The life of a minor league pitching coach should come with an endless supply of sharpies and empty nametags.
In a world where success is measured by players leaving for greener pastures, it can be very taxing.
Yet once again, the RubberDucks are killing it.
Win Column:Bibee picks up first win as a Duck.
Thome Time:Jim Thome leaves former teammate, current RubberDucks manager congratulatory message on Opening Day.
As the Ducks continue their six-game series against the Southwest Division-leading Bowie Baysox, the Ducks have played 101 games.
In those 101 games, they’ve had 18 starters. Of those 18, only four have had more than 10 starts and just one has made 20 (Juan Hillman).
It’s just water off the back of pitching coach Owen Dew, who is quite used to seeing pitchers being promoted.
“I’ve gotten used to having new guys come in,” Dew said. “Honestly, I think our organization of getting guys ready, where it’s almost like that revolving door, isn’t too much of a revolving door. You’re not teaching guys new things to work on. It hasn’t been that difficult. The guys have responded well.”
The RubberDucks have used 33 pitchers to date and have had to deal with injuries to some big-name guys, such as Daniel Espino, who is still expected to return to Akron this season.
Add rehab starts by the likes of Shane Bieber, Aaron Civale and Zach Plesac as well as promotions and demotions and being organized is key.
“Our pitching coach in Lake County, Caleb Longshore, has done a nice job,” Dew said. “It’s his first year in the organization and first year in pro ball. The guys that have come up have been extremely prepared.
“The guys that have come down from Triple A, most of them have pitched at this level before, so they know what to expect. The Triple-A staff has done a nice job of explaining to them what they need to work on and the reason they’re coming down. It could be to get more innings or work on a certain pitch. The communication has been good this year. It’s made my job easier.”
Seeing success in the big leagues doesn’t hurt either.
Hunter Gaddis opened the season in Akron but got a spot start with the Guardians last week.
Of the pitchers who have thrown for Cleveland this season, 15 have been with the Ducks in the past five seasons or fewer.
That goes a long way when manager Rouglas Odor and Dew talk about the next steps in development.
“We tell them that all the time,” Dew said. “[Odor’s] first speech at the beginning of the year to both position players and pitchers is, ‘Hey, you don’t realize how close Double A is to the big leagues. You need to take care of your business here to make sure you contribute to the team.’
“Gaddis is a great example of a guy that at the beginning of the year, you don’t think he has a shot at the big leagues. Maybe he gets to Triple A, but with the type of season he was putting together, he got that opportunity. I think it makes guys realize they have to be ready and work on these things right now. There should be a sense of urgency. You use it to push guys to see they’re closer than they thought they were.”
Despite all the movement, the RubberDucks lead the Eastern League in strikeouts (1,046) and saves (31), second in opponents batting average (.214) and third in ERA (3.98).
“That says that we really draft well,” Dew said. “We know what works and we also develop players really well. Anytime you see your pitchers have that much success when you’ve seen so many guys come through your level it speaks to the type of players we have from a talent standpoint, from a stuff standpoint, but also our ability to maximize the potential of those players.”
Contact Brad Bournival at bbournival@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @bbournival.