Sound-off with Sinkoff
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Sound-off with Sinkoff
Episode #10: KC Royals pitching coach Brian Sweeney
What does it take to transform a 56-game-winning team into playoff contenders? Listen as we sit down with Brian, the Kansas City Royals' pitching coach, who shares the secrets behind their extraordinary turnaround. From strategic player acquisitions to fostering a winning culture, Brian reveals the pivotal factors propelling the Royals toward success. He discusses the nuances of coaching a diverse group of players, highlighting the importance of tailored approaches and the balance of experience and innovation in shaping a formidable team.
Get an insider's perspective on the evolving role of a pitching coach in modern baseball. Brian offers a fascinating look at how traditional coaching methods are now interwoven with contemporary data analysis to drive performance. He reminisces about his mentorship under veteran coach Carl Willis and provides anecdotes about his unique strategies during mound visits.
But there's more to Brian than just his coaching prowess. Discover his rich baseball journey, including his unexpected transition from the Padres to a successful stint in Japan. He shares personal stories of cultural immersion, the exquisite Japanese cuisine, and representing Italy in the World Baseball Classic. This episode is packed with personal anecdotes, from the camaraderie within the Royals clubhouse to the remarkable career of Bobby Witt Jr., making it a must-listen for any baseball enthusiast.
Hello and welcome everybody to SoundOff with SinkOff. I'm your host, brian SinkOff. Thanks so much for joining us here today. Of course, soundoff is sponsored by the SinkOff Realty Group a full in Minnesota. Brian is the pitching coach for the Kansas City Royals. Brian, it is so good to see you, man. Thanks for joining SoundOff with Sync Off.
Speaker 2:Hey, thanks for having me on, brian, I appreciate it.
Speaker 1:So Brian, of course, let's talk. Before we get into Brian's background, let's talk a little bit about the Royals. Is there a bigger surprise in baseball Currently, as of this taping, three and a half games back at Cleveland in the AL Central Unbelievable improvement from last year's team 56 wins a year ago. Bobby Witt Jr one of the best players in baseball. Salvador Perez amazing year the pitching which is where Brian comes in 3.39 ERA right now fifth best in the majors. Brian, your team won 56 games a year ago. You're now, as of today, kind of in that playoff mix, one of the top echelon teams in the American League. What a difference a year makes. Tell us a little bit about what's been the difference for this club.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's not a surprise for us, right? This is what we had been planning on. Just, yeah, definitely a better start to the year than last year, as we get a third of the way through close to that. It's been fun watching these guys create the culture, the winning culture, that we've all been looking for. And yeah, we didn't win. You know how many? We had 35 wins. We didn't win our 35th game until like August 1st of last year. So that's a better feeling for a coach.
Speaker 2:And you know the guys that we brought in the Seth Lugos, the Michael Wacca, the Will Smiths in the bullpen been there, done that before. Having that veteran presence around is almost like having an extra coach. They know how to win, they know how to act and know how to get through a professional season and able to help out the young guys. Invaluable experience for us. And really giving a year in gives me the opportunity to continue to gain their trust and to be able to teach right, because there has to be a relationship there in order to teach and you know, and you have to have that trust factor.
Speaker 1:Brian, how hard is it? Because you often hear you know I'm 53. You're kind of of my generation. I had a wrestling coach. The old school wrestling coach would pound you and you know more push-ups, more sit-ups. It's not like that anymore. Coaching, coaching kids, coaching young men how has that been for you? Coaching athletes, let's face it, make probably a whole heck of a lot more than you do, and they're of a different mindset. Is that tough for you to make that adjustment?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I guess it is tough, right, cause you're learning. It's more of an individualized approach. You're learning individuality. Each individual is different. You know we have guys that have had have 10 years in the major leagues, that are in their mid 30s, and then we have guys that are in their early 20s that only have a couple of years in the major leagues or not, or none at all, and and how you speak to them is different. How they were coached is different. So having a different coach approach is quite important. So you need to have more than one tool in your bag to respond to these guys and how they go about their business. So I was lucky to grow up with coaches who gave some tough love, so I know that end of it. I know what that looks like. And then being a part of you know, coming up in a minor league system with the Phillies as a coach, moving on to Cleveland where they used a little bit of very innovative combining experience and innovation, has really been my favorite way to go about things.
Speaker 1:So Brian became the Royals pitching coach for the 2023 season. You were hired in December of 22. We mentioned last year the tough year 56 wins. I think it makes me warm and fuzzy, man. It like puts a smile on my face because I love the fact that you're not, you know, a billion dollar team. You're not getting all these crazy free agents year in and year out and you guys have sort of I want to say quote unquote done it the right way. That has to give you and your team and the guys on your staff a sense of pride doesn't it?
Speaker 2:I mean, I think it's important to know that everybody's involved in this. Right, it's not just a coaching staff. We have an owner that's on board to how to okay these signings. We did spend some money in the offseason. People were surprised, but I think that's what you do when you try to improve a team right, you want to develop players from within. It's okay. Where are our gaps? Right, and then you try to fill those gaps to make us a well-rounded team.
Speaker 2:So the vision of JJ Piccolo, our GM, and the vision of our owner, mr Sherman, just was fantastic this offseason. You know, we got our butts kicked last year and it was really important. We got together five days after the season, right After getting your butts kicked. You kind of want to just go home and just. You know you want to forget about things, but that wasn't, I think, the right thing to do for us. We needed to learn from. Learn from that. How are we going to learn? We brought the organization together. We all went to Arizona there's about 200 of us from all different domains and our general manager, jj, put a give us a true north. It's like all right, this is who we want to be, this is going to be our vision and our direction. All right, how can each department work, work around us? Do we agree or disagree? We left that place with a, with a direction Right and then, and then we went to work.
Speaker 2:Baseball isn't just a spring and summertime thing Hopefully, fall, fall thing as well. As well, for the Royals it's a it's a year round thing. You're acquiring people, you're, you're building systems, you're getting better in each area, you're hiring the right people. We did that last off season Great collaboration, great effort by everybody, and we're seeing the fruits of that labor. Uh, but again we're. This is a long season 162 games sustaining. This is really important so, uh, brian.
Speaker 1:Of course some people listening to this podcast may know that brian has some capital region ties. Brian currently lives in in clifton park with his lovely wife Connie, their two, two daughters a great family, brian. And your manager, your boss, is Matt Quattrero, who is a my family and I. We live in Slingerlands. He's a Bethlehem high grad. He's got a lot of contacts still in the community. I just think that is so cool that you've got a section two guy, a capital region guy, as the skipper of one of the Major League Baseball teams and you're a Capital Region guy now. You have a residence here and you're the pitching coach. The odds of that are just astronomical, but other than maybe you and Matt passing here and there, it's not like you guys grew up together. So how did that relationship come about, your connection with Matt and then ultimately getting that Royals pitching coach job?
Speaker 2:Yeah, isn't that kind of crazy, two people from the Capital District now on the same staff of a major league team. You might have a better chance of winning the lotto than that happening. You know, the baseball community when I first moved to the Capital District, you know back in the late 90s, was kind of small, a little bit smaller. You know, facilities were being built because of the weather and you just kind of knew people that were involved in the game and I had met Matt. I needed somebody to throw with, he needed somebody to throw with, he needed somebody to throw with, he needed to practice his catching.
Speaker 2:So we threw together a couple of times, became, you know, it's like just good, good, good dude. Right, it was a really good dude and he went on and his playing career I went on with mine. Didn't see him very many times, uh, in the offseason, one time we went out to lunch, but we'd see each other as coaches. When I came with Cleveland to Tampa we'd always say hello, a lot of chatting, just good people, and with our connection to the Capital District he was really easy to talk to. I'm like you know, matt's a good dude, wouldn't you know it? I got the opportunity to interview with him and I fooled him and he chose me as his, his pitching coach and hopefully we can keep that relationship growing but brian, I mean, you're a modest guy but you you have.
Speaker 1:You have got to be a guy credited with with some of this turnaround. The royals I mean, if somebody mentions the royals, the initial thought is, yeah, right. And then you look at them and you're like wow, they're era 339, fifth best in in, uh in the majors, tied for fifth ryan. What's been the? What's been the turnaround? You've had some career years. You've got raggins, you, you, you. You have some guys that are having some amazing years, but what do you think has been the turnaround with this pitching staff?
Speaker 2:I think it's important to know that being a pitching coach is definitely not a one man job anymore. Right During my interview I I I wanted to let them know that there's probably I couldn't do this by myself. I would love a pitching team around me and that that includes an assistant pitching coach, a bullpen coach. You know the assistants, you know newer in the game, you know been around maybe 10 years or so where you have that third pitching coach you used to be the pitching coach, bullpen coach. Then you got some bullpen catchers and you know there's too much information.
Speaker 2:It's irresponsible of us to think that we can do it on our own. We need good people around us, smart people with diversity of thought, right to help bring in the ideas, to help make guys better. So, assistant pitching coach, bullpen coach, analysts, you know, and then strategists, guys that are during the game, that are seeing things from a different angle. Having all of those views makes us better and that was important for me to have around. I don't know, I'd probably get fired in two weeks if I had to do this on my own. I have really good people around me. I'm really lucky. But again, it extends beyond the pitching team. Right. We go into the R&D department. We also have strength and conditioning, the medical department, nutrition, our behavioral science. It's a well-rounded base that we have to help make the players better, and when I decided to become a pitching coach, I'm like I think this is the best way to go about things, this holistic approach, and that's how we're doing it here at KC.
Speaker 1:Brian, I'm 53. I've followed sports since I was eight years old. And I don't know, You're going to laugh. I don't know what a pitching coach does. Right, that's good.
Speaker 2:You need to know why?
Speaker 1:so it's perfect. Look, I probably know more than the average person what you do, but can you explain what it is you do? Obviously you're looking at the development, the growth of the entire staff and I know you're working with individuals and certain guys are working, but explain what it is you do, man, on a daily basis.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean I think it's changed over the years. I was lucky enough to have, when I I came to Cleveland, there were some veteran coaches there Terry Francona, yep, as a manager I get to see how he communicates with players and you know why he was so successful Carl Willis, 20 years as a major league pitching coach, got to see. In the beginning he coached me and when I was in Seattle he was my pitching coach in Seattle. So I got to see him before data and information and then go through it and then after, what a learning experience I had with him. I had like a paid internship to learn how to be a pitching coach with Carl Willis, who I still he's a mentor of mine, who I still keep in contact with. So you see, it used to be all right. It's like all right. All we do is teach. Well, what's important for me? Right, the environment has to be right. We want an environment where these guys have the freedom to be themselves. Right, because everybody's an individual and they'll show it to you. They want to be that right. Nowadays, in that environment, we have to communicate right Extremely important Deliver information, you know, and then teach. So there's a lot of stuff that goes into it A lot of computer work.
Speaker 2:I didn't realize when you got into baseball. You can do a lot of work on a computer, from video to going through the data. And when people think of data it's not like this crazy, you know crazy analytics. Sometimes it's like what's what percent of your fastball do you use inside versus outside in the zone? So you've got, we've got a 10% inside, we've got 90% away. It's like okay, now we have information, that's data, right. We take that data and we use it to help them make the picture better. It can be as simple, it can be as simple as that. It's like, wow, all your fastballs are away. They're leaning out over. You might want to throw some more sinkers inside. Boom, that's, that's part of our teaching.
Speaker 2:But we have that Now. It's at our fingertips, where we don't have to look at a chart and use a calculator and figure it out ourselves. We have a department or we have systems that we can look at. It's like, wow, this is, you know, you can see it right on your computer screen. So a lot of our work is before the game. Once the game gets here, that's the easy part, that's fun, right, because we're prepared. I've talked to Q about. You know what it might look like. Even though the day changes very quickly, the pitching part changes very quickly during the game. We're prepared before the game. We've done our walkthrough, kind of like in football, and when the game starts you adapt and adjust from there and you let the guys go play. If you're trying to teach or tell them what to do in the moment, you're a little bit late coming to the game.
Speaker 1:So, brian, I'm throwing up a photo here now. You could probably see it on your screen. You're visiting the mound here. When you do that, obviously the second visit, or when it's time to make the sub uh, quattro or your cue your, your manager, comes out and makes this up, but the substitution what are you typically saying, who are you speaking with here is that we got alec marsh uh, our one of our pitchers and freddie fermin, our catcher.
Speaker 2:I think that time I was saying hey, alec, I appreciate it. You know I wanted to get on TV tonight for my dad and my wife, so thanks for giving me some TV time.
Speaker 1:Are you just telling them to calm down? You know what I mean. I'm trying to figure out where that is.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's last year's pullover, so we're talking that's 2023. I made a lot of mound visits in 2023.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you did, I got out there.
Speaker 2:I was out there a good amount and it depends on the guy Right the mound visits. Some guys just need straight, honest answers. Other guys I'll try to make a joke and break the tension. Sometimes I go out and give a breather. It looks like I'm who knows what face I'm making there, maybe I'm trying to make him smile come out with a scouting report. You know, alec, he's a guy that needs it direct. He needs a kick in the ass sometimes and that sets him back straight. So learning that sets him back straight. So learning that individual is extremely important.
Speaker 2:This guy, alec Marsh, came up as he could barely play catch in spring training. He had some. His first major league camp would come in and he's got Zach Granke around him, all these veterans and just a little nervous. He had trouble dealing with that anxiety Right. And where he's come from. You know at this point where you're seeing me having this mountain visit last year to the mountain visits this year totally different because he he's he's grown so much as a human being and as a baseball player. Couldn't be more proud of him.
Speaker 1:At three, 24 ERA for Alec this year Unbelievable. So, Brian, of course you started. We'll get to your playing career in a bit. You were with the Mariners, of course.
Speaker 2:That should be a quick segue.
Speaker 1:Played in Japan. We're not done with this stuff yet. Started with the Phillies as a pitching coach in the 2015 season, 2016-17, you were with their single a affiliate. What was that like? Cause it's kind of cool in a way. We had a little bit of like a career. You know I was going to when I was in television. I was going to small markets trying to climb the ladder kind of the same thing with you both in playing and then even on on the on the coaching managing side. You had to climb the ladder and go to some of these small cities, small leagues. What was the Gulf Coast League like for you in 2015? And then single A I mean dude, you're living the lap of luxury. Now You're a major leaguer. What was it like climbing that ladder nine years ago?
Speaker 2:on the coaching side, yeah, that transition is a really interesting one. In 2014, I was 39. I was still playing in AAA, so I had plenty of minor league time already as a player, which I think set me up for my journey in coaching. I hurt my elbow in August of 2013. I tried to rehab it for 10 months. I had to make sure I had to turn over every stone and make sure that my playing days were done. Even though I was in AAA baseball's fun. I didn't want to stop playing. Even though I was 39 and I was in AAA. I'm like I could do this for a few more years and my wife dealt with me. Oh, there's me at All-Stars. Yeah, those pants are from 1990 as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, late 90s.
Speaker 2:You got some oldies there, dude? Yeah, I got some old ones on there, and so I ended up coming home and rehabbing my elbow. We got to June and I needed to pitch, so I ended up pitching in the Albany Twilight League Wow.
Speaker 1:What year is this? 2015?.
Speaker 2:This is 2014. Okay, okay, summer of 2014. I had to find out if my elbow was right. I threw three innings and it was not good. I went home. I had a big bump. I had a tear in my elbow 70% tear in the ligament. It was time to be done.
Speaker 2:But the best part that happened, after I pitched, the manager of the team said hey, do you want to play another position? No, you can't pitch. Do you want to play outfield? I said sure, why not? I was ready for a major league season and I was like, yeah, I'll play.
Speaker 2:I fell in love with the game all over again, playing in the Albany Twilight League and also in the men's, the Capital District men uniform getting mad. When we got rained out, I realized, you know, playing that summer with a bunch of guys from the Capital District, I fell in love with the game and I said this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. And that's how I got my transition into coaching. And when I sent out my resume to a bunch of people I didn't know I didn't have a resume right. I was playing for 18 years. Baseball doesn't typically do resumes at the time, so I had to build one, send it out. Only two teams got back to me. You know, for a coaching job. I was like, wow, this is, this is challenging, and I didn't know which way to go. I'm like, well, the Phillies were the first to get back to me. They got, they got right back to me. I said I owe it to me. I said I owe it to them. I said I'd like to be a part of that organization because they jumped on it quickly and they said you're going to go to the Gulf Coast League all the way at the bottom. So okay, let's do it. So I'm at the complex. I think everybody that joins the professional ranks should start at the complex.
Speaker 2:You learn so much. You have to deal with different cultures. You've got to deal with a huge staff 20-something pitchers. You have major leaguers coming in and out. You have a lot of action. You have to help develop systems and programs to make these guys better.
Speaker 2:I became a better coach because I went to the Gulf Coast League, and this is at a time when there was no data in the organization just yet. So I went from there and then went to Lakewood, new Jersey, which was great. I could drive three hours home when I wanted to see my, see my daughter play lacrosse at Catholic High or see my younger daughter dance at a recital. I can drive home if need be, and you know, going going to taking 16 hour bus rides. There we go. We got the blue claws. What a look. That's my first time really on the road Again as a coach.
Speaker 2:I had some really cool managers that I got to work for in an affiliates organization. We went from Lakewood, new Jersey, all the way to Rome, georgia, on a bus. Oh my gosh, I wouldn't suggest it. I definitely wouldn't suggest it. You learn a lot about yourself and what you want to do in life on a 16-hour bus ride and, thank goodness, every once in a while we'd have a cooler between the manager and I. We'd enjoy a beverage, get some work done and build some culture, a winning culture for the guys. So, getting off a bus, I think that took years off my life, um, those two years, but it was a whole lot of fun. We had some fun together, um, you know.
Speaker 2:And then you know, I had the opportunity to move to, uh, move to cleveland. Yep, you know, after, after that second year, uh, really lucky to get to talk to terry francona and have him ask me to be a part of his staff. And I actually, because of what I, the Phillies, I'm kind of, I like, I like to say I'm, I'm loyal and I've changed teams twice. How loyal am I really? But it's, you know, when I was with the Phillies I'm like I don't. I like what we're trying to build here. I really do.
Speaker 2:But now I have a hall of fame manager asking me to be on his staff. I think it would be irresponsible to me and my family not considering this. What a blessing. I went from a place where I cut my teeth in coaching with no data, having coaches around me that have been in the game a long time, that taught me how to coach and communicate with all different types of players, to a place where there was innovation and analytics. You know, just really creative in how they do things. So I get to see both sides of it. I got to learn in my five years in Cleveland and decide that, wow, I think the best way of doing this is combining the experience and innovation to help make it make a team better. So my my journey through both of those organizations and through the capital district baseball, you know, to help me fall in love with. You know has has helped me grow into the coach I am today.
Speaker 1:Awesome journey, as you, you know. You climb the ladder with the Phillies, the Gulf coast league, and then you, you, you get to be with the, with the, with Cleveland, the bullpen coach in 2019, and then obviously get the gig with Kansas City in December of 22. Brian, let's go back to your playing career, because obviously you're in this position that you're in now because you have some experience in the big leagues. You played in the majors, you played in Japan. You know a seven-, eight-year career. Take us back to that and I'm going to throw up some photos here of you and in your playing days. This is probably a pretty cool. I know this is a cool picture for you. Let me show it to you right here. This is you when you were with Seattle at Yankee Stadium. Right? How cool is that? I know your family got to be there for this, but that's you coming into the game against the Yankees back in the day. Oh, you had a nice ERA. I think you had a zero ERA back then in four games In four games.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's a small sample size, that's all right. I think it definitely went up as the year went on. Yeah, that was a fun trip, you know. I think probably 2010,. I came back from Japan and you know my family hadn't seen me play. You know, being gone to Japan, it's challenging to see your family and you had a whole bunch of people at the game and, boy, we had a good time. You know, got to go out after and, you know, get to see everybody, so that was exciting, yeah.
Speaker 1:And there you are with Seattle, obviously your last couple of years with the Mariners. You started with the Padres. How did you end up in Japan? For what? Four years playing three how many? Three, okay, how did that come about? And what was that like from a cultural uh perspective? And then just because baseball is very different there on a lot of levels, yeah it, it certainly, it certainly is.
Speaker 2:That's uh. I'm so lucky that I get I opportunity to go there. I mean each part of my journey as a player when I was going halfway decent or if I stunk has all turned me into the coach that I am today. A big change was going over to Japan, and that happened when I got sent down. I pitched in oh, that's a fun. I got sent down. I pitched in a oh, that's a fun, that's fun, fun time Getting getting the girls on the field. I was pitching at the major league level with the Padres. I had a really rough day and we had to make a transaction. They sent me down. I ended up making a start in Omaha go figure which is the AAA affiliate for the.
Speaker 1:Royals right the.
Speaker 2:Royals, right, yep, and some scouts from Japan were there to see our first baseman, john Knott, and wouldn't you know, I started that day. That was my first outing since I came back from the big leagues and I had a good day and I was on their radar. Big leagues, and I had, I had a good day and I put them, I was on their radar and they ended up, um, after I uh was designated for assignment, uh, at the end of the year, they, they wanted me to come over and that was a tough decision too. Right, you know, you grow up wanting to be a major leaguer, um, you know, but when somebody comes offering a guaranteed contract, uh to uh to a mediocre pitcher, uh, well, I didn't think I was mediocre at the time, but the major leagues did and, uh, it was. It was something that I was excited about doing.
Speaker 2:I'd played in venezuela and winter ball. I'd played in the dominican dominican republic for winter ball. Um, you know, japan sounded like an amazing experience and it was. Did I learn so much about baseball, about the culture in Japan, how incredible that country is? My kids got to go to school over there for a little while. Really really a lot of fun, you know with my experience, so I got to play with you Darvish over there, oh yeah, yeah, he was 19 when I got over there and one of the top five pitchers I've ever seen. He's just won his 200th game between Japan and the United States. Just the impact he's had on the. There's amazing baseball players over there. It's still 60 feet, 6 inches, 90 feet between bases. Right, it's all the same. They go about their business, maybe in a little bit different way, just like somebody from the Dominican Republic would, or somebody from Venezuela, right, but we're all playing the same game and there's some high caliber players coming over from Japan, as you know.
Speaker 1:How, brian? What was it like living there? I mean, honestly, I've talked to my wife. It's very expensive. We'd love to go there. I'm a huge sushi fan. I just love that culture as well. What was that like, uh, being there, and you mentioned your family moved with you there for a couple of years they did, they did, yeah, yeah, the.
Speaker 2:If you like sushi, you know, if you like sashimi and japanese food, if you go over there and have some and you come back here, you'll never eat it again here because it's totally it's, it's I mean the food amazing. I mean the food amazing. You know the Japanese food is amazing and then, but they also have excellent chefs that cook good Italian food, wow, good Mexican food. So we got that experience as well. You know food from Korea as well. Just really tremendous, a tremendous culture. I would say, if anybody had the opportunity to vacation in a different parts of Japan Tokyo is awesome, right, but there's other parts in northern Japan, like in Hokkaido, in Sapporo, where Sapporo beer is from. You know Sapporo beer. That you know that's an incredible area to fish is amazing. Then you go over to you, over to the western part of Japan, and you're getting different cuisines. I couldn't be more blessed to have that opportunity to play there, to grow as a person, grow as a baseball player and then ultimately help me as a coach.
Speaker 1:Ryan, I just have a couple more questions for you. I really appreciate you taking the time. This has been awesome. Today, you played for Italy in the World Baseball Classic in 2013. You were a pitching coach for Italy as well. How was that experience in the WBC, both as a player and then on the coaching side?
Speaker 2:Wow, what an amazing. That was that atmosphere in 2013. We had a pretty good team, got to the second round, had a chance to move on. What year is this one? I think I was a coach at this time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think you might have been a coach here, that's Oliver Perez Is that Oliver Perez, the former, Met right.
Speaker 2:Yep Oliver Perez a former teammate of mine when I was with Seattle. I think we were reporting at our families up in a stand somewhere. That's cool, just a good person Like everybody. You know the baseball community, that's a part. A lot of people know each other and then competing, you know, for your country, for a heritage. That's a big part of your family. You wonder how Brian Sweeney is on the Italian team right with that name? Yeah, Explain.
Speaker 2:Well, yeah, explain that I do have a mother with a last name, spinella. So you know you have two parents. So you know Sweeney's dad, spinella is my. My mom has a fam family that was from Sicily and you know really lucky to be a part of that, to to pitch in that. Um, pitching in it way easier than coaching in it. I'm going to tell you that much Really. Yeah, because you've got to move quick and fast to scout these teams and to get the information you need to prepare the pitchers. These guys just got to play, which is the fun part. Coaching man, that gave me a headache Figuring out who's going to pitch, because you have restrictions on how many pitches that can be thrown, how many days rest. Uh, what, what, what a challenge it was.
Speaker 1:Um, you know how many? How many guys spoke italian on the team? I know you had a bunch of americans that had, like you had, the italian heritage. Did you, was there a communication issue at all, or did you not have many true italian? You know there were.
Speaker 2:there was about five, uh, five true, italians, but a lot of them spoke english and if they didn't, we had a translator there. That that worked for us. And you know, right before I was, you know, I was asked again last year um, what was it? Two years ago, in 23, we did world baseball classic. Um, I was asked again by the you know manager, mike piazza, to be the pitching coach.
Speaker 2:I unfortunately had to step down because I got the job with Kansas City, right, that was really hard, right. Because I went to Italy. We had, like, a whole bunch of the players came over, we came together to try to build a camaraderie, had a really nice trip and was preparing for that. And then on my way home I found out I had an, I had an interview with the royals, so I had to get off a plane from italy the next morning, get on a plane to kansas city to, uh, you know, to interview, um, fooled him, like I said before, got the job and uh, and had to step down in in december uh, not, not soon after from the job with team Italy, which was really, really hard. Some of the guys give me a lot of crap for it, like Vinny Pasquantino, who was playing on a team, said we, we let him out. I abandoned him, but I thought my being around for the pitchers with the Kansas city Royals was probably the right thing to do.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean I'm not your agent, nor your financial advisor and your personal advisor, but that's probably not a horrible idea, brian.
Speaker 1:I mean I think you're obviously the guys from Italy were ribbing you a little bit. They knew you made the right move as well. Of course, brian, one thing I find so fascinating I think this is why a lot of these documentaries on Netflix and the hard knocks, the NFL, sort of the behind the scenes. I've always loved that and I've interviewed you a bunch of times and I always ask you sort of and I love the fact you're so open about this stuff Obviously not giving away locker room the locker room inside stuff, but I just love the behind the scenes of major leagues and like what you guys do on a daily basis.
Speaker 1:so what is like a day in the life of brian sweeney? What does it consist of? Take me through that, the waking up, the going to the ballpark like I want to. I want to dude, I want to live vicariously through your life, man sometimes I don't know what day it is.
Speaker 2:Uh, you right, you know baseball, when you have, you know, have a night game, right, you have, there's. There's certain things you do throughout the day and then you wake up and you do it, you do it again and you still play on the weekends, right, sometime. You know we have 13 games in a row coming up. I'm not going to know what day, what day is gonna going to. Um, it's, it's going to be, you know. So after our next off day, we got 13 in a row, we got two days off in a month, um, which is that's. That's quite challenging, that's a that's a little challenging. You know, going through a major league season, you know, with you know, june, we were playing the Yankees, we're playing Cleveland, we're playing the Dodgers, we're playing some, some quality teams and we're going to be writing it. You know we're going to be going through this fight and the day, if we have, there's usually three games, a three game series. That that we're, that we're going through and day one of a series, really challenging, you're, you're preparing. You know we're preparing for the Padres now. You know we have a game tonight, but we have to have make preparations for the padres. So you're always doing that, you're constantly doing work. Uh, you're on the computer to prepare for that um, but you know we have a game to win tonight. So day day, one day, one of a series we have um, I'm doing computer work and it's boring stuff that you probably. It's not real exciting. In the hotel room or at home I'm on a computer, I'm doing different things. You chat with the family, get some lunch, get a workout in, but when you get to the ballpark I'll get to the ballpark usually around 12 o'clock for a night game, 6.40, 7 o'clock game I'm at the ballpark and we start our day when the clubhouse opens, typically at 1 o'clock.
Speaker 2:We have our daily meeting with the pitching team. We go over the night before we talk about how we can get guys better, how we can develop player plans for these guys, and while we're sitting there we have guys that think differently. We have some diversity of thought, which I think is really important. Right, we butt heads about things, which is great, and the cool part is we can butt heads and then have a beer after the game together and we're trying to help guys get better. Then you know we, we, we get, you know we get all that work done. We get the meetings done. We might have meetings with pitchers to go over, have an AAR with the pitcher from the last night's game and then you know you're getting into.
Speaker 2:There's plenty, plenty of locker room banter, if you, if you could imagine a lot of sarcasm. We have a really cool coaching staff guys that make me laugh every day and I'm so grateful for that because I needed it last year when we were getting our butts kicked. Um, where we can keep humor even in a in a tough, in a tough environment where you're getting your teeth kicked in Um, you know. Then we're doing our on-field work. Uh, you know where, where the guys have their throwing program, we're designing different, different exercises for their throwing program, whether it's plyos or baseballs. We got bullpens um, guys that need support. We got all the technology putting all of that together, which is a whole other world. If you've seen Edutronic video, it's really amazing where you can help tweak guys in the moment and make them better.
Speaker 2:Go inside, get a bite to eat, have a meeting with you know, have a meeting with the manager about our, the game plan and what it's going to look like. That always changes in game. Rarely ever stays the way we'd like it, but that's that's. That's baseball. We adapt and adjust and then next thing you know, we got the game, the game is here and you know when that national Anthem comes on, and it you put, you put your lid on and it's it's go time. So it's uh, and, and you let the, and you let the guys play brian.
Speaker 1:I've always actually this is a question I, my wife and I have actually talked about, because she kind of likes this stuff too. Like when you're in new york, right, you play in the yankees, you don't have to tell us what hotel you guys stay at, but like you guys take a, you take a bus to the state. Are you, do you stay near? Because I always found it fascinating, like where the heck do you stay in manhattan or do you in? Are you in the bronx, you in manhattan? Then you guys take a bus, like how does that work?
Speaker 2:you know we stay, we stay in midtown and we take a bus, which is a pain in the ass, to be honest.
Speaker 1:I'll take the subway um, because it takes a long time right to get especially with the traffic.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's really. Yeah, it's really a pain, um, but do you have like?
Speaker 1:a heart palpitation that you guys are good, like you're when you're driving somewhere with the track, like you're gonna be late. See, that would like freak me out, dude, because I'm being a retentive like that, right? Seriously.
Speaker 2:These bus drivers. They're from New York, they know what they're doing, right, they, absolutely these guys can haul ass through the streets. They're really, really good at their job. Think of a New York driver.
Speaker 1:These bus drivers are are right on top of it. But if I don't, if I feel like there's a lot of traffic, I'll take some of the coaches, we'll jump on the subway. How about, like, when you're home or when you're probably driving to the ballpark? Only when you're at home that's probably not a big deal because you kind of know the traffic patterns and all that stuff. Right?
Speaker 2:I'm getting there at 12 o'clock. If I miss the game, it's at 610.
Speaker 1:There's a problem.
Speaker 2:There's a huge traffic jam, that's for sure. I could probably walk there all the time.
Speaker 1:All right, brian, I want to show you this before we let you go, because I find this is hilarious. All right, so I dug up some old Brian Sweeney baseball cards, okay, and we are going to find these here right now. Here we go. Okay. Before we do that, though, wait one second. Talk to me about. Talk to me about Bobby. What is Bobby Witt like? Because Bobby Witt Jr, we should say. 11 years, almost a $300 million contract. You talked about the Royals ownership spending the money. They did. They put their money where their mouth is. They have this young guy in his third year and they upped him for 11 years. First of all, that's got to make you so fired up, knowing that you're part of an organization that makes that commitment, but then you watch him play. He's just unbelievable.
Speaker 2:What's it like being in a clubhouse with him and just being around with junior? Yeah, baseball baseball fans should be proud that the Royal stepped up and and signed Bobby to that contract. He's, he's, deserving of a contract like that. If you hang around this guy each day, you'll you you'd be amazed at how down to earth and human he is. You know, I don't know if you saw last year Samad Taylor got a game-winning hit A rookie, you know, we didn't have many game-winning hits last year. He hits it over to center fielder's head. We win the game. Bobby runs out. The center fielder left the ball. Bobby ran out and got the ball and ran it back to Samad saying here's the ball, and ran it back to Samad saying here's the ball for um, that you just hit.
Speaker 2:And that's the type of guy Bobby is. Uh, he cares about his teammates, he cares about the front office, he cares about the coaches. Um, really down to earth and fun to be around. Uh, if anybody's deserving of a contract like that, it's, it's, it's Bobby. He's an elite player in this game. I got to see Jose Ramirez do his thing in Cleveland another elite player. These guys are fun to watch. And when guys like those two get contracts like that. I know it's a lot of money, but that's just what the going rate is right. It is what it is Exactly. You should be proud that you give bobby with that kind of money because you want that guy around for a long time.
Speaker 1:All right I had to ask you about wit because I love, I love the guy I love him. Love him. All right, let me uh, brian, let me show you. This is this. We're going to end on this, because I think this is awesome when is that All right. So these are your hang on, these are your baseball card. Some of this hold on. Let me get to the page.
Speaker 2:It must be in the bottom of somebody's closet, that's probably where they are.
Speaker 1:I found this. These are old baseball cards of Brian Sweeney. This is your upper deck worth a buck 38 dude okay, whoever pays, that's getting ripped off all right, here is here is your I'll give you one for free. Yeah, you got. I mean, I'll take them, I ain't scared. I'll display them in the office with a little b sweeney autograph. Here's a throwback to the 52 card. That's worth 369 man.
Speaker 2:Whoa, I'll tell you and then here's a nice one.
Speaker 1:Oh, this one is an upper deck. Uh, that's going for 428 for what a ripoff.
Speaker 2:Somebody's trying to rip you off on that one um.
Speaker 1:You got an upper deck silver for 342. The trio prospects when are you? You're right here in the middle, right? Aaron Looper, Rhett Johnson Obviously, you know those guys. Yeah two guys I played with. Yeah, yeah, that's $1.68. Here's your Lakewood Blue Claws. What are you a pitching coach there, yep, and then, oh, that's not you.
Speaker 2:I've got to work on my posture and my pitching coach position. Who's that? Was that? Katsuzaki, that bottom?
Speaker 1:one that was Shibakusa.
Speaker 2:I don't know why that came up on your page but Maybe because I played, maybe because I played in Japan.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so that was I found that to be really fun. I was just, I was just Googling your, I was just Googling your your baseball cards, and that's what I came up with. Do you have your own baseball cards, by the way.
Speaker 2:So I've been given, I've been given a whole, a whole bunch of them that usually when you have, when you get a card they give, they give you some right. You know. So I, you know I I do have, I do have a few, and a lot of times I tell the kids that we have a dartboard. I'm like, put my, put my baseball card up there and throw it, throw it over, see if you see, if you can hit me, hit me in the neck or something like that. But yeah, it is, it is cool, right. You know I grew up with baseball cards. You know, looking at the back of baseball cards, you eating the gum that didn't last long enough. The know I have Don Mattingly's 1984 card top score Donruss, I have that too, yep.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it's like you know, I get to see him now, right, because he's a coach with Toronto. Right, you get to meet guys like this. I'm like man, I had your poster on my wall in Yonkers, new York, you know, when you were at the Yankees. So it's like you know, it's really. I get to be around a lot of, a lot of people, a lot of cool people, some good baseball players, which is, you know, really exciting and get to learn from, learn from them too. Right, terry Frank Cohen had been in baseball a thousand years. That old bum he probably laughed at that, you know. And you know to see to see how he does things. You know I'm constantly learning. You know I'm new to this position as a pitching coach Not easy, right, you know, putting yourself in a leadership position.
Speaker 2:It's not that you have to do less, it's you have to do more. Right, you are responsible for the guys around you, including the pitching team itself. You want to help make them better. You know the guys, the coaches around me, they want to be pitching coaches one day, right? So I want to help them achieve those dreams too. So there's more responsibility. So it's really, you don't want to take a minute off for these guys. You want to be there, you want to show up, you want to be authentic, honest and consistent each day.
Speaker 1:Brian, my last question you played in. You want to be authentic, honest and consistent each day. Brian, my last question you played in the majors. You are a pitching coach for the Royals. Have you do you? Especially now you're in Minnesota? You're about to go to a ball game Do you do you? Do you sometimes just like pinch yourself and go? How is this real?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2:Shoot, just even having the opportunity to come out of Mercy College now Mercy University. By the way, just in case anybody wants to know that Mercy University Mavericks they are getting the opportunity to get to be signed out of out of Mercy College to play independent league, which is not the best route. If you want to be a major leaguer, coming out of Mercy College to play independent league, which is not the best route. If you want to be a major leaguer, coming out of college and spend seven years in the minors, get the opportunity in the big leagues, play in Japan, play winter ball, play for Team Italy. Really, I was being set up to coach playing the Albany Twilight League. All these little parts of my journey have set me up to have the opportunity to coach for the Kansas City Royals. And you know I was driving to Vermont I think it was Thanksgiving weekend after my interview with the Royals. Connie was in the car. We were driving to see some friends when I got the call about how they wanted to offer me the job as the pitching coach. Oh, my gosh, I have Connie next to me because we're on speakerphone, right, because I'm not going to talk on the phone while I'm driving. Be responsible. And you know they said you know we'd like to offer you the job as the pitching coach for the Kansas City Royals and you know I could still see that.
Speaker 2:In my mind it's like wait, wait, I have a really cool job. I'm at a place where I'm comfortable in a way that this is, I love it. I don't need to do, I don't need to be a manager, I don't need to go to another team. I'm not looking to climb the ladder. Never was. This is a great place to be. I have good people around me, we have a good team, we have good systems. I have the best job in the world. Why would I want to move on? I'm in a place where I hope I can retire. I love being around here. Win or lose, right. We got good people in place and then when you go through a fight together like that, you can make something special happen.
Speaker 1:What an awesome way to end it. Really great story. Brian. One thing I do love about you is you have such a unique perspective and I think you get it. You understand you're blessed, you're in a great spot and it's. You know I root for you and I know everyone here in the Capital Region roots for. You're blessed, you're in a great spot and you know I root for you, and I know everyone here in the Capital Region roots for you as well and Matt and the Royals I know everyone has their teams around here, but it's an awesome special 518 connection. I want to thank you so much for taking the time out of your day and joining me. I really do.
Speaker 2:No, I'm grateful that we could catch up, talk some baseball and maybe have some more Royals fans in the Capital District. Right, If you have a connection with Matt or I, it's not like all the Yankee fans and Met fans, the Boston fans. There's more of a connection. You should join up, Jump on the bandwagon with us.
Speaker 1:I'm there, man. I am absolutely there, brian. I want to. I'm going to sign off here in a sec. I want to wish you good luck, appreciate you joining me, and I want to thank everyone out there for joining me as well. It's SoundOff with Syncoff, sponsored by the Syncoff Realty Group. Thanks for checking out the podcast. Make sure you like, give us a subscribe, and I really appreciate it and we'll see you next time.
