PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Reliever Geoff Hartlieb said there were times during his first few years in the Pirates system that he wasn’t sure what to do.
The 27-year-old said what was unclear and not spelled out under Clint Hurdle and former pitching coach Ray Searage, is now.
“I think the biggest thing for me is getting clarity from our new pitching staff and guys who were in charge of the pitching side of things, who just kind of told me ‘we think this will work’,” Hartlieb said. “We think this is what you will need to do.”
“All anyone can ask for is direction and clarification on what they want from us. I feel like I finally got that.”
A 29th round pick in 2016, Hartlieb started to work his way up the minor leagues based on pure talent. He would then tinker with pitches and wasn’t sure what he should continue to do or what he shouldn’t.
Hartlieb said he didn’t know what was expected of him. Didn’t know what the team thought of him or his stuff. There was a lack of communication. Sometimes he would be sent down and not be sure why.
“It’s not a fun place to work from,” Hartlieb said. “It’s not a fun place to go to all the time, to always switch things up.”
That has changed now. Second-year Bucs pitching coach Oscar Marin and bullpen coach Justin Meccage have specific, individual plans for every pitcher. Which Hartlieb says makes a complicated job, simpler.
There were early results, pitching in 21 games with the Pirates in 2020. The righty was 1-0 with a 3.63 ERA with five holds and only one homer allowed.
“The part that really comes into the coaching part that I think Oscar really does a really good job is the why,” said manager Derek Shelton. “This is why you are going to get guys out. This is why you should do this. He and Mess have done a good job of clarifying what the message is and answering the question of the why.”
“It’s relationship building. You can’t answer the why unless you have a relationship with people. That’s one of Oscar’s greatest strengths. He knows with each guy how it should go. One of the important things that Oscar does. He builds relationships before there is any prompt of the why.”
“It’s developing a relationship that once you have that. You can create a conversation of what we should be doing. And why we should be doing it.”
The message to Hartlieb was to simplify his game, go to throwing a couple of pitches and fill the zone with strikes.
“I was able to build on that and roll with it and embrace sinker-slider,” Hartlieb said. “Let it rip. Trust it. Trust the fact when you can get it over the zone, guys aren’t going to put hard contact more often than not. If they do, it’s going to be beaten into the ground. That confidence is huge.”
Shelton and his staff are not rigid about players trying new things. Admitting that can lead to something good.
“As long as they are having conversations and coaches are asking why,” Shelton said. “It’s fine.”
“Guy goes home one night and then all of a sudden. We are going to work on a knuckle-curve today because four guys on Twitter said the knuckle-curve is sexy. We have to be careful of that. That is where the communication comes in.”
“Oscar building relationships and when you build relationships, you build trust.”
“We’ve developed that trust. What I tell our guys and what I tell guys coming in. Don’t take my word for it. Don’t take Oscar’s word for it. Don’t take Donnie’s (bench coach Donnie Kelly’s word for it). Talk to the players. Players will be completely honest with you.”
Hartlieb was honest in his assessment and now after getting more honesty from the coaching staff. The one-time long shot is trying to find his way back into what is currently a crowded bullpen.
“There is a ton of it,” Hartlieb said of the competition. “But it’s a good thing. It really is. It may be a cliché to say that, but it really does bring out the best in you. There’s a ton of guys who will get opportunities. I’ve vocalized to Shelty and Ben I want to make their job as tough as possible.”
Ah, more communication.