Wednesday,
March 10, 2010
Spring Training
Q&A:
Twins Pitching
Prospect Brad Tippett
Be sure to listen to Travis Aune and I discuss several Twins
topics on last
night’s Twins Podcast. We talked a lot about the Joe Nathan/Twins
Bullpen situation, spring stats, the Blackburn contract and much, much, much
more. There was a lot of great discussion in the chat room and the discussion
got quite lively, but it was
lot of fun!
The Twins signed Brad Tippett
out of Australia two months before his 18th birthday. He came to the
States and immediately dominated the rookie league levels. He began in the
bullpen, but he has been starting the past two years and done very well. He was
Beloit’s best and most consistent starter in 2009. He has incredible control,
and although he does not throw real hard, he knows how to pitch. Of all of the
Twins minor leaguers that I have chatted with in the last year or two, Tippett’s baseball IQ is as high as anyone, and he just
knows how to pitch. Now, he has the height to be able to get stronger and
potentially add more velocity which only would improve his prospect status. Tippett is a good guy, and today, he answers several of his
questions as he is preparing for a trip to the States for camp. (To see all
previous SethSpeaks.net Q&As, click here) (and
feel free to leave
questions or comments here)
…Let the Questions Begin!
SethSpeaks: Now that you’ve had a few months to look back and reflect,
what are your thoughts on your 2009 season?
Brad Tippett: Looking
back on last year’s season, I was happy with what I had done. I realized that I
don’t throw the ball as hard as I'd like, but I figured out what I needed to do
to get the job done.
SethSpeaks: What do you do when you’re not playing baseball or
working out in preparation for the upcoming season?
Brad Tippett: Luckily
its summer over the offseason and we're able go to the beach. As you know, Australians
really only live along the coast! And we don’t have to worry about getting
snowed in.
SethSpeaks: When did you start getting ready for the 2010 season, and
what was your routine?
Brad Tippett: Just
before Christmas I started throwing again, before that though I was working out
in the gym trying to gain some weight. Then around mid January I started
throwing a few innings for my local baseball club to get prepared for Spring
Training.
SethSpeaks: What are your
goals for the 2010 season? Where would you like to play, and are there any
statistics that you are looking to improve?
Brad
Tippett: Goals
- I'd like to stay strong (mentally and physically) throughout the whole
season. Last year, my last few starts were shaky, work on keeping my walks down
again and improve my secondary pitches.
SethSpeaks: What does spring training mean for you, and what are you
looking forward to this year?
Brad
Tippett: Repetitive
PFP and learning all the signs again, I usually forget them over the offseason!
But good to see all your team mates again and talk about the offseason. And
finally, Spring Training gets everyone ready for the season
SethSpeaks: What team did you grow up watching and cheering for?
Brad Tippett: The Braves,
because my older sister had a vacation in America and brought home Braves gear
because she went to one of their games!
SethSpeaks: What were your thoughts as you were considering signing
with the Twins?
Brad Tippett: I knew a
lot of other Australians that played for the Twins and knew they would help me
throughout my rookie years. And I was grateful to be given a chance to reach my
goal.
SethSpeaks: Best thing of career in baseball?
Brad Tippett: Being
able to do something you love every day. Living to work rather than working to
live!
SethSpeaks: Toughest thing of career in baseball?
Brad Tippett: Being so
far away from home, I find it hard to keep in contact with all the people I
want to. It’s not easy.
SethSpeaks: Funniest story in your minor league career?
Brad Tippett: Wouldn’t
be a good idea if I told you and you posted it on your website! The immaturity
in the clubhouse is the funniest.
SethSpeaks: What would it mean to make your big league debut?
Brad
Tippett: Years
of hard work have started to pay off, and releasing that you still have a long
way to go!
With that, “Thank you” to Brad Tippett for his time and responses to all the
questions. If you would like, you can e-mail
me, or feel free to leave
your comments here.