NewsBig Unit trying to unlock Sanchez's potential
Johnson gives struggling fellow left-hander advice
By Andrew Pentis / MLB.com
06/18/09 7:36 PM ET
SAN FRANCISCO -- Three of the 76 pitches Jonathan Sanchez threw to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim lineup Tuesday showed his promise. Like many of his 11 other starts this season, his less-than-ideal sequences decided the outing. It was a short one (3 2/3 innings) and a bad one (six earned runs)."It's not easy to learn to how to be a starter here in the Major Leagues," Sanchez said before running his record to 2-7. "You go through outings, and that's how you learn."
Fortunately for the 26-year-old Puerto Rican, he has a pitching coach who threw a no-hitter (Dave Righetti) and two of the best young pitchers in the game as teammates (Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain). But he also has Randy Johnson, all 301 wins and counting of him.
Sanchez's three offerings in Mike Napoli's first at-bat Tuesday represent what he, with Johnson's aid, is working toward. They don't explain why the Giants' decision-makers are using the team's off-day to discuss how to solve his struggles, even if that means dropping their once-untouchable trade asset from the rotation.
93 mph fastball under the hands. Strike one, looking.
"I've got 15 years of seniority on everybody in here," Johnson said grumpily, pointing around the clubhouse, but not in veteran Rich Aurilia's direction. "I try to help anyone I can.
"I've been through just about everything you can [go] through in baseball -- winning streaks, losing streaks, championships. A lot of these guys are learning the game still. The faster you can speed up the process for them and teach them stuff, the better. That's what I'm basically doing with Sanchez. I tell him certain things, and he's got to out and do it."
When Johnson is talking, Sanchez is listening. They discuss aspects of pitching -- such as how to attack hitters -- after Sanchez's starts, good and bad.
"When I pitch, he tells me what I do right, what I do wrong," Sanchez said.
After pitching for two seasons as a reliever and making 29 starts last season, Sanchez has mostly done "wrong" in 2009. His 5.43 ERA and strikeout-to-walk ratio (60-to-43) in 61 1/3 innings does the talking.
Readily admitting it or not, Johnson went through a similar phase 20 years ago. With the Montreal Expos in 1989, he walked 26 batters in 29 2/3 innings and compiled an ERA of 6.67. Traded to the Seattle Mariners in May, his troubles continued. Over the next three seasons in an M's uniform, he averaged 139 walks.
"Those were things I learned on my own," Johnson said. "I realize how important they are now."
85 mph changeup below the knees. Strike two, swinging.
Both Sanchez and Johnson have the obvious in common: They're slender lefties with good fastballs, though neither likes a direct comparison.
"When he started in the Major Leagues, he was throwing around 100 [mph]," Sanchez said of his teammate. "I don't have that [ability]."
They're not the most likely pairing, either. Johnson, 45, graduated from a California high school the same year (1982) Sanchez was born in Puerto Rico. Johnson will make his 600th career start Friday (before the Giants honor his 300th career win Saturday with a pregame ceremony) while no one is going to venerate Sanchez whenever he makes his 50th career start, searching for his 16th all-time victory.
Giants manager Bruce Bochy said he's not sure how far away his No. 5 starter is from pitching to his capabilities. But he knows what's wrong: Sanchez trying to power through lineups with his fastball alone and not being consistent with his secondary pitches.
"It doesn't matter how hard you throw," the skipper said. "Watch Timmy and Cain. What makes them so good is they can throw any pitch at any time."
For Sanchez to pitch seven innings every time out -- his stated goal, though he hasn't done it once this season -- that will be a prerequisite.
"I think he's eager to learn," Johnson said. "He tries to make improvements. Hopefully, every time he goes out there, he's learning something.
"It's got to be a continual progression. It can't be one step forward and two steps back. Just like anybody, if you're going to have a good year, you got to be pretty consistent. That's the first thing we're trying to establish, be consistent with pitches. When you're consistent with pitches, you'll be consistent with games."
82 mph curveball hiding from Napoli's bat. Strike three, swinging.
Sanchez whiffed Napoli on these three well-thrown pitches. Napoli came to bat again in the third, however, and homered to deep left. He was the first of two batters who went yard at China Basin that night.
The morning after, Bochy said he was considering all options regarding his starting rotation. That includes, he confirmed, moving Sanchez back to the 'pen or perhaps skipping his starts whenever an off-day comes around.
"Some pitchers mature later than others," Bochy said, before adding, "It's at the point now where Johnny needs to start figuring it out."
A veteran scout who filed a glowing report on Sanchez at the end of the 2008 season and was impressed with the lefty earlier this season said he noticed a significant regression. Sanchez lacked competitiveness on the mound -- Bochy said Sanchez tends to get "distracted" -- and was unable to consistently repeat his mechanics (throwing motion, release point, etc.), the scout said. There was no mention of his stuff -- baseball-speak for quality of pitches. His successful trial on Napoli demonstrated it's still there.
Still, the young pitcher no doubt writhes at the expression "weak link" on a team that boasts two All-Star starter candidates, a sure-fire future Hall of Famer and the National League's second-best ERA.
"This is a five-man rotation," Sanchez said. "When I watch those guys, I want to be like them."
Andrew Pentis is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
