Re-location key to Redman's repertoire
03/01/2006
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Ah, those memories of the 2003 season. Mark Redman won 14 games for Florida. He started a World Series game for the Marlins. And those off-day workouts ...
Redman would show up at the ballpark and, sure enough, septuagenarian manager Jack McKeon would be working out the kinks, too.
"Jack would just be walking around that infield with a cigar in his mouth and exercising in these tight, boxer shorts with no shirt on. With a cigar. Talk about a contradiction," Redman said.
"There was a hot tub out in center field for a promotion. He'd jump in the hot tub after his 'workout' and it was real distracting. But I'll tell you what, to this day, I love Jack McKeon."
Redman has seen a lot in his seven-year Major League career. His horizons, in fact, expand to six teams in six years with his arrival in Kansas City.
He's been traded five times and has played for Minnesota, Detroit, Florida, Oakland and Pittsburgh. He grew up around San Diego, he was an All-American at the University of Oklahoma and he threw a no-hitter in the Alaska League.
He's faced every Major League club and pitched in 32 big league ballparks. Yeah, he's been around.
"After your first trade, you kind of get used to that. You understand it's a business and you're a commodity and you're needed here and needed there. Would I like to stay in one spot? Yeah, I'd like to stick with one team and ride it out," he said.
It fits right into his profile when you ask him what's his best pitch?
"Location," he said. "I have to be dominant and go out there and pitch six or seven or eight innings to give a team a chance to win. You have to have two of your three pitches working that night and, if you have three, it just makes it that much easier."
Location, location, location. It goes with pitching as well as real estate.
"He's not going to overpower you," general manager Allard Baird said. "He's got to have command of the fastball. His ability to create ground balls last year was a real plus for us."
So you had to wonder why, in his first bullpen workout this spring, pitches were dropping into the turf several feet shy of catcher John Buck.
"It was the first time he threw a breaking ball since his broken finger," Buck said.
Redman was bunting in St. Louis last Sept. 12 when a pitch broke the index finger on his left hand. Redman's a lefty and so his season was over.
The infusion of Redman, Scott Elarton and Joe Mays gives the Royals' prospective rotation a collective background of 557 Major League games. That's a lot of think power.
"It'll be good. I won't have to think for two of us to try to figure out what works," Buck said.
Redman's charge is to parlay his experience into a lot of innings, seances with younger pitchers and, of course, victories. No Royals pitcher has won more than 10 games since Paul Byrd's 17 in 2002.
"I see him as a legitimate American League pitcher," said right fielder Reggie Sanders, who faced Redman often last season in the National League.
"You can easily take him lightly because he's not a hard thrower, but don't take him lightly. He's smart."
Redman, for a California guy, feels a certain kinship with Royals history. His wife, Brandi, has him settled not far away from Kansas City in Tulsa, Okla.
"I grew up in San Diego but my wife's family grew up in Oklahoma and, boy, did they watch the Royals. The Royals were the team to watch. When you think Royals, you expect to win," he said.
Redman got a special kick when Royals heroes Frank White and George Brett joined the spring workouts.
"I'm excited to see these guys. You see a lot of history on ESPN Classic on them and what they've done for the game. And with what they've done for this organization, it's a real privilege to have them around," Redman said.
"Even though I'm a pitcher, I like to listen to George talk about pitches and what he did and didn't like. It helps me."
He sees the influx of veteran players on a young team as a plus.
"It's definitely going to bring a better atmosphere. I'm not going to tell you it's going to bring a World Series title to the team, but it's definitely a step in the right direction," Redman said.
"I can't really tell you what a World Series team is. You look at a team like the Yankees that can pay for anything they want, but they haven't won in a few years. It's not what talent you can pay for but what the talent can do for 162 games, day in and day out, grinding dirt."
Redman will be pitching Thursday as the Royals open their Cactus League schedule against the Texas Rangers.
Light up a cigar in honor of Jack McKeon.
Source: http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Ah, those memories of the 2003 season. Mark Redman won 14 games for Florida. He started a World Series game for the Marlins. And those off-day workouts ...
Redman would show up at the ballpark and, sure enough, septuagenarian manager Jack McKeon would be working out the kinks, too.
"Jack would just be walking around that infield with a cigar in his mouth and exercising in these tight, boxer shorts with no shirt on. With a cigar. Talk about a contradiction," Redman said.
"There was a hot tub out in center field for a promotion. He'd jump in the hot tub after his 'workout' and it was real distracting. But I'll tell you what, to this day, I love Jack McKeon."
Redman has seen a lot in his seven-year Major League career. His horizons, in fact, expand to six teams in six years with his arrival in Kansas City.
He's been traded five times and has played for Minnesota, Detroit, Florida, Oakland and Pittsburgh. He grew up around San Diego, he was an All-American at the University of Oklahoma and he threw a no-hitter in the Alaska League.
He's faced every Major League club and pitched in 32 big league ballparks. Yeah, he's been around.
"After your first trade, you kind of get used to that. You understand it's a business and you're a commodity and you're needed here and needed there. Would I like to stay in one spot? Yeah, I'd like to stick with one team and ride it out," he said.
It fits right into his profile when you ask him what's his best pitch?
"Location," he said. "I have to be dominant and go out there and pitch six or seven or eight innings to give a team a chance to win. You have to have two of your three pitches working that night and, if you have three, it just makes it that much easier."
Location, location, location. It goes with pitching as well as real estate.
"He's not going to overpower you," general manager Allard Baird said. "He's got to have command of the fastball. His ability to create ground balls last year was a real plus for us."
So you had to wonder why, in his first bullpen workout this spring, pitches were dropping into the turf several feet shy of catcher John Buck.
"It was the first time he threw a breaking ball since his broken finger," Buck said.
Redman was bunting in St. Louis last Sept. 12 when a pitch broke the index finger on his left hand. Redman's a lefty and so his season was over.
The infusion of Redman, Scott Elarton and Joe Mays gives the Royals' prospective rotation a collective background of 557 Major League games. That's a lot of think power.
"It'll be good. I won't have to think for two of us to try to figure out what works," Buck said.
Redman's charge is to parlay his experience into a lot of innings, seances with younger pitchers and, of course, victories. No Royals pitcher has won more than 10 games since Paul Byrd's 17 in 2002.
"I see him as a legitimate American League pitcher," said right fielder Reggie Sanders, who faced Redman often last season in the National League.
"You can easily take him lightly because he's not a hard thrower, but don't take him lightly. He's smart."
Redman, for a California guy, feels a certain kinship with Royals history. His wife, Brandi, has him settled not far away from Kansas City in Tulsa, Okla.
"I grew up in San Diego but my wife's family grew up in Oklahoma and, boy, did they watch the Royals. The Royals were the team to watch. When you think Royals, you expect to win," he said.
Redman got a special kick when Royals heroes Frank White and George Brett joined the spring workouts.
"I'm excited to see these guys. You see a lot of history on ESPN Classic on them and what they've done for the game. And with what they've done for this organization, it's a real privilege to have them around," Redman said.
"Even though I'm a pitcher, I like to listen to George talk about pitches and what he did and didn't like. It helps me."
He sees the influx of veteran players on a young team as a plus.
"It's definitely going to bring a better atmosphere. I'm not going to tell you it's going to bring a World Series title to the team, but it's definitely a step in the right direction," Redman said.
"I can't really tell you what a World Series team is. You look at a team like the Yankees that can pay for anything they want, but they haven't won in a few years. It's not what talent you can pay for but what the talent can do for 162 games, day in and day out, grinding dirt."
Redman will be pitching Thursday as the Royals open their Cactus League schedule against the Texas Rangers.
Light up a cigar in honor of Jack McKeon.
Source: http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/
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