Spring Training 2010
Maloney at ease in big leagues
By C. Trent Rosecrans, CNATI.com Posted March 2, 2010 4:35 PM ET
GOODYEAR, Ariz. - To be a big leaguer, Matt Maloney thought, he had to be perfect. Every pitch needed to be in precisely the right spot, every ball was a catastrophe and every strike a triumph. Or so it seemed.
A year ago, Maloney was essentially where he is now, only now he's nowhere near where he was a year ago. Like he was in Sarasota before the 2009 season, Maloney is in contention for the Reds fifth starter spot. He didn't win that spot last season, pitching just three innings with the big league team, giving up six hits, two walks and four runs - all earned, before being reassigned to the minor league camp.
That Maloney is no longer here. Instead, his confidence has been bolstered by a stint in the big leagues and he enters Friday's exhibition season-opener along with others vying for the fifth spot, pitching against the Indians. Even if the results are different, Maloney is.
"I tried to go in there and be perfect with everything instead of trusting my stuff," Maloney said. "I tried to be perfect hitting that inside corner and miss off the plate, or I'd miss over the plate and get hit instead of just making a quality pitch, I tried to be perfect in everything I did. I felt good and I had good stuff.
"I couldn't put those things together, I couldn't get out of my own way and stop trying to think about who I was facing and now I know I can do that, I think it's going to be a big benefit for me. I'm a lot more comfortable, I know all the guys here. Everybody, it's a real loose group of guys, it's a great team to be playing for. A lot of guys I came up in the minors with are here and all the veteran guys are really good. Everyone makes it comfortable for you."
The comfort factor has been one of the biggest for Maloney, who was acquired from the Phillies for Kyle Lohse at the trade deadline in 2007. The left-hander made his big league debut in June.
In three starts, Maloney went 0-2 with a 5.11 ERA before being sent back down to the minors. In late August, he was up for one game, sent back to the minor leagues and back again 10 days later. In his final three starts, he went 2-1 with a 2.65 ERA despite battling a blister on his left middle finger.
"I worked hard last year and my last couple of starts, I pitched through some soreness with my finger," Maloney said. "I really did that so I could kind of get my foot in the door and get some more experience toward this year. That's what the whole thing was about for me last year. I worked hard this off-season and that's definitely my goal and I think anything less, I'll be really disappointed because I worked so hard for it."
That blister - if he can keep it down - can turn out to be a blessing in disguise for Maloney. With the blister, Maloney couldn't throw his cutter and his curveball was subpar.
"My curveball was just really slow. I couldn't really get the extension on it and finish it," Maloney said. "It helped me figure out to throw a two-seamer and a sinker, because I couldn't put my pressure on the middle finger and I had to put the pressure on my index finger and it helped me get sink on the ball."
Now he has those pitches to go along with his cutter and the curveball is back to where he wants it.
"He's a four-pitch pitcher that commands the zone and does all the little things right," pitching coach Bryan Price said of Maloney. "He does all the little things right. He pitches inside to right-hand hitters, he's added the cutter, which we think is going to be a nice pitch for him. He's shown a willingness to compete and throw to big league hitters. Other than watching him on video, now I've got to see him throw in big league games and see how he gets after it. It's a competitive camp, so I'm looking forward to it."
Price was with the Phillies organization last season as their minor league pitching coordinator. He said he knew plenty of people in the Phillies organization that were high on Maloney.
With games starting soon - and Maloney set to follow Mike Lincoln on against the Indians on Friday - it's time for Maloney to prove he's over the mental hump of facing big league hitters.
He's also working on getting over his blisters, soaking his finger in pickle juice daily.
"The trainers had told me a bout it a couple of years ago when I got a blister on the side of my finger," Maloney said. "Supposedly there's a stuff in there called alum. It's supposed to dry your finger out. I've been doing that and it works. My finger is nice and callused up."
Maloney's wife (the two were married this off-season) loves pickles, so he doesn't have to worry about waste and he said the smell washes right out after he soaks his hand. The only problem is his wife spilled some in their bedroom and the bedroom smells of pickles. If that's his biggest problem this spring, he'll be happy.
Categories: Cincinnati Reds, Featured Stories, Profiles, Spring Training 2010
Tags: Bryan Price, Matt Maloney, Mike Lincoln
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