Skip to main content

PhoulBallz Interview: RHP Shackleford says goodbye to Reading

Stephen Shackleford, image- Jay Floyd
Righty reliever Stephen Shackleford set the single season saves record for the Double-A Reading Fightins this past season, when he notched 30 in 53 Eastern League appearances.  Following the 2015 campaign, the man known as "Shack" became a free agent and news of his signing with the Nationals was announced on Friday.

Via his twitter account, the 26-year-old fan favorite posted a nod to the city where he enjoyed his record setting season this year as well as the Phillies organization. 

I would like to thank the Phillies and the Fightin Phils for everything they did for me this past year.  I had an amazing experience in Baseballtown and it will always hold a special place in my heart.  I'm looking forward to the next step in my baseball journey and excited to be a part of the Nationals organization.  

Last week I spoke with Shackleford about his off-season routine, playing abroad this autumn following Reading's post-season run along with what other big life news might be happening with him.  Read ahead for that full interview.

 -You pitched this off-season with La Guaira in the Venezuelan Winter League.  Was that your first time playing internationally and what was that like for you?

This is my first time playing internationally and it was awesome.  The baseball was awesome over there.  There was 10-to-20 thousand people in the stands every night, chanting, screaming.  Everybody was in the game every pitch.  Everybody knew was was going on.  Every time there was two strikes on a batter, they'd be chanting.  There was a lot going on, but it was fun.

-Some guys, like yourself, will sign and go over there for just half, or a portion of, the season.  How does that work with contracts and the way players are signed?

When I originally signed I said that I wanted a fly-out date on the 22nd, because I didn't want- I wanted a set date to come home...so I could get home and get rested and start working toward next season. 

Everybody has days that they're supposed to fly in or fly out.  There's also other instances, which is like the ugly side of baseball, where some guys haven't done so hot and they release them and bring another guy in too. 

-With the off-season league and you talked about getting ready for next season already, I don't imagine there's a lot of down time for you, but do you take time completely off?  Also what is your routine like and how to you prepare for what is next?

Most of the time for myself, if I don't go to winter ball, I only spend a couple of weeks not touching a baseball.  Then I start doing some movement work and I start going through the motions, not throwing a ball, just going through the motions, making sure my arm's still going.  Then I start up when there's two-and-a-half, three months until I would get to spring training, I start up my velocity program.  It's a weighted program with heavy balls, lighter balls.  I've been doing that for six years. 

After winter ball, I took a week off and then I started some movement, keeping my arm going, then slowly started building up.  Then, I'll start throwing 100-percent next week.

-How do you find a throwing partner?  How do you pair up with somebody to get your work in?

I work at Legends Sports Academy.  It's in Louisville, Kentucky.  There's a couple other pro guys that are here.  It's a nice facility, it's pretty big.  But with the throwing program, you don't need a partner when you're doing it.  If you want to play catch afterward, there's a couple guys that are doing that with me that you can throw to once or twice a week. 

-You mentioned working there at Legends.  Are you coaching and doing clinics for younger players?

I'm helping to run one of the velocity classes, teaching kids how to do it.  There's a group of about 40 to 50 guys on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and around 30 guys on Monday, Wednesday, Friday.  And then I'm also doing some lessons on the side.

-What is the age range of the pitchers you're working with?

Around, anywhere from 10 years old till 18.  And then there's some college guys that come in.  One of the college guys actually works out with us here now. 

-Just from knowing you, I'd think that having that ability to help young players would be something that would be rewarding to you.  Is that a way you would describe how you feel about it?

Oh, definitely.  I like working with the younger kids.  I like helping them out.  I like trying to be- when I was a kid, I went to a facility and worked out with the pro guys when I was growing up and I feel like that made a huge impact on my life and I'm just trying to give back to them and that's what we all do here.

-Aside from baseball related activities, is there anything you're doing the off-season to keep busy?

Me and my lady are getting married in January.  It's just going to be a very small wedding and it's just basically me, her and our parents.  And then also I got approved for a home loan, so I might be looking to buy a house here soon.  So, that's pretty exciting.

-That is big news!  Congratulations on all that and thanks so much for your time.

Thank you.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Lidge Shaky, T-Mac Honored in Trenton

TRENTON, NJ- Brad Lidge made his second rehab appearance for the Double A Reading Phillies on Thursday night and it didn't go as well as the veteran reliever or the team had hoped. Lidge struggled with his command and turned in a rather poor outing for the club that entered the night in a playoff race, 1 game behind division rival Trenton for the Wild Card spot in the Eastern Division. On the disabled list since spring training with a strained right rotator cuff, Lidge experienced an elbow strain when he was working back from that issue in late May. In his outing against the Yankees affiliate in Trenton, Lidge displayed difficulty with his control as he threw three wild pitches, hit two batters, walked another and gave up a single, all while letting up two earned runs on 28 pitches in 2/3 of an inning. After the disappointing performance, Lidge was composed and focused on some positive aspects, having reached 89 and 90 MPH on scouts' radar guns, according to some reports. ...

Mike McGuire Living a Dream With Favorite Team

LAKEWOOD, NJ- Every young ballplayer grows up wishing he could play for his favorite team. Mike McGuire has an opportunity to do just that after signing with the Phillies organization in July. McGuire was a 43rd round draft pick taken by the Cleveland Indians in the 2008 amateur draft out of the University of Delaware. Early scouting reports liked McGuire's abilities, despite some arm trouble. He advanced as far as High A Level Kinston last season. While there, he posted an 0-3 record with a 5.46 ERA in 9 games, 8 of which were starts. The Indians weren't happy with McGuire's efforts this spring and released him. McGuire caught on with the Sussex Skyhawks of the independent Can-Am League, where he stayed in shape and pitched against other formerly affiliated minor leaguers. As a starter with the Skyhawks, McGuire went 3-4 with a 5.29 ERA in 8 outings. From there, just as all players in those independent leagues hope for, the 24-year-old McGuire got noticed. The Phillies wer...

Harry's Plaque Has Misprint

At the ballpark today for the first time since Harry Kalas was inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame on Friday, I noticed an error in the text on his plaque. Verbage on the plaque reads like this... Voice of Phillies baseball on radio and TV for 39 seasons. Teamed with Richie Ashburn from 1971 until 1997. Harry was on the air for all of Mike Schmidt's 548 home runs, five Phillies no-hitters, seven National League Championship Series, three World Series, the first and final games at Veterans Stadium and the Citizens Bank Park 2004 opener. Received the prestigious Ford C. Frick Award in 2002 for "Major Contributions to Baseball" and was inducted into the broadcasters' wing at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. His calls were legendary, especially his signature home run call, "Outta heeere." On October 29, 2008, he brought utmost joy to Phillies fans: "The 0-2 pitch, swing and miss , struck him out. The Philadelphia Phillies are 2008 Worl...