August 30, 2024 • 25 mins
Former major league closer and now Pittsburgh Pirates broadcaster, Matt Capps, joined the show to discuss his upbringing in sports, when he realized he had what it took to be a MLB player, what it's like trying to rehab an injury at the highest level, and much more!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
My buddy Matt Capps covered him when I was doing
games years ago. This guy was one of the best
closers during his time. Now he calls games for the
Pittsburgh Pirates. Matt Capps joins us on the Bobby V's Hotline.
All right, let's go back to the beginning though with you,
because you know, once we looked up where you're from, Matt,
you grew up in Georgia. You were right in the
(00:21):
center of all of these Georgia players that started playing
pro ball. What was going on that puts so many
of you guys from Georgia in the big leagues.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Metro Atlanta is just a mecca for youth baseball. And
I'm writing the thick of it right now. I've got
a twelve year old. We will play thirteen US this
fall and going into next year, so I'm in the
thick of it on the other side on the coaching
side now. And it's crazy the number of travel organizations
and programs and tournaments that you can play in without
(00:53):
ever leaving the state or really in general Metropolitan Atlanta.
It's really kind of nuts. And it all started with
the East Cobb back in the nineties and what they did.
I grew up played in an American Legion thirteen fourteen
through seventeen. I did do one year of East Cobb
(01:13):
played for the East Cob Yankees. James Biaver's the head
coach there, and I'm going to fudge the numbers a
little bit, but he's had over three hundred kids that
have played for him, these kyp Yankees that have been
drafted and made it into Pro Bowl. And I think
Dansby Swanson was the fifty second player that he's had
come through his team that's made it to the big League.
(01:36):
And there's been more after that. I mean Joey Bart
that's in for the Pirates. I coached Joey Bart when
he was in high school here. He played for East
Cobb and it's kind of cool. I tell the story
my last couple of years playing. When I was rehabbing
after my shoulder surgery, I'm throwing through a couple of
high school catchers and like, man, these kids are pretty good.
(01:57):
They're pretty physical, you know, they're just they're sixteen, seventeen
years old. Well, lo and behold it's Tyler Stevenson and
Joey Bart. It's like, good gosh, but yeah, it's the
competition is so good around here, it has been forever.
One of the things that Braves do on their visiting
side that I think is pretty cool is they have
(02:19):
a map of the state of Georgia and they kind
of put a little ping on the hometown of all
the visiting players that come through that are from Georgia.
And it's really kind of mind bodeling. How how many
names come out of the state for baseball. You know,
my time, I played on a high school all star team,
(02:39):
and not going to brag, but I will say I
hit clean up and did a lot of texting. We all,
I know, But on this team I had Jeff Francour,
Brian McCann, Brandon Moss, Jonathan Broxton, a kid named will
start Up who was a really good pitcher and made
it to tripa A. I mean, we boat race teams
(03:04):
fits a lot of fun.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Was it all baseball all the time? Like that's a
football mecca area too. We've got some players in our
program over Yukon from the Atlanta area and basketball. Like,
was it always all baseball not just you but all
your friends as well?
Speaker 2 (03:21):
No, it wasn't. We did a bunch of different things
I mean, I appreciate now with the program here that
we started a couple of years ago. Like the fall
is for football, the winners for basketball, baseball needs to
take a back seat in the fall and in the winter.
You know, would that being said, come spring and summer,
(03:41):
football and basketball and other things need to take a
back seat to baseball. So focus on prioritize on what's
the end season and at the end of the day,
as a kid, be a kid. You're thirteen, you're fourteen,
you're fifteen, you're sixteen, like you're never going to be
this age again. Go do some things that it can't
get away with it thirty and thirty five and forty.
(04:02):
Go be a kid, enjoy life. When we get on
the field, we get in the facility, let's focus, you know,
let's let's give this our attention and can respond to
it well. But me personally, my parents had a rule
with my brother and the either had to actively be
in a be in a sport, or you had to
go get a job. And my brother went to work.
(04:23):
And I lettered in four sports in high school because
I'd much rather be playing and competing than going to work.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Oh my god, that's fantastic. What stopped to you? Man,
you're twenty eight years old? Was it the shoulder surgery?
Speaker 2 (04:35):
What happened?
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Because mine was the shoulder as well at about thirty
one thirty two. Tell people what it's like when you're
rehabbing and trying to come back.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
That sucks. There's there's nothing good about the rehab and
stolder surgery. And I pitched I got hurt in twenty twelve,
my last year in big leagues with Minnesota was on
was having a great year. Yeah, I had kind of
a down year in twenty eleven, just beat up a
little bit. I mean, you know how it is. The
(05:05):
best you feel is day one spring training and then
you're dealing with something throughout the course of the year.
And in twenty eleven, I had some issues with my
riff that I pitched through. Was able to compete and
you know, kind of grind it out. The bullpen in
Minnesota was beat up with Joe Nathan coming back from
Tommy John and Perkins had some issues, you know, So
(05:28):
I tried to take the ball and that's something I know,
probably to my own demise, took a lot of pride
in as trying to be available every day. I never
I never took a day off that I wasn't on
the DL or the injured lists as they call it now.
Tried to be available for the manager of the pitching coach,
(05:51):
the staff, the guys, and I took a lot of
pride in that twenty twelve was having a nice year.
I think I was fourteen for fifteen and says, and
woke up one morning my shoulder was bothering me. And
tried to pitch through it a couple of times, and
I did a couple of injections and tried some other
(06:14):
things that nothing really jumped out on an MRI that
was wild and crazy. Well, I actually had torn the
bicep interval, which is the tendon that sits along the
head of the humorous and keeps the bicep tending in place.
It's not a real common thrower's injury. Finally found a doctor.
(06:36):
I found a minor league deal with Cleveland. It went
to spring training and I could throw if I had time.
Once I got to they sent me to Columbus to
try and stretch out and make sure I was healthy.
And when I got to Columbus and the phone ring
and it said, hey, Caps, you got the guy, you
got the guy in the hole, or chief you be
(06:57):
ready for the guy on deck. I didn't stand a chance,
so I thought my career was over. Cleveland, the Cleveland Organization.
I can't say enough great things about Chris Ancinnetti and
Terry Francona and the guys that were there at the
time when I was there. They they treated me first class.
It was awesome, with the exception of I needed shoulder
(07:19):
surgery and I finally went the doctor Morgan in Wilmington, Delaware.
I think it was Craig Morgan c YEP. Finally went
to doctor Morgan and he couldn't find anything wrong with me,
and he literally, my wife and I were walking out
of the out of his office kind of hanging our heads,
(07:41):
and he came into the parking lot and asked me
to come back in leave me down on the table,
and he did his test and it hurt like crazy.
I jumped off the table and he goes, Okay, I'm
gonna do it again. I said no, you'm not, and
he said no, no, no, lay down, laydown, let me try
this and he stabilized the front side of my shoulder
and he did the little maneuver and I didn't feel
(08:01):
a thing, and he goes, okay, he goes, it just
hit me maybe this is the issue. And we went
back and looked at my MRI and you can't see
it on an MRI, but you can measure from the
head of the humorous to the interval opening. And it's
another one. It's been so long ago, I'm going to
fudge the numbers. I think. He said it's supposed to
(08:22):
be about fifteen degrees, and mine was like close to
thirty degrees. So we scheduled surgery the next week. He
went in fixed it to breed my labor and my
rotator cuff, and rehab the rest of that year. Thirteen
went to spring training again with Cleveland and fourteen and
(08:42):
I hurt myself again in spring training, strained to subscap
that was difficult to come back from. By the time
I got back from it, the season was over. Atlanta
gave me an opportunity in fifteen. I went to spring
training with him and I got to the point where
I sat, I felt pretty good. Just stuff wasn't back.
(09:02):
I mean I was when I was healthy. I threw
relatively hard, and the way the game had changed in
that period of time, everybody was starting to throw ninety
five ninety six, and it was all I could do
to get the ball to ninety. So that Atlanta let
me go and I was playing catch with a guy
(09:24):
here in Atlanta. Another talked about another Metro Atlanta kid,
Jonathan Hughes, who went to Georgia Tech, and he threw
pretty hard. I was long tossing with him and I
felt great, and I told my wife, I said, I
think I want to go try and play winter ball
and see if I get another opportunity. And called Alex
Cora down in Puerto Rico. Went and played a winter
ball season in Caguis, and that opened the door with Arizona.
(09:49):
A sign with Arizona, and wouldn't you know it, my
second game with the Diamondbacks, I slipped on the mountain,
straining oblique and had to battle back from that, but
I finally got back to trip. Call it mid May
something like that. Played for Phil Nevan and Reno, and
I tell people all the time, as far as the
team goes, and just enjoyment of being on the field,
(10:12):
like feeling in pro ball, feeling like it's an American
Legion travel ball team. Camaraderie. Feel that was the best experience,
but reality thinking comes September. I'm in my early mid thirties.
At this point, velocity is not coming back. Other things
(10:32):
are starting to hurt. It was time for me to
step aside and give some attention to my wife and
my kids, who are now twelve and nine, and be
it that figure out what's next. So my line to
everybody is, I'd still be playing today. I'm forty I'll
turn forty one. What next Tuesday? If I could still
(10:56):
be on a field, play and I would. But the
good Lord in my body a different plan, and I'm
trying to figure out what that is. A lot of parallels.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
Man, Yeah, let's talk about some good stuff. Talking to
Matt Capps, a major league former Major leaguer now analysts
for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Uh, let's talk about twenty ten.
You were an All Star there, just an incredible year.
You had a good mix of pitches. When was it
where it clicked for you that you became what you
(11:26):
thought would be a professional pitcher instead of just a
guy that can blow it by everybody.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Well, probably early early with Pittsburgh, before I came to Washington,
had I had a great year, a great full rookie
year in two thousand and six. Two thousand and seven
was another really nice year. I had some health issues
(11:53):
in eight and then nine was it was it down
year which created the opportunity for Washington. The Pirates non
tendered me instead of going through the arbitration process, and
Mike Rizzo with Washington call and gave me the opportunity there.
But you know, I could throw a slider, I could
throw a change up. The only reason I had a
(12:16):
career is because I could command my fastball. And I
did take a step that year in twenty ten, and
it was a large part dude to Pudge v Ladriguez.
I could backdoor my thinker, started off the plate away
to a arriety and run it back over the outer edge.
(12:39):
Had a hard time throwing my sinker into lefties, and
it's the same side of the plate. It's just the
optics of the right handed hitter compared to the left
handed hitter, and Pudge really kind of forced that on me.
I don't remember the date. I know we played Shilly
early a prefusion game Washington. It might have been there.
(13:02):
I just remember Chase Utley at the plate, and Chase
was would always get right on home plate, and he
crowded home plate, so he took the inner half of
the plate away and I got two strikes on him.
I don't recall how I got two strikes. And then
pudg went and tried to go sinker in and I
shipped no, and he does it again, and I shipped no,
(13:25):
and he does it again, and like it's very like
emphatically pushing his pinky finger into his right leg, like
we're doing this, And I had that, I had that
coming to Jesus moment where it's like, Okay, here's a
future Hall of Famer, He's telling me what I need
to do, and coming off the worst year of my career,
(13:48):
like I was searching, so it's like, what am I? Okay,
let's do it. And he grabbed the umpire and pulled
the umpire. The umpire is normally on the inside shoulder
of the catcher. He pulled the umpire over the other shoulder,
and Pudge literally set up behind Chase Utley. All I
could see was his left knee, his left shoulder in
(14:08):
the mit and I just threw the pitch and struck
him out, looking and It became a huge weapon for
me for the rest of my career to be able
to execute that pitch to Lefti's actually that's how I
got David Ortiz out in the All Star Game. I
finished him with that front door front hip sinker. And
(14:29):
that confidence to throw that pitch came from from Pudge. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
I'm still coaching fifteen U sixteen you. I got a
tournament this weekend with sixteen you kids, and I teach
him that throw your your sinker, right hand sinker and
a left you throw right at his.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Hip, throw right at him. If you hit him, you
hit him. That's right.
Speaker 1 (14:48):
Get out of the way, you know. North Charlton taught
me that one Kappy. He's like, hey, if they don't.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
Get out of the way, they get hit.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
Sot him.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
It doesn't hurt me when I hit him. That's right,
exactly that right.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
So let's get to Skeens. You get to watch this guy.
I was saying this yesterday on the air. It's got
to be heaving for a pitching coach to get a guy,
whether it was Strasburg back with the Nationals, whether it's
show Hey, a guy like Paul Skeens, what what's he
been like to watch. I watched his start yesterday, and
people keep talking his velocity is great. It just looks
like he's almost exhausted physically, more so than arm tiredness.
(15:24):
But but what's he been like and what have you seen,
uh in the last month from him?
Speaker 2 (15:31):
He gets after it. He's a he's a beast. He's
what six five? I don't know what they listening at,
but you know, I'm six two.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
And they got him at six sixty.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
They got him at sixty six two four, So I
was gonna I've been telling people he's ever been at
six five two fifty, So it's right there, right I was.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
I was an inch taller in the program, you know
now now that.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
You mentioned it, I think a lot of programs had
me at six three, so that's probably fair. He's he's
hit the physical human being. He's a big dude, big
strong dude. He's put together, and you watch how it works.
He gets after his craft, and you know, his craft
and his instrument being his body, the way he the
(16:21):
way he moves, I mean, he gets out early. He's
walking around in the outfield or behind the home plate.
Sometimes he's barefoot or in socks like you know, feeling
the ground underneath him, and he he doesn't move like
somebody that is six y five or six six two fifty.
He's just very nimble, very flexible, but he's put together.
(16:48):
So watching how he gets after it, I think he's
got an opportunity to get better, as crazy as that
is to think. You know, the guy's throwing the ball
well very well, what two to one or maybe a
two to two now e r A is in his
rookie campaign. He's so much fun to watch. But the
(17:09):
way he gets after his craft physically, I've heard through
the grapevine and guys with the Pirates that he's just
as locked in and intense with the mental side of
the game, with how he prepares, how he studies hitters,
how he studies his body of work and what he's
trying to throw, and things like that. So it could
(17:31):
be it could be the perfect package, you know. And
I hesitate to say that I was with Strasburg, you know,
Strasburg with Special Gibs. You remember that debut. I mean,
the electricity and the in the environment, the atmosphere there
a National Ballpark was like nothing I had experienced up
(17:53):
to that point. And you know I ended up pitching
in the playoffs later later in that season with with Minnesota.
I mean, it was like a playoff environment, maybe even
more so. It was crazy. I was in at Strasburg's
debut at PNC Park. I was at his second start
in Wrigley when he went sixth no hit, and even
(18:14):
on the road. I mean the environment and Wriggly as
a visiting player, Cubs fans were excited about it and
fired up, and they're early and yeah, you hear him
talking about schemes and things like that. It's just really
cool to experience and be a part of. I admire
(18:35):
the way he handles things, the way he's handled the fanfare,
of the publicity, all that stuff up to this point.
He's legit. He threw six no hit and Wrigly what
I was just talking about. I go downstairs at the
hotel the next morning to get a cup of coffee
and he's in the cafe by himself, sitting down eating breakfast.
(18:55):
And I go over and I say, hey, I don't
want to bothery you here, you know, and enjoy your time,
but I just want to say that was fun to watch.
And he stands up, he faces me, he shakes my hand,
he looks me in the eyes. I'm at the time
he was still twenty one years old. I'm forty years old,
and I'm the one breaking eye contact. He's like, he's
(19:18):
kind of a throwback, which is really cool. You guys
have probably heard this, but if you haven't it. One
of my favorite things is on days that he starts.
So every fifth day he shows up to the ballpark
in a suit and tie. You know, he says, this
is a TV league, we need to look the part.
He's trying to get other guys to kind of fall
(19:38):
in line with that. And the way the gamestayed that's awesome.
It's really cool. And the game has gone the complete
opposite direction with kind of you know, dress codes and
things like that. It's a lot more relaxed, and I
don't think that's a bad thing, especially on the flights
and things like that. Be comfortable to be able to rest.
But the level of professionalism at his age is incredible.
(20:02):
Another little story about that. We were in San Diego
a couple of weeks ago playing the Padres and I've
got a buddy out there from Pittsburgh who's a pilot
for the Navy. Can fly six wings and he's you know,
his area of specialization is he's a helicopter pilot. But
he's from Pittsburgh. He's a huge Pirates fan. So every
(20:22):
time I go out there, I see him hang out
and leave him tickets to the ballgame and brought him
out to the field. And he's got his Paul Schemes
all searchers he on, and him and his dad are
on the field. Brendan is his name. Brendan and his
dad are on the field, and he goes, hey, do
you think I could say hello to Schemes? You think
(20:43):
he would talk to me? Like, I'm sure he will,
But I mean, all I can do is ask. I
can't guarantee. I don't know what he's got going on today.
Paul walks out, and I just walk over to him
and say, hey, I've got a buddy that's a helicopter
pilot in the Navy, is a fan, just wants to
meet you. And the thing that jumped Paul said, yeah, absolutely,
give me one second. He was tidy enough some things.
(21:05):
And when he walked up the steps of the dugout
onto the field to meet Brendan, he takes his sunglasses off,
so he can look him in the eye and just
like those little touches of professionalism, And yeah, I guess
the highest compliment you can pay somebody his age as
a man and a man as a son. Now, if
(21:27):
my son turns out like him, I'll feel like I
did my job.
Speaker 3 (21:31):
So we've noticed he is such a challenger, like he goes.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
At the best in the league. I love the at
bats face show hay On.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
Once he's won, once he's lost, but he just challenges
him with his fastball right down the middle. See if
you can hit it? Are there times where you have
got to back the guy off from him from his
own self. I'm sure he's going to want to pitch
as much as he possibly can all the way through
this season, whether the Pirates are trying for the wild
card or not. I'm sure he is going to try
to do his own kind of philosophy against batters that
(22:02):
might not necessarily be the right way to do it.
Have you had to back him off from himself, not
that I've seen.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
That would be a question more for the Pirates pitching
guys right, and I haven't haven't been able to talk
to them about it. A ton I think he's so
diligent with his work and he's got a plan going
into it so much that that's probably addressed in the
pregame stuff instead of having to go back behind. You know,
that would have been a conversation for me, like, hey, Caps, dummy,
(22:34):
you can't throw a guy fastball in that situation. Like,
I know that's what you want to do, but come on, figure,
slip him a button backdoor slider or something. I think
he's got a plan, but we have seen him deba
from the plan quite a bit. I mean, there was
a stretch it was Tampa and somebody else where the
leadoff h are like back to back starts to the
(22:56):
homers on fastballs, and then we saw him go slider
and splinker heavy. So I mean his ability to adjust
I think is pretty pretty awesome, pretty unique, but it's
also a luxury when you're a guy like him. He's
(23:16):
got three pitches that are the elite. You could say,
you know, the fourteen fastball, the four team fastball is
not straight, you know, one it can come in at
one hundred hundred plus, but he gets just his arm
angle and kind of how he rotates through his delivery.
He gets some pretty good armside run on it too.
(23:39):
He doesn't get sync on it like a typical two
tham fastball, but he gets the run on it, and
then the sliders really good. And the splinker, which is
essentially it's just a two singer, but he spreads his
fingers a little bit. He doesn't tortu it like a split,
so it's kind of a hybrid sinker split finger pitch.
He gets some nass the action on it, and I
(24:02):
think he'll he'll play around with his thumb. I talked
to him a little bit about that thumb underneath some
on the side, trying to get the ball to do
different things. The curveball and the change up. I mean,
he threw a couple of good change ups. He struck
out show Hey in La on a change up that
was really good. I got him looking in I mean,
(24:22):
he set him up, he said, show hey up, got
him cheating for the fastball, and he threw a change
up away and well executed right at the bottom of
the strike zone, singing this. He he's got three pitches
that I think are elite, and in the change up
and change ups, in my opinion, it's better than the curveball.
But those those two pitches are are pretty solid as well.
(24:44):
So you know, a guy with a five pitch mix
and at the end of the day one hundred mile
an hour fastball, I'll take my chances with him.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
Hey, we could talk to you all day, brother, You're
you're unbelievable. You know, we've got a limited time on
our show. It's only four hours long. I'm messing with it.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
But what are you trying to say? You're gonna call
me back tomorrow. No, but we'd love to.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
But I'll give you a month or two and probably
a month before I call you back and we talk
some more about your division and stuff because, uh, you know,
my co host is a huge Cubs fan. Obviously I
played for the Reds, but I loved Pittsburgh. I love Pittsburgh.
So I appreciate your time, brother, and appreciate catching up
with you.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
Man.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
We'll talk to you soon.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
Yeah. No, it's great to reconnect, great to chat with
you guys. And let's go bucks. We need we need,
we need a nice little run here at about thirty
in a row to get back into
My buddy Matt Capps covered him when I was doing
games years ago. This guy was one of the best
closers during his time. Now he calls games for the
Pittsburgh Pirates. Matt Capps joins us on the Bobby V's Hotline.
All right, let's go back to the beginning though with you,
because you know, once we looked up where you're from, Matt,
you grew up in Georgia. You were right in the
(00:21):
center of all of these Georgia players that started playing
pro ball. What was going on that puts so many
of you guys from Georgia in the big leagues.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Metro Atlanta is just a mecca for youth baseball. And
I'm writing the thick of it right now. I've got
a twelve year old. We will play thirteen US this
fall and going into next year, so I'm in the
thick of it on the other side on the coaching
side now. And it's crazy the number of travel organizations
and programs and tournaments that you can play in without
(00:53):
ever leaving the state or really in general Metropolitan Atlanta.
It's really kind of nuts. And it all started with
the East Cobb back in the nineties and what they did.
I grew up played in an American Legion thirteen fourteen
through seventeen. I did do one year of East Cobb
(01:13):
played for the East Cob Yankees. James Biaver's the head
coach there, and I'm going to fudge the numbers a
little bit, but he's had over three hundred kids that
have played for him, these kyp Yankees that have been
drafted and made it into Pro Bowl. And I think
Dansby Swanson was the fifty second player that he's had
come through his team that's made it to the big League.
(01:36):
And there's been more after that. I mean Joey Bart
that's in for the Pirates. I coached Joey Bart when
he was in high school here. He played for East
Cobb and it's kind of cool. I tell the story
my last couple of years playing. When I was rehabbing
after my shoulder surgery, I'm throwing through a couple of
high school catchers and like, man, these kids are pretty good.
(01:57):
They're pretty physical, you know, they're just they're sixteen, seventeen
years old. Well, lo and behold it's Tyler Stevenson and
Joey Bart. It's like, good gosh, but yeah, it's the
competition is so good around here, it has been forever.
One of the things that Braves do on their visiting
side that I think is pretty cool is they have
(02:19):
a map of the state of Georgia and they kind
of put a little ping on the hometown of all
the visiting players that come through that are from Georgia.
And it's really kind of mind bodeling. How how many
names come out of the state for baseball. You know,
my time, I played on a high school all star team,
(02:39):
and not going to brag, but I will say I
hit clean up and did a lot of texting. We all,
I know, But on this team I had Jeff Francour,
Brian McCann, Brandon Moss, Jonathan Broxton, a kid named will
start Up who was a really good pitcher and made
it to tripa A. I mean, we boat race teams
(03:04):
fits a lot of fun.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Was it all baseball all the time? Like that's a
football mecca area too. We've got some players in our
program over Yukon from the Atlanta area and basketball. Like,
was it always all baseball not just you but all
your friends as well?
Speaker 2 (03:21):
No, it wasn't. We did a bunch of different things
I mean, I appreciate now with the program here that
we started a couple of years ago. Like the fall
is for football, the winners for basketball, baseball needs to
take a back seat in the fall and in the winter.
You know, would that being said, come spring and summer,
(03:41):
football and basketball and other things need to take a
back seat to baseball. So focus on prioritize on what's
the end season and at the end of the day,
as a kid, be a kid. You're thirteen, you're fourteen,
you're fifteen, you're sixteen, like you're never going to be
this age again. Go do some things that it can't
get away with it thirty and thirty five and forty.
(04:02):
Go be a kid, enjoy life. When we get on
the field, we get in the facility, let's focus, you know,
let's let's give this our attention and can respond to
it well. But me personally, my parents had a rule
with my brother and the either had to actively be
in a be in a sport, or you had to
go get a job. And my brother went to work.
(04:23):
And I lettered in four sports in high school because
I'd much rather be playing and competing than going to work.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Oh my god, that's fantastic. What stopped to you? Man,
you're twenty eight years old? Was it the shoulder surgery?
Speaker 2 (04:35):
What happened?
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Because mine was the shoulder as well at about thirty
one thirty two. Tell people what it's like when you're
rehabbing and trying to come back.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
That sucks. There's there's nothing good about the rehab and
stolder surgery. And I pitched I got hurt in twenty twelve,
my last year in big leagues with Minnesota was on
was having a great year. Yeah, I had kind of
a down year in twenty eleven, just beat up a
little bit. I mean, you know how it is. The
(05:05):
best you feel is day one spring training and then
you're dealing with something throughout the course of the year.
And in twenty eleven, I had some issues with my
riff that I pitched through. Was able to compete and
you know, kind of grind it out. The bullpen in
Minnesota was beat up with Joe Nathan coming back from
Tommy John and Perkins had some issues, you know, So
(05:28):
I tried to take the ball and that's something I know,
probably to my own demise, took a lot of pride
in as trying to be available every day. I never
I never took a day off that I wasn't on
the DL or the injured lists as they call it now.
Tried to be available for the manager of the pitching coach,
(05:51):
the staff, the guys, and I took a lot of
pride in that twenty twelve was having a nice year.
I think I was fourteen for fifteen and says, and
woke up one morning my shoulder was bothering me. And
tried to pitch through it a couple of times, and
I did a couple of injections and tried some other
(06:14):
things that nothing really jumped out on an MRI that
was wild and crazy. Well, I actually had torn the
bicep interval, which is the tendon that sits along the
head of the humorous and keeps the bicep tending in place.
It's not a real common thrower's injury. Finally found a doctor.
(06:36):
I found a minor league deal with Cleveland. It went
to spring training and I could throw if I had time.
Once I got to they sent me to Columbus to
try and stretch out and make sure I was healthy.
And when I got to Columbus and the phone ring
and it said, hey, Caps, you got the guy, you
got the guy in the hole, or chief you be
(06:57):
ready for the guy on deck. I didn't stand a chance,
so I thought my career was over. Cleveland, the Cleveland Organization.
I can't say enough great things about Chris Ancinnetti and
Terry Francona and the guys that were there at the
time when I was there. They they treated me first class.
It was awesome, with the exception of I needed shoulder
(07:19):
surgery and I finally went the doctor Morgan in Wilmington, Delaware.
I think it was Craig Morgan c YEP. Finally went
to doctor Morgan and he couldn't find anything wrong with me,
and he literally, my wife and I were walking out
of the out of his office kind of hanging our heads,
(07:41):
and he came into the parking lot and asked me
to come back in leave me down on the table,
and he did his test and it hurt like crazy.
I jumped off the table and he goes, Okay, I'm
gonna do it again. I said no, you'm not, and
he said no, no, no, lay down, laydown, let me try
this and he stabilized the front side of my shoulder
and he did the little maneuver and I didn't feel
(08:01):
a thing, and he goes, okay, he goes, it just
hit me maybe this is the issue. And we went
back and looked at my MRI and you can't see
it on an MRI, but you can measure from the
head of the humorous to the interval opening. And it's
another one. It's been so long ago, I'm going to
fudge the numbers. I think. He said it's supposed to
(08:22):
be about fifteen degrees, and mine was like close to
thirty degrees. So we scheduled surgery the next week. He
went in fixed it to breed my labor and my
rotator cuff, and rehab the rest of that year. Thirteen
went to spring training again with Cleveland and fourteen and
(08:42):
I hurt myself again in spring training, strained to subscap
that was difficult to come back from. By the time
I got back from it, the season was over. Atlanta
gave me an opportunity in fifteen. I went to spring
training with him and I got to the point where
I sat, I felt pretty good. Just stuff wasn't back.
(09:02):
I mean I was when I was healthy. I threw
relatively hard, and the way the game had changed in
that period of time, everybody was starting to throw ninety
five ninety six, and it was all I could do
to get the ball to ninety. So that Atlanta let
me go and I was playing catch with a guy
(09:24):
here in Atlanta. Another talked about another Metro Atlanta kid,
Jonathan Hughes, who went to Georgia Tech, and he threw
pretty hard. I was long tossing with him and I
felt great, and I told my wife, I said, I
think I want to go try and play winter ball
and see if I get another opportunity. And called Alex
Cora down in Puerto Rico. Went and played a winter
ball season in Caguis, and that opened the door with Arizona.
(09:49):
A sign with Arizona, and wouldn't you know it, my
second game with the Diamondbacks, I slipped on the mountain,
straining oblique and had to battle back from that, but
I finally got back to trip. Call it mid May
something like that. Played for Phil Nevan and Reno, and
I tell people all the time, as far as the
team goes, and just enjoyment of being on the field,
(10:12):
like feeling in pro ball, feeling like it's an American
Legion travel ball team. Camaraderie. Feel that was the best experience,
but reality thinking comes September. I'm in my early mid thirties.
At this point, velocity is not coming back. Other things
(10:32):
are starting to hurt. It was time for me to
step aside and give some attention to my wife and
my kids, who are now twelve and nine, and be
it that figure out what's next. So my line to
everybody is, I'd still be playing today. I'm forty I'll
turn forty one. What next Tuesday? If I could still
(10:56):
be on a field, play and I would. But the
good Lord in my body a different plan, and I'm
trying to figure out what that is. A lot of parallels.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
Man, Yeah, let's talk about some good stuff. Talking to
Matt Capps, a major league former Major leaguer now analysts
for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Uh, let's talk about twenty ten.
You were an All Star there, just an incredible year.
You had a good mix of pitches. When was it
where it clicked for you that you became what you
(11:26):
thought would be a professional pitcher instead of just a
guy that can blow it by everybody.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Well, probably early early with Pittsburgh, before I came to Washington,
had I had a great year, a great full rookie
year in two thousand and six. Two thousand and seven
was another really nice year. I had some health issues
(11:53):
in eight and then nine was it was it down
year which created the opportunity for Washington. The Pirates non
tendered me instead of going through the arbitration process, and
Mike Rizzo with Washington call and gave me the opportunity there.
But you know, I could throw a slider, I could
throw a change up. The only reason I had a
(12:16):
career is because I could command my fastball. And I
did take a step that year in twenty ten, and
it was a large part dude to Pudge v Ladriguez.
I could backdoor my thinker, started off the plate away
to a arriety and run it back over the outer edge.
(12:39):
Had a hard time throwing my sinker into lefties, and
it's the same side of the plate. It's just the
optics of the right handed hitter compared to the left
handed hitter, and Pudge really kind of forced that on me.
I don't remember the date. I know we played Shilly
early a prefusion game Washington. It might have been there.
(13:02):
I just remember Chase Utley at the plate, and Chase
was would always get right on home plate, and he
crowded home plate, so he took the inner half of
the plate away and I got two strikes on him.
I don't recall how I got two strikes. And then
pudg went and tried to go sinker in and I
shipped no, and he does it again, and I shipped no,
(13:25):
and he does it again, and like it's very like
emphatically pushing his pinky finger into his right leg, like
we're doing this, And I had that, I had that
coming to Jesus moment where it's like, Okay, here's a
future Hall of Famer, He's telling me what I need
to do, and coming off the worst year of my career,
(13:48):
like I was searching, so it's like, what am I? Okay,
let's do it. And he grabbed the umpire and pulled
the umpire. The umpire is normally on the inside shoulder
of the catcher. He pulled the umpire over the other shoulder,
and Pudge literally set up behind Chase Utley. All I
could see was his left knee, his left shoulder in
(14:08):
the mit and I just threw the pitch and struck
him out, looking and It became a huge weapon for
me for the rest of my career to be able
to execute that pitch to Lefti's actually that's how I
got David Ortiz out in the All Star Game. I
finished him with that front door front hip sinker. And
(14:29):
that confidence to throw that pitch came from from Pudge. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
I'm still coaching fifteen U sixteen you. I got a
tournament this weekend with sixteen you kids, and I teach
him that throw your your sinker, right hand sinker and
a left you throw right at his.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Hip, throw right at him. If you hit him, you
hit him. That's right.
Speaker 1 (14:48):
Get out of the way, you know. North Charlton taught
me that one Kappy. He's like, hey, if they don't.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
Get out of the way, they get hit.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
Sot him.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
It doesn't hurt me when I hit him. That's right,
exactly that right.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
So let's get to Skeens. You get to watch this guy.
I was saying this yesterday on the air. It's got
to be heaving for a pitching coach to get a guy,
whether it was Strasburg back with the Nationals, whether it's
show Hey, a guy like Paul Skeens, what what's he
been like to watch. I watched his start yesterday, and
people keep talking his velocity is great. It just looks
like he's almost exhausted physically, more so than arm tiredness.
(15:24):
But but what's he been like and what have you seen,
uh in the last month from him?
Speaker 2 (15:31):
He gets after it. He's a he's a beast. He's
what six five? I don't know what they listening at,
but you know, I'm six two.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
And they got him at six sixty.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
They got him at sixty six two four, So I
was gonna I've been telling people he's ever been at
six five two fifty, So it's right there, right I was.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
I was an inch taller in the program, you know
now now that.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
You mentioned it, I think a lot of programs had
me at six three, so that's probably fair. He's he's
hit the physical human being. He's a big dude, big
strong dude. He's put together, and you watch how it works.
He gets after his craft, and you know, his craft
and his instrument being his body, the way he the
(16:21):
way he moves, I mean, he gets out early. He's
walking around in the outfield or behind the home plate.
Sometimes he's barefoot or in socks like you know, feeling
the ground underneath him, and he he doesn't move like
somebody that is six y five or six six two fifty.
He's just very nimble, very flexible, but he's put together.
(16:48):
So watching how he gets after it, I think he's
got an opportunity to get better, as crazy as that
is to think. You know, the guy's throwing the ball
well very well, what two to one or maybe a
two to two now e r A is in his
rookie campaign. He's so much fun to watch. But the
(17:09):
way he gets after his craft physically, I've heard through
the grapevine and guys with the Pirates that he's just
as locked in and intense with the mental side of
the game, with how he prepares, how he studies hitters,
how he studies his body of work and what he's
trying to throw, and things like that. So it could
(17:31):
be it could be the perfect package, you know. And
I hesitate to say that I was with Strasburg, you know,
Strasburg with Special Gibs. You remember that debut. I mean,
the electricity and the in the environment, the atmosphere there
a National Ballpark was like nothing I had experienced up
(17:53):
to that point. And you know I ended up pitching
in the playoffs later later in that season with with Minnesota.
I mean, it was like a playoff environment, maybe even
more so. It was crazy. I was in at Strasburg's
debut at PNC Park. I was at his second start
in Wrigley when he went sixth no hit, and even
(18:14):
on the road. I mean the environment and Wriggly as
a visiting player, Cubs fans were excited about it and
fired up, and they're early and yeah, you hear him
talking about schemes and things like that. It's just really
cool to experience and be a part of. I admire
(18:35):
the way he handles things, the way he's handled the fanfare,
of the publicity, all that stuff up to this point.
He's legit. He threw six no hit and Wrigly what
I was just talking about. I go downstairs at the
hotel the next morning to get a cup of coffee
and he's in the cafe by himself, sitting down eating breakfast.
(18:55):
And I go over and I say, hey, I don't
want to bothery you here, you know, and enjoy your time,
but I just want to say that was fun to watch.
And he stands up, he faces me, he shakes my hand,
he looks me in the eyes. I'm at the time
he was still twenty one years old. I'm forty years old,
and I'm the one breaking eye contact. He's like, he's
(19:18):
kind of a throwback, which is really cool. You guys
have probably heard this, but if you haven't it. One
of my favorite things is on days that he starts.
So every fifth day he shows up to the ballpark
in a suit and tie. You know, he says, this
is a TV league, we need to look the part.
He's trying to get other guys to kind of fall
(19:38):
in line with that. And the way the gamestayed that's awesome.
It's really cool. And the game has gone the complete
opposite direction with kind of you know, dress codes and
things like that. It's a lot more relaxed, and I
don't think that's a bad thing, especially on the flights
and things like that. Be comfortable to be able to rest.
But the level of professionalism at his age is incredible.
(20:02):
Another little story about that. We were in San Diego
a couple of weeks ago playing the Padres and I've
got a buddy out there from Pittsburgh who's a pilot
for the Navy. Can fly six wings and he's you know,
his area of specialization is he's a helicopter pilot. But
he's from Pittsburgh. He's a huge Pirates fan. So every
(20:22):
time I go out there, I see him hang out
and leave him tickets to the ballgame and brought him
out to the field. And he's got his Paul Schemes
all searchers he on, and him and his dad are
on the field. Brendan is his name. Brendan and his
dad are on the field, and he goes, hey, do
you think I could say hello to Schemes? You think
(20:43):
he would talk to me? Like, I'm sure he will,
But I mean, all I can do is ask. I
can't guarantee. I don't know what he's got going on today.
Paul walks out, and I just walk over to him
and say, hey, I've got a buddy that's a helicopter
pilot in the Navy, is a fan, just wants to
meet you. And the thing that jumped Paul said, yeah, absolutely,
give me one second. He was tidy enough some things.
(21:05):
And when he walked up the steps of the dugout
onto the field to meet Brendan, he takes his sunglasses off,
so he can look him in the eye and just
like those little touches of professionalism, And yeah, I guess
the highest compliment you can pay somebody his age as
a man and a man as a son. Now, if
(21:27):
my son turns out like him, I'll feel like I
did my job.
Speaker 3 (21:31):
So we've noticed he is such a challenger, like he goes.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
At the best in the league. I love the at
bats face show hay On.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
Once he's won, once he's lost, but he just challenges
him with his fastball right down the middle. See if
you can hit it? Are there times where you have
got to back the guy off from him from his
own self. I'm sure he's going to want to pitch
as much as he possibly can all the way through
this season, whether the Pirates are trying for the wild
card or not. I'm sure he is going to try
to do his own kind of philosophy against batters that
(22:02):
might not necessarily be the right way to do it.
Have you had to back him off from himself, not
that I've seen.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
That would be a question more for the Pirates pitching
guys right, and I haven't haven't been able to talk
to them about it. A ton I think he's so
diligent with his work and he's got a plan going
into it so much that that's probably addressed in the
pregame stuff instead of having to go back behind. You know,
that would have been a conversation for me, like, hey, Caps, dummy,
(22:34):
you can't throw a guy fastball in that situation. Like,
I know that's what you want to do, but come on, figure,
slip him a button backdoor slider or something. I think
he's got a plan, but we have seen him deba
from the plan quite a bit. I mean, there was
a stretch it was Tampa and somebody else where the
leadoff h are like back to back starts to the
(22:56):
homers on fastballs, and then we saw him go slider
and splinker heavy. So I mean his ability to adjust
I think is pretty pretty awesome, pretty unique, but it's
also a luxury when you're a guy like him. He's
(23:16):
got three pitches that are the elite. You could say,
you know, the fourteen fastball, the four team fastball is
not straight, you know, one it can come in at
one hundred hundred plus, but he gets just his arm
angle and kind of how he rotates through his delivery.
He gets some pretty good armside run on it too.
(23:39):
He doesn't get sync on it like a typical two
tham fastball, but he gets the run on it, and
then the sliders really good. And the splinker, which is
essentially it's just a two singer, but he spreads his
fingers a little bit. He doesn't tortu it like a split,
so it's kind of a hybrid sinker split finger pitch.
He gets some nass the action on it, and I
(24:02):
think he'll he'll play around with his thumb. I talked
to him a little bit about that thumb underneath some
on the side, trying to get the ball to do
different things. The curveball and the change up. I mean,
he threw a couple of good change ups. He struck
out show Hey in La on a change up that
was really good. I got him looking in I mean,
(24:22):
he set him up, he said, show hey up, got
him cheating for the fastball, and he threw a change
up away and well executed right at the bottom of
the strike zone, singing this. He he's got three pitches
that I think are elite, and in the change up
and change ups, in my opinion, it's better than the curveball.
But those those two pitches are are pretty solid as well.
(24:44):
So you know, a guy with a five pitch mix
and at the end of the day one hundred mile
an hour fastball, I'll take my chances with him.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
Hey, we could talk to you all day, brother, You're
you're unbelievable. You know, we've got a limited time on
our show. It's only four hours long. I'm messing with it.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
But what are you trying to say? You're gonna call
me back tomorrow. No, but we'd love to.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
But I'll give you a month or two and probably
a month before I call you back and we talk
some more about your division and stuff because, uh, you know,
my co host is a huge Cubs fan. Obviously I
played for the Reds, but I loved Pittsburgh. I love Pittsburgh.
So I appreciate your time, brother, and appreciate catching up
with you.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
Man.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
We'll talk to you soon.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
Yeah. No, it's great to reconnect, great to chat with
you guys. And let's go bucks. We need we need,
we need a nice little run here at about thirty
in a row to get back into
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