The RosterPilot Show

Latest Episodes:

University of Michigan Pitching Coach - Chris Fetter Jun 02, 2020

Show notes

In this episode of Patrick Jones Baseball, host Patrick Jones interviews Chris Fetter, Associate Head Coach and Pitching Coach at the University of Michigan. Chris Fetter talks about making his transition from playing baseball to coaching baseball, his work with the Los Angeles Dodgers and now at the University of Michigan, implementing mental practices, utilizing data, and how he approaches strengthening his pitcher’s abilities.

Episode Highlights:

Chris Fetter talks about his background in baseball.
What was it like being the pitching coordinator for the Los Angeles Dodgers and what did he learn?
Did he learn a lot of Spanish?
Did he rover among the affiliates while he was with the Dodgers?
What did he apply in Michigan that he learned from the Dodgers?
Are there any common data trait differences for pitchers in the bullpen versus the game?
Chris Fetter talks about strengthening the mental game and long tosses.
Does he recommend different pitches for his players?
What is his take on flat groundwork, pitching, and barefoot training?
What things does he incorporate in the fall to help players develop?
What is his approach to helping players with game planning?
What is he looking for when he is recruiting players?
Get players to think like they are in a real game during practice.

3 Key Points:

Remember that the bullpen is a much more controlled setting than actual games.
Chris Fetter introduces his players to the meditation techniques of Alan Jaeger.
Make your players into athletes by getting them acclimated to what their body is doing in spontaneous situations on the field.

Tweetable Quotes:

“Working with college-aged kids, getting to work with them not only on the field but in their personalities and growing into men, it is a great honor.” – Chris Fetter
“You're made to go out and try things, sometimes everything is not going to work. I think that is where you learn a lot. It is not just understanding what the technology tells you. But, it is going out there and experimenting too with it.” – Chris Fetter
“We are going to be one of the first college teams to have marker-less motion capture on our field, not only on our field but in our hitting and pitching facilities. That will be a neat little tool that will help us get some of that biomechanical data.” – Chris Fetter

Resources Mentioned:

Chris Fetter Social Media: Linkedin Twitter
Mental Practices by Alan Jaeger: jaegersports.com/mental-practice-plans

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to Communicate with Players - Drew Saylor - 167 May 26, 2020

Show notes

Hitting Coordinator Kansas City Royals - Drew Saylor

In this episode of Patrick Jones Baseball, I interview Drew Saylor, Hitting

Coordinator for the Kansas City Royals. Drew Saylor shares his baseball history, including

working with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Colorado Rockies organizations, he discusses the ways he has become a better hitting coach, ways to improve communication with players, the importance of the mental game, and his hitting philosophy.

Episode Highlights:

Drew Saylor shares his background in baseball.
Drew really appreciates how supportive his wife has been in his career.
While he was a manager, was he a hitting coach as well?
What caught him off guard when he became a manager?
Drew found he became a better hitting coach when he became a manager.
How does he guide his players in their mental game?
Has he had experiences where he has had to trust his coaches to implement what he wants the players to execute?
How can you get better about finding out what players need?
We are very adaptable as human beings.
What did his role entail with the Pittsburgh Pirates?
Create a positive team environment.
How does he get his team fired up?
What is his hitting philosophy?
When he is working with a player, what would be a typical cage session be like?

3 Key Points:

Get to know how players perceive things and customize training to their needs.
One thing COVID-19 has taught us is that essentially human beings need physical contact and spatial closeness to one another.
Supplying the needs of his players has helped Drew Saylor learn more about who he is in the process.

Tweetable Quotes:

(Wife) “She knows the demands and the sacrifice. I say this a lot to our coaches, we don’t make the sacrifice when we sign up for this job. It’s our wife and our kids that sign up for that sacrifice.” – Drew Saylor
“I really absorbed myself into the hitting space and I wanted to learn, not even just the teaching methodologies, but sequencing and tunneling.” – Drew Saylor
“You can’t expect a player to know how to handle failure if the only time he handles failure is at 7pm, because of the heightened sense of these stats count, this is how I’m being evaluated.” – Drew Saylor

Resources Mentioned:

patrickjonesbaseball.com
Drew Saylor Social Media: Linkedin Twitter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Climbing the Coaching Ranks with Johnny Washington - 166 May 19, 2020

Show notes

In this episode of Patrick Jones Baseball, I interview Johnny Washington, Director of Hitting for the San Diego Padres. Johnny Washington discusses what he has learned about coaching, how he transitioned from a baseball player to a baseball coach, player communication, the importance of first base, and remaining open-minded.

Episode Highlights:

Go to patrickjonesbaseball.com and sign up for 13 baseball training drills you can do by yourself.
Johnny Washington introduces himself and his background.
What got Johnny into his coaching role?
What would Johnny Washington do differently if he could start over as a coach?
Does having good timing come from experience or awareness?
How much contact with players is enough or too much?
Johnny Washington coached first base and gives tips on how to coach a base.
Remain open-minded with a growth mindset.
What is Johnny Washington looking for when watching pitchers?
How many hitters has Johnny worked with?
Does he keep notes on every player?
Johnny talks about working with major league baseball hitting consultant Craig Wallenbrock.
Does he relate what is happening in the real world to baseball with his players?

3 Key Points:

How coaches present information and choosing the right time makes a huge difference when communicating with players.
Be a good listener and be observant and let the player show you where he is in his journey.
First base is crucial because you touch first base more than any other.

Tweetable Quotes:

(Coach Carlos Subero) “He coached the player. He coached my actual dream. He didn’t coach what everyone else thought. He coached what I wanted to do, which I really, really respect.” – Johnny Washington
“I think over time, without the mistakes, without the struggle, without just the constant head pounding of how can I get guys better, there is no growth for us as coaches.” – Johnny Washington
“I was able to build good relationships and build trust, which I think is the most important piece to coaching because you are actually like a teacher. You are more of a teacher, a mentor, psychologist at times.” – Johnny Washington

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Becoming a Better Infielder and Baserunner with Tyler Gillum May 11, 2020

Show notes

In this episode of Patrick Jones Baseball, I interview Tyler Gillum,

the Assistant Coach, and Health and Wellness Coordinator at South Mountain Community

College in Phoenix, Arizona. During the summertime, he is the head coach for the Savannah

Bananas, a collegiate summer baseball team. He has also been in the Coastal Plain League,

Texas Collegiate League, and Cape Cod League. Tyler Gillum talks about infield play, how to

coach third base, strength training, and base running.

Episode Highlights:

What drew Tyler Gillum to coach the Savannah Bananas?
Tyler Gillum talks about ways his team breaks the norm on the baseball field.
What did Tyler’s high school coach do that made such a big impact on him?
What are his roles with South Mountain?
What is a typical day like for his infielders?
Tyler Gillum shares a story about a bullpen catcher for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Tyler shares his positive opinions of wall balls and counting hops.
How does he teach the double play?
Does he have runners purposely slide in?
Does he use machines to measure the type of spin that is coming off the ball?
What are his thoughts on developing first basemen?
Does he have first basemen hold off runners differently?
Your body is going to figure out how to be as fast as possible if you put it on a stopwatch.
Is he ok with players sliding head-first?
Tyler walks us through a third base runner scenario.

3 Key Points:

During practice, stretching and playing catch are the two things that they do every time.
Wall balls are something you can do anywhere that are very helpful for training.
When training players for the double, Tyler tells them to approach the bag with their left foot in the middle of the bag in an athletic position, with their shoulder parallel with the part of the second base facing them.

Tweetable Quotes:

“Whatever is normal, do the exact opposite.” – Tyler Gillum
“I wanted to be in Phoenix because I thought it was the best place that I could grow and network. Those two things are something I always stuck with.” – Tyler Gillum
“Catch play is, I would say the hardest things we do at practice, one of the hardest things that we do at practice, also one of the most beneficial things that we do at practice.” – Tyler Gillum

Resources Mentioned:

patrickjonesbaseball.com
Tyler Gillum’s Website: gillumbaseball.com
Tyler Gillum Social Media: Instagram Twitter
Tyler Gillum Phone Number: (602) 370-7649

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Using Technology to Develop Hitters - Jeff McGarry Apr 29, 2020

Show notes

In this episode of Patrick Jones Baseball, I interview Jeff McGarry, Account Manager at Blast Motion. Jeff McGarry discusses what the metrics mean for Blast Motion, how to best utilize their training services, as well as Jeff’s personal and professional background.

Episode Highlights:

Go to Blast Motion and use coupon code PJB25 and you will get a 50% discount on a bat sensor.
How long has Jeff McGarry been a surfer?
Jeff McGarry talks about his life in New York City and then San Diego with his fiance.
Jeff McGarry knew when he was a student at the University of Pennsylvania that he wanted to work in baseball.
What was it like going to an ivy league school?
Jeff McGarry shares his high school grade point average and S.A.T. scores.
Jeff’s major in college was Communications and Commerce and he was able to apply those skills at Blast Motion.
What are some examples of what coaches should be looking for in players?
How does the sensor determine where the body should be?
Does it help if a player pares up video while they are using the bat sensor?
Does the rotational acceleration change dramatically based on the early connection score?
Bat speed and rotation together are power metrics.
How does bat size factor into metrics?
How should you implement Blast Motion?
Any more than a score of 95 is a bad thing.
What types of remote training is Blast Motion offering?

3 Key Points:

Taking a swing with Blast Motion populates your playing metrics with a red, yellow, or green ranking of whether you are excellent, average, or have some work to do.
The connection at impact score is a measurement of the bat and body relationship when you make contact.
Rotational acceleration measures the first quarter of your swing and how close you are able to get to your top speed.

Tweetable Quotes:

“60% of the meetings, whatever we talk about, whatever we strategize around, it is the same that is going around in any other company. It’s just that the perks are I get to talk shop with baseball coaches every single day.” – Jeff McGarry
“I get to go visit amazing facilities. I get to travel around the country and build relationships and go to phenomenal conventions, the ABCA Convention in January every year.” – Jeff McGarry
“The most common suggestion that I make on the team side is to roll out rounds of batting practice that focus on driving the inside pitch and pulling the baseball.” – Jeff McGarry

Resources Mentioned:

● patrickjonesbaseball.com

● Jeff McGarry Social Media: Linkedin

● Blast Motion: blastmotion.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Developing Pitchers with Nate Yeskie - 163 Apr 21, 2020

Show notes

In this episode of Patrick Jones Baseball, I interview Nate Yeskie, Pitching

Coach and Associate Head Coach at the University of Arizona. Nate Yeskie has helped guide

Oregon State to a national championship in 2018, was named Assistant Coach of the Year by

D1 Baseball in 2017, was named 2x National Pitching Coach of the Year by Collegiate Baseball in 2013 and 2017. Nate shares a ton of useful pitching information and ways to prepare pitchers for game time.

Episode Highlights:

How has it been for Nate Yeskie to transition from Oregon State to the University of Arizona?
What did Nate Yeskie implement in the fall that maybe was different before he arrived at the University of Arizona?
Can video work at times get players, especially pitchers, to overthink?
What would he say to one of his pitchers if he didn’t have any information on the hitters that they were facing?
Does he ever talk to his players about their individual mental game plan when they are going into a game?
Does he talk to his guys about pitchers tipping pitches?
When and why did he implement using weighted balls?
When he is recruiting pitches, what things must they have going for themselves?
What drills help pitchers throw harder?
Does he practice PFPs?
Is there anything valuable about pitchers fielding the ball?
Work with a growth mindset.
Nate talks about how he communicates with players.
Know when to push and pull with pitchers.
When pitchers are struggling on the mound, what does he talk about during mound visits?
Be authentic and who you are. The players know when you are fake.
What if a pitcher needs to get their arm to align with their release?
What does he think about pitch count and innings?
Why has he turned down professional baseball jobs?

3 Key Points:

Focus on training players with routines of things they can control.
Batters are going to swing where they like the ball to be. Pitchers should pay attention to what they like to swing at.
When you release a pitch, you become the 5th infielder, 6th if you consider the bunt game with the catcher coming into play.

Tweetable Quotes:

“We educate them each day, whether it is video, bullpens, anything that we’re doing to try to get them better. We have to educate them through that process in an effort to empower them.” – Nate Yeskie
“When it comes to pitching, ‘feel’ is probably the most important thing.” – Nate Yeskie
“I think a lot of times coaches can fall into a trap of repeating themselves, or coming up with their own terminology, and what you are now doing I think is force-feeding the athlete to look through your eyes.” – Nate Yeskie

Resources Mentioned:

● patrickjonesbaseball.com

● Nate Yeskie’s Social Media: Twitter

● Axe Bat: axebat.com Type in code PJB25 for a 25% off discount

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is JUCO Baseball the Right Route for You? - 162 Apr 14, 2020

Show notes

In this episode of Patrick Jones Baseball, I interview Marty Smith, who has completed his 25th year as Head Baseball Coach at College of Central Florida this year. They discuss the benefits of junior college baseball, how he is adapting with the times, the ways in which players can get recruited at the junior college level, and what coaching at the junior college level looks like.

Episode Highlights:

How has Marty Smith been adjusting to social distancing?
What is Marty Smith’s background and how did he get where he is at?
Marty talks about how he remembers having Hall-Of-Fame player Mike Piazza on his team.
Marty hasn’t really thought about coaching for another team.
What is it about the JUCO level now compared to the past?
Does Marty Smith find it hard being at the junior college level to get players to not just think about themselves but to think about the team?
What is a good way to get recruited at the junior college level?
How do they recruit for their own team?
What would a typical fall season look like and a typical practice?
Marty gives space to hitting coaches and pitching coaches to do their jobs.
What has stood out during the interview process about coaches that have worked out well?
Marty Smith talks about snapping out of his common routines and taking a step back to make changes.
Which tactics does he use to motivate players?

3 Key Points:

Their recruiting process is going to see players during the summer and the fall, and they rely on scouts and coaches.
Marty Smith’s typical baseball practices are 2 and a half hours with 40 minutes of that being stretching and throwing.
About five of Marty Smith’s assistant coaches have gone onto professional baseball after just one year.

Tweetable Quotes:

(JUCO Players) “They want to prove something. They got turned down by the D1s and that is obviously the term you hear through high school. Is he going to sign D1?” – Marty Smith
“Kids have bought into what we are doing. They are happy that they are here. Shoot, they want to stay here every after they leave here.” – Marty Smith
“We do have a scout day in September. It is like 3 weeks after they get here, probably a month after they get here. We’ve had all 30 teams here. We’ve had 10-20 colleges on average. That kind of gets their name out there.” – Marty Smith

Resources Mentioned:

● patrickjonesbaseball.com

● Marty Smith’s Social Media: Linkedin Twitter

● Axe Bat: axebat.com Type in code PJB25 for a 25% off discount

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to Get Recruited With No Baseball? - Nate Metzger - 161 Apr 07, 2020

Show notes

In this episode of Patrick Jones Baseball, host Patrick Jones interviews Nate Metzger, Associate

Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at Wright State University, a place that has sent over

20 players into professional baseball since 2015. They discuss ways to still get your name out

there, even during social distancing when you are unable to play at all, recruiting videos, and what

Nate Metzger looks for in new recruits.

Episode Highlights:

● Go to patrickjonesbaseball.com/161podcast and sign up for free 13 hitting drills

you can do by yourself.

● Wright University was top 25 in the nation in 2017 and they were top 10

offense in the nation in 2019.

● What was Nate Metzger’s journey to get where he is at today?

● What stands out to Nate that he learned as a coach that he learned during

his years at the junior college level?

● How is Nate able to filter through players to find who is the best fit for his

team?

● In-state and local players tend to have more support from family and

friends.

● What should players be doing now to get recruited during social

distancing?

● Nate Metzger describes what a regular practice looks like during fall

season training.

● Can athletes be trained to want to be challenged?

● If your mindset isn’t right, you won’t keep your job for long.

● Players know if you are a hypocrite and you don’t care.

● Make your player not just better players, but also better people.

● What advice does he have players in terms of a player development plan?

3 Key Points:

1. Good recruitment provides talent that gives you a head start when building a team.

2. Build strong connections and relationships with reliable sources for a more effective recruitment process.

3. The greatest athletes want to be challenged.

Tweetable Quotes:

● (Junior College Players) “Those guys had a little bit of a chip, you know, on their shoulder and I think that part of it was a lot of fun in creating those opportunities, moving those guys on.” – Nate Metzger

● “It starts with guys that have tools. Guys on the mound that have arm talent, and really, as much as we’re going to try to coach these guys up, you want to start with good ‘clay’ versus bad ‘clay.” – Nate Metzger

● “I think probably the hardest transition for a high school hitter to the college game is velocity and then off-speed stuff. The velocity is heavier, and the off-speed stuff is better.” – Nate Metzger

Resources Mentioned:

● patrickjonesbaseball.com

● Nate Metzger Social Media: Twitter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Are The Benefits of Axe Bat? - Branden Berry – 160 Mar 31, 2020

Show notes

How does swinging an Axe Bat Improve your ability to hit? In this episode we bring on a rep for Axe Bat, Branden Berry. In this episode Branden talks about why Axe Bat started and some of the benefits behind it, his playing career as a college and professional, his transition into working with Blast Motion, and what metrics you should be aiming for. We also talk about the Axe Bat Speed Trainers and how they increase bat speed, along with cleaning up a hitters bat path.

Axe Bat is being kind enough to give all listeners 25% off any Axe Bat training at including the Driveline overload/underload set, all you have to do is head to axebat.com and type in coupon code pjb25 for 25% off.

(1:00) Brandon’s playing career

(2:45) Why he decided to transfer to Cal State Northridge

(4:55) What Brandon expected he would be doing with his degree

(7:00) Why he decided to join Axe Bat

(8:45) How does Axe bat help you as a hitter?

(12:35) What are benefits of overload/underload axe bat trainers?

(14:05) Dills you can do with the Speed Trainers

(17:00) Supplementing Overload/Underload Axe bats when weight rooms are closed

(18:30) Is it still effective to use Axe trainers while doing dry swings?

21:40) What number should you try to get while pairing with Blast Motion?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Monte Lee- Head Coach Clemson University - 159 Mar 24, 2020

Show notes

His entire life Monte wanted to do one thing, coach. Even back as a young teenager his dream was to one day become the head baseball coach at his high school. His journey has taken him to several stops all in the great state of South Carolina. Now, in his 5th year as the head baseball coach at Clemson University, Monte shares what he’s learned along the way. How he became a better recruiter, what it takes to build a good culture, how to implement technology into a program, teaching plate discipline, the mental game, and so much more! I really enjoyed this interview with Monte, as he is on the cutting edge of player development, and hungry to learn more!

The only thing that I ask is that if you enjoy the podcast please share the show on social media, leave us a review in iTunes, or text this episode to a fellow friend who you think would benefit. The goal of this podcast is to help as many coaches, players, parents, and fans.

Time Stamps:

(1:00) What the last few days of Clemson’s season was like because of Coranavirus

(3:20) How Monte and his staff are helping his players now that they’re at home

(12:15) Making it a priority to recruit in state kids

(14:20) What does it take to be successful at something?

(19:00) Having a growth mindset as a coach

(21:40) Using technology to coach a player

(23:15) Using technology to measure volume

(25:00) How do you build a culture?

(27:30) Team Bonding

(29:30) How do you handle a player who gets in trouble?

(34:20) Implementing the mental game in Clemson’s program