O's Take In Mazzone's First Offering

[ThomasTomasz]

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. // They gathered around their new pitching coach under the bright sun here yesterday afternoon, forming a circle in shallow left field at Fort Lauderdale Stadium. Leo Mazzone, his eyes hidden by thick, black sunglasses, paced inside the circle, communicating instructions both clearly and authoritatively. Bruce Chen and Jim Brower, who pitched under Mazzone in Atlanta, stared intently at the diminutive coach, even though they had heard the basic message plenty of times before. Hayden Penn and Adam Loewen, both 21, and the Orioles' two highest-profile pitching prospects, had not, but maintained wide-eyed looks that suggested they were hanging on Mazzone's every word. "I saw a lot of listening," said Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo, whose friendship with Mazzone is the central reason that the coach left Atlanta and was hired by the Orioles after 15 1/2 seasons of unparalleled success as the Braves' pitching coach. "They paid attention. I was there a few times when he made a suggestion, and I saw a little reaction, like 'Holy cow.' But it's a long spring. They have a lot to get from him." Said Penn: "You definitely can feel his presence." In the official start of spring training - the first workouts for pitchers and catchers - Mazzone's influence was stamped all over the day's proceedings. Pitchers faced live batters, which several veterans said was virtually unheard of on the first day of camp. And pitchers even took some batting practice themselves. "I am not changing," Mazzone crowed, when asked to explain why American League pitchers were hitting this early in the spring. In fact, the only change Mazzone acknowledged is the color of his uniform. "We're all about winning," Mazzone told his pitchers, reminding them that his previous employer had won 14 straight National League East Division titles and he didn't expect his playoff streak to end. "That's all I know." The rest of his introductory speech was filled with Mazzone, who came away from Day One impressed by several of his pitchers, hammering home his tenets to his new students. "It was like listening to Baseball 101, hearing all his beliefs about pitching," said Orioles executive vice president Mike Flanagan, a former pitching coach himself, who kept a close eye on the workout. "I couldn't help but like what I was hearing." Mazzone told his players that everybody would get an opportunity to pitch and pitch often and that starters would throw two side sessions between starts. The success of each of them, he asserted, hinged on their ability to throw the low and away fastball for a strike. It was the same message that Mazzone delivered on the voice mail of Kris Benson's cell phone when the right-hander was acquired in the Orioles' late January trade with the New York Mets. "He emphasized the down-and-away fastball," recalled Benson, who met with Mazzone three times in Atlanta to throw before spring training began. "If you own that side of the plate, it makes sense. He's going to make a big impact on all of us. His track record speaks for itself." That track record includes six Cy Young Award winners, 10 different pitchers named All-Stars and nine 20-game winners. His Atlanta pitching staffs finished first or second in the National League in ERA in 12 of his past 14 seasons on the Braves' bench, doing his signature rock next to manager Bobby Cox. "I think his reputation precedes him," said Brower, who is trying to parlay a spring training invitation into a spot on the club's Opening Day roster. "He's intimidating because of all the great guys he's had the privilege to teach, like [John] Smoltz, and [Tom] Glavine and [Greg] Maddux. But he's also had a lot of guys that he resurrected their careers. Everybody knows that and is looking for that one hint that can take them over the top." A 33-year-old hoping to play for his sixth major league team in eight seasons, Brower is just the reclamation project that Mazzone has specialized in. His brash and demanding style, his critics say, clicks more with veterans than rookies. Brower disagrees with that assertion. "If you have a thin skin, I don't know that you'd fit in with him anywhere, whether you are a veteran or a rookie," said Brower. "He's a guy that is going to tell it like it is. Some people think that when you are young, you need to be coddled, but that's not what he's here for. He's here to win." As a 20-year-old top pitching prospect trying to grow up in the Braves' organization, Chen learned that lesson all too well. Chen said he wasn't ready for Mazzone at that point of his career because his location was lacking. But Chen doesn't foresee the Orioles' top young pitchers, such as Erik Bedard and Daniel Cabrera, having the same troubles "He's not going to be all nice, and take you for a walk and pat you on the shoulder and say, 'it's OK that you missed [the strike zone],'" said Chen. "He's a good pitching coach and he's been around good pitchers, so he expects you to be able to do some things. He wants you to work for perfection and be as consistent as possible. I think he is a good fit for all of us."

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/basebal...sports-baseball

[ThomasTomasz]

Mazzone will do great with these players. We have some veterans looking to resurrect their careers, such as LaTroy Hawkins, Kris Benson, and Jim Brower. We also have young guns who will look to learn a lot from him, including Erik Bedard and Danny Cabrera. Bruce Chen, Brower and Javy Lopez can also help out the transition, as each are familiar with Mazzone.

Some people may look at the Orioles not adding many big pitchers this offseason. When you have guys like Burnett, Millwood, Weaver, and others making $7+ million a year, and not being aces, you have a problem. The Orioles also did not make any trades, where it would involve giving up very talented Bedard or Cabrera. The best move of all offseason was signing Mazzone. While his salary is tops for assistants, the value is immesurable. He brings a winning attitude to the Orioles, and is trusted by Perlozzo to do what he needs. He should mold a great pitching staff, without busting the bank for questionable players.