11:31.279 --> 00:11:33.600 magically start throwing strikes at the college level. Like I 267 00:11:34.000 --> 00:11:35.960 was actually equating this when I was playing golf with 268 00:11:36.000 --> 00:11:38.000 the Buddy Souse. I'm not a very good golfer. I started. 269 00:11:38.000 --> 00:11:39.960 I picked up golf when I was like in eighth grade, 270 00:11:40.080 --> 00:11:42.919 let's say, and my ball striking is like it's just 271 00:11:42.960 --> 00:11:45.200 so hit and mess like it's it's probably like a 272 00:11:45.200 --> 00:11:47.120 fifty percent clip whether I hit it nice. And I 273 00:11:47.200 --> 00:11:49.399 was saying, you know, those guys that not necessarily pick 274 00:11:49.480 --> 00:11:52.000 up pitching late, just like the guys that just didn't 275 00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:55.159 play enough catch to targets when they were three, four, five, 276 00:11:55.279 --> 00:11:57.440 six years old, Like I just I think that there's 277 00:11:57.440 --> 00:11:59.759 something to that, and they're always playing catch up, and 278 00:11:59.799 --> 00:12:03.039 you can definitely, I do think that command can get better. 279 00:12:03.159 --> 00:12:06.240 For sure. I don't have time for it typically unless 280 00:12:06.240 --> 00:12:08.360 it's someone else that has made time for it, and 281 00:12:08.399 --> 00:12:10.240 then now I'm bringing that guy into my program who's 282 00:12:10.240 --> 00:12:12.039 made a leap in his command. I just don't see 283 00:12:12.039 --> 00:12:14.159 it happen all that often, especially not if we're recruiting 284 00:12:14.240 --> 00:12:16.480 high school kids. Transfer portal might be a little different. 285 00:12:16.600 --> 00:12:19.000 I think there's a there's a slight bit more leeway 286 00:12:19.120 --> 00:12:22.399 for like walks per nine for transfer portal guys. The 287 00:12:22.399 --> 00:12:25.000 strikeouts have to definitely be up there too. I don't 288 00:12:25.000 --> 00:12:27.840 think you can not have that or the whiff and 289 00:12:27.879 --> 00:12:29.720 the swing miss or you know, the one pitch that's 290 00:12:29.720 --> 00:12:32.039 an outlier. That's I'm going to add and he's going 291 00:12:32.080 --> 00:12:34.039 to be here for a year, you know, that's that's 292 00:12:34.080 --> 00:12:35.840 that was Sam Stewart what I thought we were going 293 00:12:35.879 --> 00:12:38.399 to get, and we got a completely different beast. But yeah, 294 00:12:38.480 --> 00:12:41.360 I think strike throwers that and I also I mean 295 00:12:41.440 --> 00:12:42.919 the firmness on the break and bal at a young 296 00:12:42.960 --> 00:12:44.600 age is a pretty big feather in the cap for 297 00:12:44.639 --> 00:12:47.000 me when I'm watching watching guys, I think is something 298 00:12:47.039 --> 00:12:49.679 that always the velocity is not there yet. It always 299 00:12:49.840 --> 00:12:51.759 kind of indicates that there's going to be more velocity 300 00:12:51.799 --> 00:12:54.840 guys that have the unique ability to kind of get 301 00:12:55.120 --> 00:12:57.639 just enough behind the baseball and still spin it and 302 00:12:57.840 --> 00:12:59.879 doesn't need to necessarily be this you know, high schoolers 303 00:13:00.240 --> 00:13:03.960 trying to get this profiled, you know, breaking pitch that 304 00:13:04.080 --> 00:13:06.039 moves a ton, and then they wonder why they don't 305 00:13:06.039 --> 00:13:08.000 throw it in the strike zone enough, And I'm like, well, yeah, 306 00:13:08.279 --> 00:13:11.440 the curveball with like massive movement or it's a slide. 307 00:13:11.480 --> 00:13:13.960 It's like they're throwing what it's like resembles a sweeper 308 00:13:14.000 --> 00:13:16.519 and it's got so much movement that like, no, like 309 00:13:16.639 --> 00:13:18.759 obviously you can't get it in the zone consistently. So 310 00:13:18.879 --> 00:13:20.639 I think I look for a little bit tighter breaking 311 00:13:20.720 --> 00:13:23.600 ball and then probably like frame wise, like just you know, 312 00:13:23.759 --> 00:13:26.000 I think everyone looks for a broad shouldered, you know, 313 00:13:26.080 --> 00:13:28.480 six two sixty three guy with presence on the mound 314 00:13:28.519 --> 00:13:31.480 and conducts himself the right way and you know, hustles 315 00:13:31.519 --> 00:13:33.919 off and you know, you know, does does things generally 316 00:13:33.960 --> 00:13:35.799 without I don't need a big looking me guy, but 317 00:13:35.799 --> 00:13:37.679 I'm not going to shy away from you know, again 318 00:13:37.720 --> 00:13:39.919 back to store, like he was yelling at hitters last 319 00:13:39.960 --> 00:13:41.919 year and you know, like after you'd strike him out, 320 00:13:41.960 --> 00:13:45.519 and you know, I don't that's just him. I think 321 00:13:45.559 --> 00:13:47.720 he's just like there's there are certain guys that are 322 00:13:47.759 --> 00:13:49.639 just kind of fiery, you know, And I don't think 323 00:13:49.919 --> 00:13:51.960 I wouldn't take that as a negative, but it's it's 324 00:13:51.960 --> 00:13:55.399 a good question. I'd say, your athletic pitcher that throws 325 00:13:55.600 --> 00:13:58.440 that's repeatable throws strikes someone that I have a really good, 326 00:13:58.639 --> 00:14:00.879 really high floor with and then that we can hopefully 327 00:14:00.960 --> 00:14:03.120 tap into a higher ceiling when they get into college 328 00:14:03.159 --> 00:14:05.480 with much more resources and get on the rapsodo with 329 00:14:05.519 --> 00:14:07.919 me or a track man and pitch design and stuff 330 00:14:07.960 --> 00:14:09.519 like that where you know, I feel like I have 331 00:14:09.559 --> 00:14:11.759 a solid background in we can talk through things and 332 00:14:11.759 --> 00:14:14.039 collaborate and you know, read articles and share them with 333 00:14:14.080 --> 00:14:16.240 each other and do that type of stuff and hone 334 00:14:16.240 --> 00:14:18.240 those skills. It's the stuff I like to do anyway. 335 00:14:18.320 --> 00:14:20.679 Well with those guys. Again, I think no one likes 336 00:14:20.720 --> 00:14:22.279 going to the yard and watching, you know, a bunch 337 00:14:22.320 --> 00:14:25.639 of eighteen to twenty two year olds throw balls and struggle, 338 00:14:25.679 --> 00:14:28.240 and especially if it's raining up in Seattle or whatever, 339 00:14:28.720 --> 00:14:30.360 miserable day at the yard, you know what I mean, 340 00:14:30.440 --> 00:14:32.799 Like we want to suffocate letters with strikes, and then 341 00:14:33.080 --> 00:14:35.600 we want to do it with you know, obviously enhancing 342 00:14:35.639 --> 00:14:38.320 the stuff, whether that be you know, shape or what 343 00:14:38.399 --> 00:14:41.399 have you, strength, velocity, all those good things. 344 00:14:41.200 --> 00:14:45.000 It's transfer portal this day and age with pitching and 345 00:14:45.159 --> 00:14:48.720 all the information that is there and know how and 346 00:14:48.799 --> 00:14:51.799 know how to coach. There's a lot to think about there, Connor, 347 00:14:51.919 --> 00:14:54.519 There's a lot to navigate. But I wanted to ask you. 348 00:14:54.799 --> 00:14:58.000 I remember taking a course many years ago in college 349 00:14:58.039 --> 00:15:01.720 about teaching theory about meeting your student where they're at, 350 00:15:02.120 --> 00:15:05.000 seeing where they're at as opposed to showing a student 351 00:15:05.039 --> 00:15:07.480 where they need to go. I think, is I remember 352 00:15:07.480 --> 00:15:09.440 correctly how it kind of went. Maybe a bit of 353 00:15:09.480 --> 00:15:12.080 a multi part question here, but what do you kind 354 00:15:12.080 --> 00:15:15.480 of find yourself talking to your pictures about the most? 355 00:15:15.720 --> 00:15:20.639 Do you think? Is it like pitches and analytics, mechanics, training, routines, 356 00:15:20.799 --> 00:15:23.919 game plans, anything else? I don't what do you spend 357 00:15:24.240 --> 00:15:26.360 most of your time talking to them about? Do you think? 358 00:15:26.480 --> 00:15:28.320 That's a good question and a really simple one. And 359 00:15:28.600 --> 00:15:30.519 the one thing that I really like to do is, 360 00:15:30.799 --> 00:15:32.840 you know, keep a simple game pretty simple as far 361 00:15:32.840 --> 00:15:34.440 as when it comes to coaching, the thing that we 362 00:15:34.519 --> 00:15:37.120 talk most about, I would say, is what helps us 363 00:15:37.159 --> 00:15:39.720 win games. My systems that I like to use, the 364 00:15:39.759 --> 00:15:42.039 feedback that I get from the from the systems are 365 00:15:42.039 --> 00:15:43.440 the things that I'm going to talk to the guys 366 00:15:43.440 --> 00:15:46.759 about and how well we're doing those things. So we 367 00:15:46.799 --> 00:15:48.759 talk a lot about one one counts. We talk a 368 00:15:48.799 --> 00:15:50.639 lot about first fish strike, We talk a lot about 369 00:15:50.639 --> 00:15:52.039 our leadoff mat out, and then we talk a lot 370 00:15:52.080 --> 00:15:54.360 about our process and what that entails, and so you know, 371 00:15:54.440 --> 00:15:56.559 I've got a process chart. I also talk to them 372 00:15:56.600 --> 00:16:00.000 about the things that I value when I'm a value 373 00:16:00.159 --> 00:16:02.240 waiting you, and the things that I know helped us win. 374 00:16:02.320 --> 00:16:04.639 So like those three things plus our process start Like 375 00:16:04.759 --> 00:16:07.039 my job is to win games along with our head coach. 376 00:16:07.240 --> 00:16:10.919 Everything else is underneath that umbrella. In my opinion, development 377 00:16:10.960 --> 00:16:13.600 is obviously really high up there. Like I don't take 378 00:16:13.600 --> 00:16:16.480 that lightly. I also don't take lightly being a mentor 379 00:16:16.679 --> 00:16:19.799 to these guys. I also don't take lightly the culture 380 00:16:19.840 --> 00:16:22.039 piece to this. And I know it's pretty coach speaky, 381 00:16:22.080 --> 00:16:24.320 but you know, when I played in the last few 382 00:16:24.399 --> 00:16:26.639 years of my career, I felt like I got to 383 00:16:26.639 --> 00:16:28.600 be a part of something that was like crazy special 384 00:16:28.639 --> 00:16:31.799 to me, and so I try to emulate that for guys. 385 00:16:31.879 --> 00:16:33.240 But the number one thing we're going to talk about 386 00:16:33.279 --> 00:16:35.720 is like what actually helps us win games. It's really 387 00:16:36.000 --> 00:16:39.200 flashy to talk about mar Velo or our Again I 388 00:16:39.320 --> 00:16:41.240 just said our pitch design and stuff that I like 389 00:16:41.799 --> 00:16:44.200 to do. Like it's like it's like, you know, that's 390 00:16:44.200 --> 00:16:46.279 like a time for me, Like if we've got the 391 00:16:46.639 --> 00:16:48.440 time to do it, I definitely want to dive into 392 00:16:48.519 --> 00:16:51.440 it with those guys. It's a big recruiting piece for sure, 393 00:16:51.480 --> 00:16:56.360 Like understanding this, the development, the analytics, the pitch design, 394 00:16:56.399 --> 00:16:58.320 Like kids want that they hear it, they see it, 395 00:16:58.360 --> 00:16:59.720 they want to soak it up, and they want to 396 00:16:59.720 --> 00:17:02.279 know everything you know about that. But again, my job 397 00:17:02.360 --> 00:17:04.319 is to talk about what's going to help us win games, 398 00:17:04.319 --> 00:17:06.960 and so I need to make sure that we have 399 00:17:07.039 --> 00:17:10.079 a great understanding of when we're on the mound, what 400 00:17:10.279 --> 00:17:12.799 is our plan and what are the things I should 401 00:17:12.839 --> 00:17:15.200