Thursday, April 1, 2010

Reader Q&A with Storen

As part of my fundraising campaign to cover spring training, I offered readers who contributed at least $60 the opportunity to submit a question to a member of the Nationals. Manager Jim Riggleman and four players (Ryan Zimmerman, Nyjer Morgan, John Lannan and Drew Storen) were gracious enough to participate. Readers were randomly paired up with one of those five gentlemen, and I conducted the interviews over the last week.

Here is the fourth installment of the Reader Q&A, featuring rookie reliever Drew Storen. (Note: Some of the questions were submitted before Storen was demoted to minor-league camp. The interview took place after the demotion.) ...


Craig Stevens (Washington): To those of us who will never play, what's the big difference between pro camp and other camps?
Drew Storen: In college, it was a lot different, because you just play a lot of intrasquad [games]. There's not really a spring training in college. So this is kind of a new experience for me. College is just a lot of games. There's not necessarily this big preparation for the season. But spring training is good. You really practice the little things, and I think that's the biggest thing I've noticed: How much better I've gotten with doing those little things, like covering first and throwing to first base on a PFP [pitchers' fielding practice]. That's the big difference.

Graham Armstrong (Alexandria, Va.): Do you have any idea what your number will be -- or what you want it to be -- when you reach the big leagues?
Drew Storen: I have no idea what it's going to be. I really don't think too much about my numbers. I would love to bring back my college number, 26, at some point. That would be kind of cool. But I really don't care. As long as it's not in the 90s, it's fine with me. I always joke and say I need a skinnier number, because it makes me look bigger because there's more free jersey space. I've got 58 right now and it makes me look pretty skinny because you've got two pretty wide numbers. [Mark Zuckerman: So, No. 1 would be ideal?] That's what I wore in high school, actually. That's why I wore it.

Jim Kurtzke (Ashburn, Va.): Since the Nats have a bounty of young arms, why not adopt a dual-starter system in which one guy pitches five or six innings and the other pitches three or four? Would you be interested in pitching in that kind of system?
Drew Storen: Hmm, kind of a piggyback system. I would be fine with that. I've always said I really don't care if I start or if I relieve, anything. Just as long as I'm there. That would be fun. But we've got so many young guys. Might as well not reinvent the wheel and keep the middle relief and the closer.

Joe Knight (Herndon, Va.): What's the biggest difference between pitching at a couple of minor-league levels last year and pitching in big-league spring training? Do the hitters adjust better?
Drew Storen: Yeah, there's a lot less room for error. I really noticed that here in the last couple weeks, going from big-league camp to down here. Double-A hitters are still really good, but big-league hitters, you have to make the right pitch in every count. You don't get away with a lot, if anything. There's a lot of pitches you throw to a big-league hitter that you say: "That's a good pitch. This is going to strike him out here." Then they just don't even want anything to do with it. They just spit on it. They just have a better eye for what you think are good pitches, pitches that I was able to get guys out at Double-A last year but big-league hitters don't even flinch.

Mark Friend (Burke, Va.): As a former college athlete, what do you think of the Secretary of Education's proposal that all college teams should have to have at least a 40 percent graduation rate to compete in NCAA championships?
Drew Storen: I think education is important. Obviously, I'm coming from Stanford. I think it just depends on the sport. With baseball, the graduation rate is going to be a little different, because you have to finish at different times. I haven't really heard too much about that [proposal], but I think it is important to have people go to college to be student-athletes and not just athletes. That's something I really take pride in. I'm going to go back and finish my degree. Because I was given that opportunity to get an education and play sports. I think that's something good to keep in mind: The more student-athletes -- true student-athletes -- the better it's going to be.

Dan Furth (Sunderland, Md.): During the rain and cold early in spring training, who was the most entertaining team member?
Drew Storen: You know, it was all over the board. But I would say who first came to mind was Eddie Guardado. Eddie always had a fresh take and always was there making guys laugh and telling stories. Cool, old stories. He's one of the guys I looked up to when I was young. The other thing Eddie was great at was, he made us realize how great and how lucky we were. Anytime somebody said something like: "I can't believe we're out here right now, the weather's terrible!" He was like: "What, would you rather be sitting at a desk?" You kind of realize, hey, you're getting paid to play baseball. That's why I loved having Eddie around, and I wish the best for him.

16 comments:

Grandstander said...

::swoon::

I LOVE this kid! Judging from the way our pen has looked over March, I think we'll be seeing him before May's done.

320R2S15 said...

Wow, we see the future.

Mark, what is the deal with the other kid that Stan sent to Stanford, I can't remember his name.

Brian said...

@320R2S215 - Jack McGeary. He was in minor league camp. Guessing he'll be in Hagerstown or Potomac to start 2010

Mr. Doggett said...

They've obviously done a good job putting together a group of guys who are at least somewhat level-headed. It's so refreshing to hear stuff like that after watching the lousy Redskins all year.

Mark Zuckerman said...

You are indeed referring to Jack McGeary, who was taken in the sixth round in the 2007 draft yet given a $1.8 million signing bonus. The Nats also agreed to pay for his education at Stanford, allowing McGeary to be a full-time student during the offseason. He's almost finished with that arrangement, has two more quarters to complete before getting his degree. As for his baseball career, he's trying to bounce back after a rough 2009 (went a combined 2-12 with a 5.54 ERA at short-season Class A Vermont and low-Class A Hagerstown). But he just turned 21, so he's still young.

Anonymous said...

2-12 with a 5.54 era!? My God. Another Bowden project. Thats 1.8 million right in the fireplace

Anonymous said...

Yeah, and there's another Bowden guy who got his lunch last year. Smoker is his name. I think Josh Smoker. Last time I checked on him last year he was in shellshock mode

Anonymous said...

nice kid, I met him at a cookout before a game once which was thrown by house parents. I didn't even know who he was till he left to get ready for the game. Very polite, didn't have that ere of arrogance like so many young recently became millioner ballplayers have. he has his head screwed on right, I hope he reaches his dream.

Anonymous said...

Sorry Josh, after further review you weren't that bad. 4-2 with a 3.38 era. Perhaps you and McGeary will be in Potomac this year where I can check you out

Anonymous said...

To the last two Anons: please read the SI baseball preview issue article on Roy Halladay, and when he was demoted from the big leagues all the way down to A-ball when he was 22. I'm not saying Smoker or McGeary (or Gibson, etc) are going to blossom into superstars. I'm just saying there is NEVER a reason to write off a talented pitcher until he's at least 26 or 27. (See also: Grienke, Zach)
NatinBeantown

Anonymous said...

You are right. Especially if they have live arms. ERA's can be badly inflated by walks. McGeary averaged almost a walk an inning, way to much. Smoker had very good walk/inning ratio. If I am not mistaken one of these guys had arm surgery. Maybe Smoker. Both kids are big lefthanders, always a plus.

DCLance said...

Yeah, the Flores move from 3 to 26 was a dagger for someone whose wife got him a Nationals Storen 26 t-shirt from MLB.com for Christmas (though if Flores can come back and be as good as he was before the injury I'll take the wasted t-shirt). I'm totally on board with Mr. Doggett...I've only missed 4 Redskins home games in the last 23 years, and they have just worn me out. I'm so hyped for the Nationals with players like Storen, Strasburg, Zim, Zimnn, ect., etc. It is going to be a fun couple of years here.

natsfan1a said...

The SI baseball preview is (and has been) on my "to buy" list, Beantown.

Speaking of Storen, I see that the P-Nats will be featuring his bobblehead later this year. Wonder whether he had input on the design (he's an artistic guy, right?).

Anonymous said...

You hear the Nats crowing about how Zim did the draft "the right way" all the time, but Drew doesn't get a peep from the front office.
Mark - Any idea why Mike and Stan aren't singing Drew's praises for signing the day after the draft and jumping right into pro ball?

Mark Zuckerman said...

Anon: I've heard plenty of praise from the Nats front office about how Storen signed right away and got into the pipeline. I suppose it would have been more of a gesture on their part to include him on the Opening Day roster, but there's also some logic to having him spend a little time in the minors first.

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