13 - Josh Conway "Finding the Right Fit"

Bio

• Drafted out of Smithsburg HS (MD) in 2009
• Drafted by the Chicago Cubs out of Coastal Carolina in 2012
• Played in the Cubs organization from 2012-2017 
• Finished his degree at Coastal Carolina and assisted in daily pitching work where he got to see how to manage the pitching staff, and was the bullpen coach.
• Hired as a developmental coach for the Baltimore Orioles where he developed advanced reports, and acted as the bullpen coach, and helped the pitching coach.
• Currently the pitching coach for the Frederick Keys A ball affiliate in the Carolina League.
• Wise beyond his years!

Show Notes

• Its not about what just worked for you, but what works best for the player!
• If you let the guys have a identity you get the most out of them
• The Orioles do a great job not only with player development but coaches development
• Advanced reporting done through trackman and learn how to attack hitters
• Can’t be information overlord, and let the guys have a plan to help them move forward
• There is not one way of doing it, and do what works for!
• I need to do what I am good at, but chip away of the things I am not good at
• The player needs to be his best coach!
• Its about creating the relationship to build trust!
• Pitchers labeled by color based on who they are (yellow guy)
• Put my ego aside, and ask about what other guys did to help them succeed. 
• Progression takes years
• Player plans are fluid and need tweaked as necessary 
• Identify what the pitcher has
  • Movement profile
  • Location
  • Best Combination of pitches
• Stand behind the guy and shoot some clips to show him the action
  • Arm at release
  • Combination of everything based on the pitcher
• Arm action will tell you a lot about what the ball should do
• How is the body moving
• Do you have success horizontally or vertically in the zone? That will help you find what will be good sequence of pitches
• Work from the plate backwards - if you aren’t landing it on the plate, “is it useful?”
• Buckets of pitcher 
  • Vertical guy - up in the zone with high spinning BB. 
  • Sinker guy - two seam guy who lives in the bottom of zone with sweeping slider
• Who you are, Who the hitter is, and attack with your strengths
• Where you are at physically, and what pace you are growing, not only physically but mentally.
• Have to have the internal drive to put the work into it, and make it happen
• Working hard won’t guarantee you to play in the big leagues
• Best players:
  • Have a routine
  • Huge sense of detail
  • Know how to take practice and translate it into the game
  • Self confidence that cannot be touched
  • BIGGEST thing - they learn from mistakes and get better! STOIC
• See the difference between the high rising fastballs by studying video with the data
• Test yourself with the data to see if your eyes are seeing what it really is
• Common Language between you and the players to when a players “feels good” when he does something well
• We need to get it to where YOU (the player) understands it. The player needs to own it and be his own!
• Lessons have given me an opportunity to give players what they need. Foundational work, and movement profiles, and get coaching reps, and be a better communicator.  
• Contact by email  - joshconway0211@gmail.com