BRADENTON, Fl (93.7 The Fan) - Pirates Manager Clint Hurdle didn't waste any time in outlining his starting rotation. Pitchers and catchers had barely reported to Pirate City when Hurdle announced that Jameson Taillon will open the season March 28 in Cincinnati, followed by Trevor Willians and Joe Musgrove, with Chris Archer starting the home opener against the Cardinals April 1. But Hurdle is taking his time getting his his 4 established starters into Grapefruit League games.
Rather than pitch a couple of innings against opposing line-ups at least half-filled with minor leaguers, Taillon, Williams, Musgrove and Archer will throw the same number of pitches in simulated games against experienced big league teammates. While all thrive on competition they agree that the simulated games are an excellent to ramp up for the real thing. I've had a chance to talk with each of them this week.
"I really like the format of having our first couple of outings being on the back fields against our own guys," Musgrove says. "Early on a lot of guys are trying to get a feel for being back on the slope, having a batter in the box, trying to work on your lines and your tunneling. In competition against other teams it's hard to tone yourself down and really focus on working on certain things."
Taillon says he is making the most of it. "It's a productive environment where you're not doing everything it takes to get an out, he explains. "You can work on certain pitches, like the other day I threw a bunch of change-ups which is what I wanted to do and if I'm pitching against the Red Sox I'm not going to do that."
Trevor Williams agrees with the no harm, no foul aspect of Sim games. "I'm working on a new breaking ball which is something I can do on the back fields and get away with some hanging curve balls," Williams says. "We're all competitve so if I started hanging curve balls against (another team) I woujld stop throwing my curve ball."
For Archer there is an added benefit. "Coming off (hernia)surgery 3 months ago, it allows me to get my legs under me and not try to do too much," he says, "I get to challenge myself and work on certain things because there's no numbers, there are no statistics. (I'm) not stepping on it quite as much because things change when it counts."
