SuperMatt
01-31-2008, 02:48 PM
Click here for story on Padres.com (http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080127&content_id=2357296&vkey=news_sd&fext=.jsp&c_id=sd)
Black, Balsley cut from same cloth
Manager, pitching coach share philosophies about hurlers
By Corey Brock / MLB.com
SAN DIEGO -- Bud Black certainly understood the consequences of his actions on that day in November 2006 when he eagerly accepted the Padres offer to become the 16th manager in club history.
In doing so, Black bid farewell to the comfortable, singular focus he had for seven years with the Angels as their pitching coach, trading it for, of all things, a post that needed him to grasp aspects he previously had little use for, like double-switches and when to use the hit-and-run.
Black figured he would miss being a pitching coach at some point in his first season as manager of the Padres, and he was right, though that's not to be mistaken for remorse or regret.
"What you miss, being a manager, is the day-to-day work with the guys," Black said during the team's annual FriarFest at PETCO Park. "The daily work in the bullpen with the pitchers when you are working on things, you miss the teaching aspect that happens down there every day."
But Black was buoyed by knowing that he had one of the best pitching coaches in the game in Darren Balsley, doing the teaching he used to do, teaching the very same fundamentals that he had always believed in.
"Darren does a great job," Black said of Balsley, the Padres pitching coach since 2003. "He does a great job. You can tell from the track record of the Padres pitchers that he must be doing something right."
One of Black's first phone calls after accepting the Padres job was to Balsley. They had met just once before and, after initial pleasantries and such, the two got down to business, talking about pitching fundamentals.
This is where the conversation could have turned awkward, as Black, who had built a reputation for building a formidable staff in Anaheim, one that won a World Series in 2002 and boasted a Cy Young Award winner in 2005 (Bartolo Colon). He had his opinion of what worked.
But Black was quickly struck by the commonalities he had with Balsley about the fundamentals of pitching, which no doubt put his mind at ease as he tackled the momentous task of managing more than a pitching staff, but an entire team.
"When we talked and got down to pitching philosophy, the things that I thought fundamentally were important, we shared the same ideas," Black said. "So from a philosophically standpoint, we were on the same page. There weren't any ideas we were conflicting on."
Black and Balsley talked that day about a lot of things pertaining to pitching. Their backgrounds couldn't be any different -- Black spent 15 seasons in the Major Leagues, Balsley never made it past the Double-A level -- but they shared similar views on what they wanted their staff to do in 2007.
"We believe in the importance of fastball command, the importance of a sound delivery and the importance of changing speeds," Black said. "Getting a good fundamental base. Pitching off the fastball. He's not over concerned with mechanics, he's not over concerned with having too many pitches. It made for an easy transition."
And it made for a wildly successful season for the staff, as the Padres had the best ERA (3.70) in the Major Leagues as well as the most shutouts (20) in addition to leading the National League in several pertinent pitching categories.
What helped Black in his first season was that the Padres bullpen was structured to what he had with the Angels, starting with a proven closer in Trevor Hoffman, a strong eighth-inning setup man in Heath Bell and a handful of pitchers like Doug Brocail and Cla Meredith who could well cover the sixth and seventh innings.
That made it much easier for Black to leave the pitching in the capable hands of Balsley, so he could devote his attention elsewhere. But that didn't mean completely divorcing himself from pitching altogether. Black would never want that.
"I follow it, and I know from talking to Darren and the guys what they're working on," he said. "I keep abreast of what's going on."
I really like what Bud Black has brought to the club and you can't argue against the work Balsley has done. We're pretty lucky to have two of the best pitching coaches in the majors!
Black, Balsley cut from same cloth
Manager, pitching coach share philosophies about hurlers
By Corey Brock / MLB.com
SAN DIEGO -- Bud Black certainly understood the consequences of his actions on that day in November 2006 when he eagerly accepted the Padres offer to become the 16th manager in club history.
In doing so, Black bid farewell to the comfortable, singular focus he had for seven years with the Angels as their pitching coach, trading it for, of all things, a post that needed him to grasp aspects he previously had little use for, like double-switches and when to use the hit-and-run.
Black figured he would miss being a pitching coach at some point in his first season as manager of the Padres, and he was right, though that's not to be mistaken for remorse or regret.
"What you miss, being a manager, is the day-to-day work with the guys," Black said during the team's annual FriarFest at PETCO Park. "The daily work in the bullpen with the pitchers when you are working on things, you miss the teaching aspect that happens down there every day."
But Black was buoyed by knowing that he had one of the best pitching coaches in the game in Darren Balsley, doing the teaching he used to do, teaching the very same fundamentals that he had always believed in.
"Darren does a great job," Black said of Balsley, the Padres pitching coach since 2003. "He does a great job. You can tell from the track record of the Padres pitchers that he must be doing something right."
One of Black's first phone calls after accepting the Padres job was to Balsley. They had met just once before and, after initial pleasantries and such, the two got down to business, talking about pitching fundamentals.
This is where the conversation could have turned awkward, as Black, who had built a reputation for building a formidable staff in Anaheim, one that won a World Series in 2002 and boasted a Cy Young Award winner in 2005 (Bartolo Colon). He had his opinion of what worked.
But Black was quickly struck by the commonalities he had with Balsley about the fundamentals of pitching, which no doubt put his mind at ease as he tackled the momentous task of managing more than a pitching staff, but an entire team.
"When we talked and got down to pitching philosophy, the things that I thought fundamentally were important, we shared the same ideas," Black said. "So from a philosophically standpoint, we were on the same page. There weren't any ideas we were conflicting on."
Black and Balsley talked that day about a lot of things pertaining to pitching. Their backgrounds couldn't be any different -- Black spent 15 seasons in the Major Leagues, Balsley never made it past the Double-A level -- but they shared similar views on what they wanted their staff to do in 2007.
"We believe in the importance of fastball command, the importance of a sound delivery and the importance of changing speeds," Black said. "Getting a good fundamental base. Pitching off the fastball. He's not over concerned with mechanics, he's not over concerned with having too many pitches. It made for an easy transition."
And it made for a wildly successful season for the staff, as the Padres had the best ERA (3.70) in the Major Leagues as well as the most shutouts (20) in addition to leading the National League in several pertinent pitching categories.
What helped Black in his first season was that the Padres bullpen was structured to what he had with the Angels, starting with a proven closer in Trevor Hoffman, a strong eighth-inning setup man in Heath Bell and a handful of pitchers like Doug Brocail and Cla Meredith who could well cover the sixth and seventh innings.
That made it much easier for Black to leave the pitching in the capable hands of Balsley, so he could devote his attention elsewhere. But that didn't mean completely divorcing himself from pitching altogether. Black would never want that.
"I follow it, and I know from talking to Darren and the guys what they're working on," he said. "I keep abreast of what's going on."
I really like what Bud Black has brought to the club and you can't argue against the work Balsley has done. We're pretty lucky to have two of the best pitching coaches in the majors!