Cheap Little Swing ventures into Minor League Baseball!
I’m glad I have the opportunity to freelance and cover baseball at the minor league level, specifically for my hometown Sacramento River Cats, Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants.
I deliver my own unique take on baseball in California’s capital – including player interviews, game stories, and live coverage. I have been a part of some incredible moments and games over the past two seasons, including the miraculous Triple-A Championship run this year. I also traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada to visit the new home of the Aviators, the Oakland A’s affiliate when they played the River Cats series in June 2019. I was invited as a guest on the #1 MLB podcast “A’s Cast Live” with host Chris Townsend, where I discussed prospects from both organizations and other MLB hot topics. You can listen to that episode here: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/cadence13/oakland-as-podcast/e/62144959
Below is a full compilation of my coverage of minor league baseball.
Congratulations, River Cats!!!! 2019 Triple-A Champions
Video: Season Highlights – River Cats 2019 Season
Sam Selman – The Secret of His Success
This past week, the River Cats faced the Omaha Storm Chasers, Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. I felt it was appropriate to interview one of the stars of the River Cats bullpen this season, LHP Sam Selman. He was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 2nd round in 2012 out of Vanderbilt University., and has spent his entire career with the Royals organization. Selman became a free agent last fall, and was signed by the San Francisco Giants in the off-season. He joined the organization during Spring Training, and was assigned to Double-A Richmond. He did so well that he was promoted to the River Cats on April 20th. Since that time, he’s been a huge part of their success this season. I had the pleasure of interviewing Sam, and below is a transcript of that conversation.
B: You’re facing your former team, the Omaha Storm Chasers. What is that like? Did you enjoy being in that organization? Do you still keep in touch with some of the guys on the team?
S: I’ve known a lot of these guys for seven years, and so you develop close relationships and friendships with everyone. I lived with Kyle Zimmer for four off-seasons in a row. It’s a different experience, and interesting to see them on the other side of the field. It’s like a family reunion – we all crack jokes with one another and I’ve had the chance to talk and see them while they’ve been here.
B: You started out the year in Richmond and got promoted pretty quickly. How did you feel about that, and were you expecting the promotion or were you surprised?
S: I was new to the organization, so I really didn’t have any expectations. I went into Richmond with the mentality of knowing I had to prove I can pitch well. Luckily, I had success early on, and came here to Sacramento in April. It’s been a pretty easy transition going from the east coast to west coast. I met a lot of these guys in Spring Training, and I had Tyler Beede and Mike Yastrzemski who I went to college with at Vanderbilt. We’re all good friends, so they have helped me a lot with that transition.
B: You’ve opened a lot of eyes here and have had a lot of success so far. Tell me more about your role as a relief pitcher, and about the transition from when you were a starter.
S: I actually didn’t even get an opportunity to start until my Junior year in college because we had so many great guys in the rotation. With the Royals, I was a starter for the first 3 years or so, and then made the transition to being a relief pitcher. I was working with a fastball/slider combo.This off-season, Matt Daniels who now is with the Giants worked with me at Driveline Baseball on my mechanics. Coming into spring training, I was focused on throwing strikes and trying to get quick outs.
My throwing partner was actually Fernando Abad, and he showed me a two-seam fastball. Now, I throw a four-seam, two-seam, and then a slider. I throw a lot of sliders, actually. I think that has been the key to my success so far this year. I’m able to throw the slider for a strike or a ball, at any point in the count. It’s been going well so far.
B: On that note, what are some of your goals for the rest of the year?
S: Just to keep the momentum going. Trying to keep the walks down, force contact, and keep the innings quick. We’ve been playing well as a team so hopefully we can keep it going here in Sacramento.
B: Have you enjoyed living in Sacramento and playing for the River Cats?
S: I’ve really enjoyed it here so far. Once I got everything settled, I’ve had the chance to explore the city, and all of the restaurants, ride the JUMP bikes to check out the town. We talk about in the bullpen that this is probably the best stop in the PCL. It’s an easy commute to the city, friendly fans, good environment, and good weather.
I have a feeling if he continues his stellar pitching, he may be joining his friends Tyler Beede and Mike Yastrzemski in San Francisco very soon.
An Interview with Slade Heathcott
The 2019 MLB Draft is just days away starting on June 3, 2019. The following is an excerpt of an interview with Slade Heathcott from the upcoming book (working title “River Cat Tales”) due in Spring 2020, written by David Espinoza. Slade was drafted in the first round of the 2009 draft by the New York Yankees and spent 10 years in professional baseball with the Yankees, White Sox, Giants, and A’s. He retired on January 15, 2019. Below is a transcript of this interview:
DE: When were you first considered a prospect and start having scouts get in contact with you about the possibility of being drafted?
SH: My junior summer after having lived in Dallas and playing for a travel team, teams started coming to see me that summer and throughout the rest of the year.
DE: You were as they say a “bonus baby.” How did that impact the life you knew, and how did it help shape who you are today?
SH: I was a mess right after being signed. I was bouncing in bars the first couple weeks after signing, staying out all night partying, and so many other opportunities all of which I am very thankful for because they were a part of the process to get where I am today. I think it definitely gave me a sense of entitlement that was quickly calmed due to all my injuries and surgeries.
DE: Who told you that you were first going up, and how did they do it?
SH: My manager Miley, I was holding my son feeding him late after a game one night. I didn’t have phone on me, so they actually called one of my roommates and relayed that I needed to call.
DE: Can you tell me about your first day up, and what your favorite memory is of your time with the Yankees?
SH: It was surreal, it happened all so fast. I packed overnight and was in DC the next morning. My time with the Yankees was full of so many incredible moments; my first roll call, first home run on Memorial Day of all days, and the home run to put us ahead in Tampa Bay.
DE: What was it about your Minor League experience that made you want to get involved with More Than Baseball?
SH: Jeremy and I had something in common, in that we wanted to make the lives of Minor League players better right now. Minor League players are in the top one percentile of their profession and get paid as a season intern title. Food and equipment are some of the biggest challenges when you are getting $7,500 a year before taxes and expenses. Other challenges are paying for an apartment at your affiliate, living on the road eating fast food because that is all players can afford, and the worst is guys having to retire because they do not have a bat to play with.
DE: Looking back at your experience, what advice would you give to this year’s and future draft picks, and would that advice change if they went in either the 1st
or 40th round?
SH: Go to college, get prepared for life and then come out ready to tackle the world and to tackle the game of baseball. Baseball allows for an amazing opportunity for players to build their own personal brands and use connections around the game to make things happen on the entrepreneurial front. Take full advantage of that and use your platform to impact as many lives as possible.
For the most recent updates on David’s book, and the 20th season of the Sacramento River Cats, follow @R_CatTales on Twitter.
You can follow Slade Heathcott at @heathcott_slade. For other projects that Slade is involved with and that support the betterment of Minor League Baseball and its communities, please check out and follow:
weareonevillage.org soon to be green.org
Players for the Planet — @players4planet
iammore.us — @Iammore320
MoreThanBaseball.org — @MTB_org
Thank you to Slade Heathcott for his time and cooperation. This interview was conducted by David Espinoza in May 2019. Published by Bridget Mulcahy on Cheap Little Swing.
Video: Second Half Review – River Cats 2018 Season
Video: “Cheap Little Swing” Answers Your Questions Live From Raley Field
Video: Sights and Sounds from the First Half of the River Cats Season
Song: “The Middle” – Zedd ft. Maren Morris Remix by COASTR
Video: “Cheap Little Minute” at Raley Field
Catching Up With Trevor Brown
I recently had a chance to talk with Sacramento River Cats catcher Trevor Brown. Trevor made his Major League debut with the Giants in 2015. We discussed the Giants-Dodgers rivalry at all levels, his draft day, and special baseball moments he’ll always remember. Below is a transcript of this candid interview:
Q: Hi, Trevor. Thank you for talking with me today. Tonight, the River Cats are facing the L.A. Dodgers Triple-A affiliate, the Oklahoma City Dodgers. Can you elaborate on the rivalry between the two teams and if it also extends to the minor leagues?
A: Definitely. I think whenever we play the Dodgers, there’s a little bit more intensity from the players and the coaches, too. There’s a competitive increase in all of us. They want us to beat the Dodgers at every level, it’s not just in the big leagues.
Q: There’s also a personal side to the rivalry for you. You had your first major league home run against the Dodgers in 2016. What was that experience like for you?
A: I grew up in L.A., that’s where I’m from so it was a cool experience for me. Not that I necessarily wanted to be drafted by the Dodgers, but I followed them growing up, so it was a little bit ironic too. The home run also broke up a no hitter, and we ended up winning later in a walk-off.
Q: They just held the 2018 MLB Draft – tell me what draft day was like for you.
A: Draft day is very stressful. A lot of us have expectations, not necessarily who we want to be drafted by, but that’s our dream – to be drafted by a major league franchise. For me, it was a lot of watching and waiting. When you finally get your name called, it’s the coolest feeling. I remember calling my parents, and within 30 minutes they were at the store buying Giants gear!
I want to congratulate all the guys who got drafted – it’s a big accomplishment. Growing up, everyone’s dream is to play in the big leagues, and that next step is getting drafted. It’s a great day for everybody.
Q: You’ve recently returned from the disabled list – how are you feeling, and what are some of your goals for the remainder of the season?
A: Staying healthy is #1 for me. Last year and this year I’ve had some unfortunate luck with a few concussions and other things. My goal is to play the rest of this year injury free. I’m finally feeling comfortable again and like I can play at 100%. I want to continue getting better every day. I think I made a pretty good impression in spring training this year. Since I’ve been here (Sacramento) I’m showing the coaches I’m getting better every single day. It’s an uphill climb, and there are going to be peaks and valleys, but I just want to end on a good note.
*Thank you again to Trevor Brown for his time and cooperation.
Special thanks to AGHN Productions for helping to conduct this interview and providing photos used in this article.
Cheap Little Swing 