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If someone else has already quoted this, I apologize.
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->Wells mimics his way to mound
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Randy Wells figured out something when he was a kid: When he stayed inside and bounced around the house, well, that's when he was most likely to annoy his dad. But when he was outside, he could fire baseballs against the side of his house for hours and nobody would say anything. So, hour after hour, that's what he did, aiming for a square he fashioned with some duct tape.
It was in this way that he learned to copy the delivery of pitchers so precisely, a skill that came in handy many years later when the Cubs told him, in so many words, that he had to convert to pitcher or else see his career as a professional baseball player end very quickly.
Wells had broken into pro ball in 2002 as a catcher but struggled to make the transition from aluminum bats to wood. After hitting .158 in his first season, Wells was relegated to a backup role and spent a lot of time catching in the bullpen for Class A Lansing in 2003. There was a blowout, and the position players were asked whether anyone wanted to absorb an inning, and Wells -- dying to do anything other than sit on the bench -- volunteered and threw a whole lot of fastballs. About 10 days later, a couple of Cubs officials sat down with Wells and informed him that he was a pitcher.
"It was kind of a kick in the ass," Wells said Saturday. "I kind of moped around for a while. … But in sports, you don't get a lot of second chances, and a light just came on for me." Wells realized what was at stake, saw the opportunity and seized it, and all those hours throwing baseballs against his house came in handy.
He had copied the windup of Roger Clemens and other pitchers, so he had a base knowledge of the mechanics; if somebody made a suggestion and used another pitcher as an example, Wells was adept at visualizing the suggestion and making an adjustment. The hard part, he said, was getting down the mental side of pitching.
He fared well enough to be taken by Toronto in the Rule 5 draft leading up to the 2008 season, and in spring training he worked with Blue Jays pitching coach Brad Arnsberg. They talked about refining Wells' sinker, which left Wells thinking about the delivery of Chris Carpenter, a pitcher whose style he knew well and could mimic. In time, his sinker was much better. "I had been trying to force my sinker," Wells recalled, "but after that, everything made a lot more sense."
Wells continues to learn in this way, through visualization, through his own application of what others tell him. Wells can go out and have a bullpen session of 50 pitches and not accomplish a lot, but then he can sit next to Ryan Dempster and Ted Lilly on the Cubs' bench, listen to the two veteran pitchers, and draw something very specific from what he hears. After a recent outing, he had a conversation with Cubs pitching coach Larry Rothschild not about mechanics, or about pitch selection. "We were just talking about breathing," Wells said.
He has quilted these bits and pieces of information into a strong start for the Cubs, since stepping into the Chicago rotation for Rich Harden. He flirted with a no-hitter in his last outing and has walked just seven in 32 innings, with 27 strikeouts and a 1.69 ERA.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
There's nothing better than to realize that the good things about youth don't end with youth itself. It's a matter of realizing that life can be renewed every day you get out of bed without baggage. It's tough to get there, but it's better than the dark thoughts. -Lance
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Good story...too bad kids don't do that stuff now and days. Either they are sitting at home playing video games, or they are getting special private instruction for $150 dollars an hour.
With that said, I'd love to buy this guy a win sometime.
"Last year, I was sort of a kid and I was a little scared, I ain't scared any more."
Quote:- Hank Aaron
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<!--quoteo(post=42923:date=Jun 8 2009, 01:46 PM:name=BackyardLegend)-->QUOTE (BackyardLegend @ Jun 8 2009, 01:46 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Good story...too bad kids don't do that stuff now and days. Either they are sitting at home playing video games, or they are getting special private instruction for $150 dollars an hour.
With that said, I'd love to buy this guy a win sometime.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The thing of it is, Wells was born in 1982. They had video games when he was growing up--he obviously preferred being outside throwing a ball.
I'm 100% fine with this. I'm just glad there's an actual plan in place that isn't, "Let's load up on retreads and hope we get lucky." I'm a little tired of that plan.
Butcher
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The fact that yesterday David Patton, a guy who never pitches, got a win and Wells is still winless is a travesty of justice.
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It's a shame that Wells hasn't gotten a W yet but it's more of a shame that the Cubs are having issues with the likes of the Reds, Braves and Padres.
If the Cubs are going to continue winning series, guys like Patton, Ascaino and Wells are going to have to show that they belong in the majors and can be counted on to get big outs.
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<!--quoteo(post=42936:date=Jun 8 2009, 01:23 PM:name=Lance)-->QUOTE (Lance @ Jun 8 2009, 01:23 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=42923:date=Jun 8 2009, 01:46 PM:name=BackyardLegend)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BackyardLegend @ Jun 8 2009, 01:46 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Good story...too bad kids don't do that stuff now and days. Either they are sitting at home playing video games, or they are getting special private instruction for $150 dollars an hour.
With that said, I'd love to buy this guy a win sometime.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The thing of it is, Wells was born in 1982. They had video games when he was growing up--he obviously preferred being outside throwing a ball.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I was born a year after Wells was. Yes, it was the first big in home video gaming generation, but it's nowhere near what it's like today. I spent a lot of hours playing video games as a kid, but I still rode around the neighborhood on my bike with friends, playing street hockey, baseball, football, soccer. Climbing trees, collecting reptiles and amphibians. Maybe I'm out of touch, but I don't think the kids these days do stuff like that.
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To me, Wells looks like he might be good enough to stay in the big leagues long term. Seems like some people here think he isn't anything, but I think he has been most impressive. Also, speaking of Patton, he stuff looked pretty good yesterday.
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<!--quoteo(post=42970:date=Jun 8 2009, 03:43 PM:name=dk123)-->QUOTE (dk123 @ Jun 8 2009, 03:43 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->To me, Wells looks like he might be good enough to stay in the big leagues long term. Seems like some people here think he isn't anything, but I think he has been most impressive. Also, speaking of Patton, he stuff looked pretty good yesterday.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
His stuff has looked pretty good all season long. He's just had some control problems.
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<!--quoteo(post=42974:date=Jun 8 2009, 02:58 PM:name=Coldneck)-->QUOTE (Coldneck @ Jun 8 2009, 02:58 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=42970:date=Jun 8 2009, 03:43 PM:name=dk123)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (dk123 @ Jun 8 2009, 03:43 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->To me, Wells looks like he might be good enough to stay in the big leagues long term. Seems like some people here think he isn't anything, but I think he has been most impressive. Also, speaking of Patton, he stuff looked pretty good yesterday.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
His stuff has looked pretty good all season long. He's just had some control problems.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I disagree on Patton. To me, he's looked pretty average stuff-wise all year. None of his pitches are very impressive and his control is always an issue.
Wells, on the other hand doesn't have great stuff either, but he has a great ability to spot his pitches and bottom line he throws strikes. Whatever he lacks in talent, he seems to make up for in terms of smarts. He could be a pretty solid #3 or #4 as long as he can maintain his composure. He doesn't seem to get rattled, ever.
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<!--quoteo(post=42980:date=Jun 8 2009, 03:12 PM:name=rok)-->QUOTE (rok @ Jun 8 2009, 03:12 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Wells, on the other hand doesn't have great stuff either, but he has a great ability to spot his pitches and bottom line he throws strikes. Whatever he lacks in talent, he seems to make up for in terms of smarts. He could be a pretty solid #3 or #4 as long as he can maintain his composure. He doesn't seem to get rattled, ever.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Excluding the lack of wins, the Randy Wells story has been the best story from the Cubs so far this year but I am still not convinced that he has the stuff to be anything better than a #5 starter.
As teams face him a second time around and more teams have video of him, his ERA will increase dramatically but hopefully as a student of the game, Randy can learn and adjust and find a long career in the majors.
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<!--quoteo(post=42967:date=Jun 8 2009, 01:32 PM:name=Scarey)-->QUOTE (Scarey @ Jun 8 2009, 01:32 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=42936:date=Jun 8 2009, 01:23 PM:name=Lance)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Lance @ Jun 8 2009, 01:23 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=42923:date=Jun 8 2009, 01:46 PM:name=BackyardLegend)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BackyardLegend @ Jun 8 2009, 01:46 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Good story...too bad kids don't do that stuff now and days. Either they are sitting at home playing video games, or they are getting special private instruction for $150 dollars an hour.
With that said, I'd love to buy this guy a win sometime.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The thing of it is, Wells was born in 1982. They had video games when he was growing up--he obviously preferred being outside throwing a ball.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I was born a year after Wells was. Yes, it was the first big in home video gaming generation, but it's nowhere near what it's like today. I spent a lot of hours playing video games as a kid, but I still rode around the neighborhood on my bike with friends, playing street hockey, baseball, football, soccer. Climbing trees, collecting reptiles and amphibians. Maybe I'm out of touch, but I don't think the kids these days do stuff like that.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I agree. I was born in '81 and video games were huge when I was a kid and we played them quite a bit, but we spent much more time riding bikes, skateboarding, playing ball, shooting BB guns, etc. I can't really think of any kids I knew who played video games all the time. However, things have changed. Video games are much more accessible these days. Back then, to play the REALLY good games, you had to go to an arcade and pump in a ton of quarters. The graphics were just so much better in the arcades. We lived in a small town, so going to an arcade was a rare treat. But now you can get the best games right in your living room on big HD TVs, and the games today are much more engrossing and realistic, which means they are also more addicting. These days, I know several kids and young adults who spend all their free time playing video games, which was something I personally didn't see back in the 80's. I'm sure there were kids who did, but it seemed much more rare.
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<!--quoteo(post=42974:date=Jun 8 2009, 02:58 PM:name=Coldneck)-->QUOTE (Coldneck @ Jun 8 2009, 02:58 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=42970:date=Jun 8 2009, 03:43 PM:name=dk123)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (dk123 @ Jun 8 2009, 03:43 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->To me, Wells looks like he might be good enough to stay in the big leagues long term. Seems like some people here think he isn't anything, but I think he has been most impressive. Also, speaking of Patton, he stuff looked pretty good yesterday.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
His stuff has looked pretty good all season long. He's just had some control problems.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I thought Patton had impressive stuff during the spring, but his total lack of control made him appear timid during the regular season. Yesterday was the first time I was ever impressed with his stuff during the regular season. At the same time, management needs to decide if he is going to be given an opportunity to become a functioning member of this team, because with the injuries this team can not afford to use up a roster spot with someone who is not going to be asked/allowed to contribute to the team.
Rok, I have been impressed with the Stuff from zWells, just watch the catchers making adjustments to his sinker, more important than an extra 2-3 mph in my book.
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<!--quoteo(post=43077:date=Jun 8 2009, 10:21 PM:name=savant)-->QUOTE (savant @ Jun 8 2009, 10:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=42974:date=Jun 8 2009, 02:58 PM:name=Coldneck)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Coldneck @ Jun 8 2009, 02:58 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=42970:date=Jun 8 2009, 03:43 PM:name=dk123)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (dk123 @ Jun 8 2009, 03:43 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->To me, Wells looks like he might be good enough to stay in the big leagues long term. Seems like some people here think he isn't anything, but I think he has been most impressive. Also, speaking of Patton, he stuff looked pretty good yesterday.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
His stuff has looked pretty good all season long. He's just had some control problems.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I thought Patton had impressive stuff during the spring, but his total lack of control made him appear timid during the regular season. Yesterday was the first time I was ever impressed with his stuff during the regular season. At the same time, management needs to decide if he is going to be given an opportunity to become a functioning member of this team, because with the injuries this team can not afford to use up a roster spot with someone who is not going to be asked/allowed to contribute to the team.
Rok, I have been impressed with the Stuff from zWells, just watch the catchers making adjustments to his sinker, more important than an extra 2-3 mph in my book.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yeah, I think you guys are undervaluing the effect of a late moving sinker. Being able to place a sinker exactly where you want it is a huge asset IMO.
Dont' forget, this guy has only been pitching for 5 years and he went through the system incredibly quick for a converted position player. 2004 was his first full year pitching and he started in A ball. 2005 was mostly in A+ ball with a late call up to AA. Than 2006 he split time between AA and AAA.
It's not like he's a contact pitcher either, he has strikeout ability. He had an 8.7 Ks/9IP throughout the minors.
I'm not saying he's gonna lock up a spot in our rotation, but I think he can be a pretty good major league pitcher if he's able to throw strikes, place his sinker, and get a few bats to miss the ball.
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