Jones Hopes New Voice As Pitching Coach Will Make Impact
How much difference can a change in pitching coaches really make?
Not a bit unless the pitchers do better.
And maybe that's what the firing of Rick Knapp will do to Detroit's pitchers, almost all of whom acknowledged if they had done better, Jeff Jones would still be the bullpen coach instead of the new pitching coach.
They expressed admiration for Knapp but said they needed to turn the page and move on.
Rick Porcello and Max Scherzer were cited as underperformers (although the bullpen had a collective ERA near 6.00, one of the worst in baseball) when Knapp was let go.
Porcello pitched well on Knapp's last day with the team, and Scherzer turned in a solid outing Thursday in the series opener at Kansas City.
Scherzer had been 3-3 with a 7.84 ERA in his previous eight starts before going 6 2/3 innings in a 3-1 Detroit win. He allowed six hits, didn't walk a batter and gave up just one run.
Jones says listening to a new voice may have a positive effect (which begs the question of what will happen when Jones' voice gets stale). He also says every pitcher is different and he won't be doing anything drastic.
But in the end, the effect of the transition to a new pitching coach might be the starters taking a look in the mirror, then deciding the onus is on them to do better once they get to the mound. Which is all the Tigers want anyway.
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