I had the opportunity to speak with Collin Balester, Clint Everts, Devin Ivany, Luke Montz, Rogearvin Bernadina, Brandon Powell, and Randy Knorr at today’s media day.
The first person I spoke with was Devin Ivany, the projected starting catcher. He told me that while he 2005 numbers were OK, he was not satisfied with them. He believed he has finally adjusted from the college game to the professional game, specifically the use of the wood bat. He feels his defense is his strongest attribute his goals for 2006 are to be a team leader. He hopes to take control of games in order to make his staff trust him and feel more comfortable on the mound. He is genuinely excited to be working with Collin Blaester, Clint Everts, and Mike Hinckley. He caught Balester last season in Savannah and knows that working with those three will make his job easier.
I next spoke with Brandon Powell. He was signed as a minor league free agent in the offseason from the Kansas City Royals. He views this season as a challenge in that he is not only in a new organization but also learning a new position, third base. He was told that this year he would be switching from second to third base. He hopes the transition goes well and is anxious to prove he’s ready for Harrisburg. His biggest challenge in the new position is that it is a reaction-driven position.
Luke Montz hopes he can staty healthy this season after battling groin and rib injuries in 2005. He was told he would be playing alot of first base but will also get some time behind the plate. If he had his choice he’d rather catch but understands he needs to do what the organization asks of him. While he feels his bat is his strong point, he worked in the offseason on hitting the ball to RF. All 19 of his 2005 HR were to LF and he realizes that he needs to show power to all fields to present himself with the best opportunity for success. He also mentioned that he needs to cut down his strikeouts and that at times he can get overaggressive at the plate. He was the first guy to mention excitement over the chance to play at RFK this May.
Rogearvin Bernadina was the most soft-spoken guy I had the chance to speak with. He was really excited to have been promoted to the next level after three seasons in Savannah. He hopes he can stay consistent at the plate against a higher level of competition. He believes his speed and defense are his calling cards and he is anxious to show the organization he has the skills necessary to remain in their long term plans. I asked him about the World Baseball Classic and whether he had the chance to try out for the team from the Netherlands. He mentioned that he had the opportunity ti try out but after a long season in Nicaragua, he wanted to rest and be prepared for the 2006 season.
The four most popular guys there were Balester, Everts, Hinckley, and manager Randy Knorr. I was fortunate to speak with all but Hinckley. Balester was focused on staying healthy in 2006 and is driven to be in Harrisburg by the end of the season. He told me his doesn’t pay attention to any of the prospect hype and actually tries to avoid any articles that tout him (or others) as top prospects. He, and the other starting pitchers, will be on pitch counts around 100/game. His goal is to pitch 140-145 innings this season. He will spend the season working on the grip on his changeup which he will use to complement his fastball and curveball. He told me that the starters have actually counted back starts to see who might get the ball at RFK. He is anxious to work with Everts and Hinckley and feels they can push one another.
Echoing a common theme among the players, Clint Everts wants to stay healthy in 2006. He is 18 months into his recovery from Tommy John surgery and is ready to prove to the organization that he still has it. This season will allow him to start throwingnot only more innings but also more pitches. Last season as part of his recovery, he was not allowed to throw more than three innings and at times was restricted to all fastballs. He wanted to get back to throwing more curveballs and changeups in order to get his overall command back. He reiterated Balester’s desire to pitch with the other two. He felt that they would most certainly push one another in continuous competition and that if either of the other guys said different, they were lying.
Finally, I had the brief opportunity to speak with Potomac manager Randy Knorr. He was anxious to get the season started and felt that Blaester, Everts, and Hinckley along with Ricardo Morales and Greg Bunn comprised a solid rotation for him who along with catchers Devin Ivany (starter), Luke Montz (primary backup), and Robert Rodriguez gave him a solid battery in 2006. His goal is to get all of his players to feel more comfortable and confident on the field, helping them through the tough times and enjoying their successes. His job is to get them to the next level. I asked him about when the fourth Nats pitching prospect, Daryl Thompson, was going to show up. He had worked with Thompson last season and knew that he was pitching injured which made his results that much more impressive. He stated he doesn’t want Thompson rushed back until he is healthy and ready but he is certainly on the llokout for Thompson as the season progresses. I asked about his aspirations as a manager and he told me he really enjoys teaching and working with the younger guys. His focus is getting the guys to play to their abilities and to continue their development. He is not worried at all about the ownership situation. He even stated that most considered it a strong possibility that a new owner would clean house. He believed that if he did his best and showed progress in devleoping players, he would put himself in a position to be valuable to the Nationals.
Post a Comment