	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

MLB WINTER MEETINGS

December 5, 2006

Jerry Narron

ORLANDO, FLORIDA

Q. How was that first full year last year for you?
JERRY NARRON: I enjoyed most of it, except for about the last couple weeks anyway. Going to I think it was August 23rd and 24th we were in first place and didn't do a whole lot after that. I think the three games in San Francisco where we lost three straight and St. Louis won three straight, that hurt us.

Q. Weren't you 2 and 8 on a west coast trip?
JERRY NARRON: Yeah, we won the first game.

Q. Then went 2 and 8 on the west coast. What can you learn from that?
JERRY NARRON: Well, for our guys, we have a lot of guys that have never been in a situation where they were playing for anything the second half of the season. I think a lot of guys just going through that get a definite game night experience.

Q. Did you feel like they were showing -- how were they showing their youth and inexperience after those last five weeks of the season?
JERRY NARRON: I think as much as anything, the mental part of it, what it takes to get up every night in those type of situations. We had a tough series in Philadelphia, an extra-inning game there, I think we went two out of three there and then went to St. Louis and went 1 and 1. I think we had August 1st off, August 15th off. We had a tough schedule in August. That mental strain I think got us in trouble.

Q. So you feel like even though you lost, if you had to go through it again, players would approach it with a different set of experiences and a different set of mental toughness?
JERRY NARRON: One thing, I learned it in Spring Training, I'd love for these guys to go up in September when our game meant something and we were able to do that. What, since '99 we haven't had a chance to win.

Q. One-game playoff, wildcard.
JERRY NARRON: But even just trying to play, I mean, being alive in September was something.

Q. Where do you think you fell short last year?
JERRY NARRON: The big thing, we pitched well enough. Our offense, we just didn't score any runs. When Griff went out, it was a big blow.

Q. Do you guys think you need to make more upgrades offensively in order to compete?
JERRY NARRON: I think it's something we've always talked about, we need to put the ball in play more and cut down on our strikeouts.

Q. Is there something about the way you have to change the philosophy, that you have guys that are power minded guys or it is it just bringing in different players?
JERRY NARRON: It might be a combination, but Dunn is going to strike out. You can cut down maybe 20 or 25, but he's not going to cut down 100. That's not going to happen.

Q. Where are you looking to cut down on your strikeouts in your lineup?
JERRY NARRON: Well, somebody like Ryan Freel last year started out close to 100. He should definitely do a little better than that. Brandon Phillips with another year in the big leagues, Eddie Encarnacion, I think he'll improve. Hatteberg gave us some big at-bats all year. He's a real professional hitter, that type thing.
I know something Brook Jacoby wants to stress with these guys is putting the ball in play a little better than we did a year ago and cutting down on two strikes.

Q. Cutting down your swing with two strikes?
JERRY NARRON: Yeah.

Q. How well did you know Brook?
JERRY NARRON: Not real well, just competing against him. He had been in the Reds organization a couple years, but Rudy called me right away. Rudy really recommended him.

Q. That's a pretty strong recommendation, isn't it?
JERRY NARRON: Yeah, especially being around Rudy all those years I was around him. Having a good idea what Rudy would look for in hitters, I would do the same thing. I know Bucky being there with me, we both did the same thing. But I'm sure Brook will take some of that and take some of his own, and being in the organization in the past, having something like that done before in the Minor Leagues.

Q. How much influence do you have on the hitting coach and what he teaches them, and how do you go about -- what's your philosophy?
JERRY NARRON: If I see something I think they're doing wrong, I will tell the hitting coach or pitching coach or infield coach, but I'm not going to pull a guy aside and say try this or try that. If I see something and I don't see a change from what the coaches have been telling them, I'll make sure they go look at it in video and see if they can see something. I just believe it works better if you've got one guy talking to them and trying to make some changes or adjustments. If they screw up on the field, I'll let them know that. I don't leave that to somebody else.

Q. How do you see the batting order shaping up?
JERRY NARRON: I don't know, I really don't. Freel is there, Hatteberg will probably be second or down in the order, somewhere one or another. Where Alex Gonzalez hits, is that what you're looking for? I don't know, he'll probably be second or seventh or eighth.

Q. How is it to have somebody that can catch the ball short?
JERRY NARRON: It's huge. How many times did you see last year where we didn't turn a double play and it seemed like the next guy hit a homerun. I think there was like five. Just catching the ball has made a tremendous difference. Everything I've heard about him, he has a great work ethic, especially at batting practice, and I think that will carry over.

Q. When you see what the Cardinals did in the World Series and how close you came to winning that division, do you say, that could have been us?
JERRY NARRON: I think everybody in baseball probably said that. I think with the Cardinals, I think playing them like we did in our division, we all knew if they were healthy they'd have a chance where they could win, and it seemed like they got everybody healthy when they needed to, and their bullpen did a great job in the postseason for them, too.
But I don't think their record reflected what kind of club they had by any means.

Q. When you're in the same division with the Cubs, is it impossible not to notice the sort of vigorous spending that they've been --
JERRY NARRON: Well, whether they're in your division or not, you do. But they're going to have a good lineup.

Q. Let's just hope the wind blows in at Wrigley every day?
JERRY NARRON: There are a lot of them that are solid. Kerry Wood can pitch out of the bullpen for them for an inning. If he can do that four or five straight days, he's got something special in him. I think that's what they're going to do with him. If they pitch any at all, they'll have a pretty good year.

Q. The division keeps getting tougher it seems like.
JERRY NARRON: You couldn't get any tougher than the last three National League pennant winners, I guess.

Q. What do you think about the idea of spending $50 million or more just for the right to talk to a guy? You're taking what would be a pretty good chunk of money for a very good ball player. Just hi, can we talk to you?
JERRY NARRON: That's a pretty good payroll for some of us (laughter).

Q. You know, does the disparity really concern you at all?
JERRY NARRON: Not really, no. It's all how you spend it.

Q. Speaking of pitching, if you're unable to add a starting pitcher, what do you think the rotation will be?
JERRY NARRON: I don't know, Matt law will get a shot at it, I see Ramirez will definitely have a shot at it. I don't think Brandon Claussen is going to be ready.

Q. You say he won't be ready?
JERRY NARRON: I do not -- not for opening Spring Training he will not.

Q. Will he be ready at all next year?
JERRY NARRON: He should be. We're looking for him to.

Q. So you're talking Harang, Arroyo, Milton and Lohse?
JERRY NARRON: (Nodding head.)

Q. This season are you feeling better 1 through 4?
JERRY NARRON: The pitch and shoot, you just start with Harang and Arroyo at the top, and you get 235, 230 innings out of both of them, 470 out of both of them, you feel like you have a pretty good chance of winning every night with them.

Q. Would you like to see you guys get a closer or are you comfortable with what you have already?
JERRY NARRON: I think everybody would like to have a closer. We'll just match it up and see if somebody can really step up and do it. But until then, we'll just match it up.

Q. Do you feel a little -- the way Todd kind of went up and down last year, does that concern you, or are you going to give him another shot to see if he can do it?
JERRY NARRON: We'll see. I really like the role he's coming in with guys on base, he's going to throw strikes, he's not going to walk people. I really think he's best suited for coming in with guys on base who are just starting the 6th, 7th, 8th inning, right in there. That's not to say he'll ever be a closer, but right now he's pretty good at that role.

Q. Do you feel comfortable when you have guys like Weathers at the end, guys who are so veteran that maybe they're not your typical closer but yet they are professionals?
JERRY NARRON: The best part about somebody like Weathers and Stanton is they don't mind closing, they don't mind pitching the 9th, they're definitely not going to be insulted if I get them up in the 7th inning.

Q. So Stanton and Weathers, maybe Coffey, and who else would be in that mix?
JERRY NARRON: We'll see where Bill Bray works out. I love Bill Bray's makeup, got a very good arm. Last year was a great learning experience for him.

Q. Is the Gary Majewski that you saw probably the last month, I'm guessing that's the guy you thought you were trading for after he had that rest?
JERRY NARRON: Well, I think so, but -- I don't know, he might have been affected by the world games, too, coming out and competing so early in the year last year, so we'll see what happens with him. I think just going to Spring Training and having normal Spring Training, it should help him.

Q. Is normal Spring Training going to help a lot of guys this year?
JERRY NARRON: With Gary I think it will. Other guys, I don't know, Griffey could probably come in here right now and get a hit. I don't know, it doesn't bother him.

Q. Would you like to have Scott Schoeneweis back?
JERRY NARRON: Yeah, with the salary arbitration, we'll see what happens. I'm sure he's going to use the system to his advantage. It should be pretty good for him. He did a great job. I was really, really pleased, surprised how well he pitched. You know, I haven't seen him the last couple years; that's why I say surprised. He's pretty good.

Q. It seems like you have almost a complete bullpen. I mean, you look at it now, with Majewski and Weathers, Stanton, is it one of those things where you feel much more comfortable at this time than you were last year with where your bullpen stands?
JERRY NARRON: Yeah, I think so. The only -- we still don't have a so-called bona fide closer out there. It was nice when Eddie Guadardo came in.

Q. Do you find it odd that the last three National League champions have come from the Central Division, yet the division was like 100 games under .500 against other teams?
JERRY NARRON: I can't explain it. I can't explain the National League last year, either, for that matter. But I think like everybody in our league last year, it had some holes. You played well, you won those games. If you played poorly and the other team played halfway decent you got beaten. If both of you played well or played poorly at the same time, then it was interesting. But I think everybody had holes. I don't think there was a team that was really solid from top to bottom last year. The Mets were by far the best club, and just their starting pitching at the end of the season just wasn't there for them.

Q. Your rotation, overall what can your rotation do better?
JERRY NARRON: What can they do better? For one thing I'd like to see them do a lot of what they did last year, our walks, we did a great job of making other clubs put the ball in play. One thing we talk about in our ballpark and everybody comes in there scared to death of it is they come there to pitch and not worry about the ballpark, and I think our guys did real well with that.
What can they do better? There's always room for improvement and adjustments. Arroyo had a stretch there in the middle of the season where he struggled getting some wins. I'd love to see Kyle Lohse be a lot more consistent. He's got a great arm, but at times it just was not as good as I'm sure he would like to be. If he could have a consistent year and come up with 20, 25 quality starts, which I think he's capable of, I think this guy could have a huge year for us.
I think the biggest thing with Miltie is just being healthy with his legs, and last year when he felt good with his legs, he pitched well. But Miltie is not a sinker baller, he's not going to get ground balls, so he's got to hit his spots, change speeds, and if he does that like he did at times last year, he can be successful.

Q. When you talk about getting used to the park, can you be freaked out a little bit by the park?
JERRY NARRON: I don't think he is. I just think he's just been a fly ball guy, but I don't think he's intimidated by it. I think he pitched best last year when he pitched backwards, changed speeds when he was behind in the count, that type of thing. I'd love to see him do a little more of that, change speeds when he's behind in the count.
In hitters' counts, throw his change-up and his breaking ball more, don't throw a high fastball.

Q. Can you teach a highball pitcher to go low, become a low ball pitcher, a ground ball pitcher?
JERRY NARRON: You can. The big thing with Miltie, like I said, is just changing speeds.

Q. What kind of a timetable would you have for Homer Bailey?
JERRY NARRON: I'm not really going to have one. I'm looking forward to seeing him in the spring and seeing if he can pitch. If he shows he can make pitches, not just come out and just throw a lot of fastballs and try and throw the ball by guys, he'll be in the big leagues and be pretty successful.

Q. What's his repertoire and what kind of pitcher is he?
JERRY NARRON: He's fastball. Last time at times he was almost all fastball. That's something we talked with him about was just throwing his change-up and his curveball more. The one thing that he did last spring, though, he scuffled during that first out in Fort Myers where he threw the first nine pitches and they were all balls and he came back and ended up getting a strikeout with a 3-2 breaking ball, which is something he didn't do in the minor leagues. This spring I'd love to see if he can locate pitches and throw them when he's behind in the count.

Q. Would you rather see him come up, start in the bullpen, or would you rather see him come up and start right away?
JERRY NARRON: If he comes up he'll be starting.

Q. You would think at least a half a year?
JERRY NARRON: He's probably -- unless something really unforeseen happens, he'd start the year in AAA.

Q. Is there any danger of rushing him?
JERRY NARRON: There is. That's why he wasn't there last year. We talked about bringing him up last year about the middle of the year. I mean, arm-wise, stuff-wise, he's got better stuff than anybody we've got.

Q. Of the guys that you had last year in AA and AAA, who are the ones that you think have the best chance in the bullpen this year?
JERRY NARRON: You know Brad Satler, everybody liked Brad and he's on the roster so he's got a chance to make the club, so we'll see.
You know, our bullpen is going to be pretty much set if everybody is healthy. We'd love to have a lot of depth at the bottom of the list. Sam is probably the other one that's got a good shot.
Stanton, Bray, we don't really need a left-hander out there, Shackleford, too, is in the bullpen, too. Dumatrait is either going to be starting in AA or AAA.

Q. You've got good depth with left-handed pitchers.
JERRY NARRON: We do. We've had some calls on some of these guys, too.

Q. Two or three?
JERRY NARRON: We've got three. Shackleford makes four. Shackleford does a great job of lefty on lefty. We'd like to see him do a little better against right-handers.

Q. Are you shopping aggressively for a right-handed bat?
JERRY NARRON: After losing Aurilia, we're definitely looking for a right-handed hitter.

Q. What would be the most likely place you'd stick a right-hander, what position?
JERRY NARRON: Either in the outfield or first base or a combination, or somebody that can play all over the infield like Richie did for us last year.

Q. Would you like to have a defined right fielder?
JERRY NARRON: Probably match it up, Freely will be in the lineup every day, we feel like he can contribute. We're going to try to do everything we can to keep him healthy, same thing with Burkey. One thing with Denorfia is we'd like to make sure going into the end of the year he's not worn down. That's one thing I'll do a little better this year is maybe give him some days off in the middle of the year.

Q. Where do you see Crosby?
JERRY NARRON: Possibly a left-handed platoon guy.

Q. Would you put him ahead of Denorfia?
JERRY NARRON: No. No one talks about Norris Hopper.

Q. With all the new managers in baseball this year, you were in that position once, what would be your best piece of advice to somebody who's taking over a big league team for the first time? What's the biggest adjustment?
JERRY NARRON: I think just from coaching, just the responsibility. I think everybody is going from -- I'm trying to think, Ron Washington and Geren both were coaches, just the responsibility for everything more than just their area.

Q. Are you more of a corporate desk-type guy and less hands-on, on-the-field-type stuff?
JERRY NARRON: I try my best. Like I was talking about before, I'm not going to try to go over the hitting coach or infield coach or anybody but I still throw batting practice, ground balls, so I still enjoy working at it.

Q. But there's a lot more administrative work?
JERRY NARRON: No question, just the time before the game, after the game, you're involved with every player there, everybody that comes in the clubhouse. There's a lot of time to it that people don't even think about.

Q. So your batting practice and hitting grounders isn't necessarily because you need it as another coach on the field, but do you do it just so you can feel part of the team?
JERRY NARRON: I'm a sicko, I guess. I love it.

Q. You love it, but is it good to get away from that administrative stuff?
JERRY NARRON: Not so much to get away from it, I enjoy doing it. I like doing it.
The two days before I left for Fan Fest I hit ground balls with the high school kids. My son is a shortstop and I probably hit 1,000 ground balls in the two days before I went to Cincinnati.

Q. Where at?
JERRY NARRON: In North Carolina. His high school team, the third baseman was out there and the second baseman, and he was out there.

Q. Is he in high school now?
JERRY NARRON: Yeah, ninth grade.

Q. Looking toward the spring anything different?
JERRY NARRON: What we do in the spring will be pretty much the same. I believe in doing quality work. You watch stuff out there all day just to impress people how long you're out there, just to make sure you do your work and do it right. I just hope our guys understand, I think they do, it's all about preparing to win and not just trying to get ready for the season. I think having a chance to win last year, I think guys realize that probably better than ever before.

Q. We've probably kind of asked you this, but preparing to win would mean what?
JERRY NARRON: Just making sure what they do, they do it right and not just put the time in I think as much as anything. I think that a lot of times guys try to get prepared just for the season, get themselves ready and not just getting the team ready, and what they're doing they're doing for the team to win and not just for themselves to have successful seasons.

Q. I apologize if this has been asked before, but how does your bullpen shape up, the closer role set up?
JERRY NARRON: Right now it would be David Weathers and Mike Stanton at the back of the game. If the first game was today, that's how it would be.

Q. Are you actively seeking more help in the bullpen?
JERRY NARRON: I think everybody -- yeah, everybody is, no matter what they've got.

Q. But you don't have Weathers yet.
JERRY NARRON: We don't, do we? If we get Weathers (laughter). Thank you for reminding me of that. I didn't think about that.

Q. Speaking of that, how are you going to use Mark Loretta?
JERRY NARRON: We have not made an offer to Mark Loretta, I can tell you that. There has not been an offer made.
You know, we'd use him, how would we use Rich Aurilia. Richie got 450-some plate appearances and got a nice little contract.

Q. What's the Brandon Phillips' learning curve? Talk about what he needs to do to keep getting better.
JERRY NARRON: In this game everybody has got to keep making adjustments to stay just even, and I think he'll do that. I think it was a huge year for him last year playing second base every day. I did not know going into the end of the season that he had never been just primarily a second baseman, didn't have a shortstop. I think Cleveland didn't have a second baseman, shortstop. Last year was the first time he was ever at one spot. He's got a chance to be really good defensively, too. He's got some range, he's got a good arm, he's got good hands. I like him. He plays with a lot of energy and passion, and some guys might not like it, but I've got no problem with him throwing up his magic dust or whatever he does (laughter).

Q. Just the stability of playing one position will make a difference?
JERRY NARRON: I think so. I didn't see him on a regular basis two or three years ago. I don't know where and what changes he's made.

Q. You've already got a better pitching staff now?
JERRY NARRON: Absolutely. We've got two guys in the middle of the infield with a lot of range, good hands and can catch. I think Alex is going to make a big difference, with Edwin at third.
And Barry Hill raved about him. I talked to Barry Hill before we even signed him.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297