Pitching in where necessary

 

 

Many Marlins have improved under pitching coach Wayne Rosenthal, but the struggling staff apparently needs him now more than ever.

 

By KEVIN BAXTER AND CLARK SPENCER

 

kbaxter@herald.com

 

 

During his playing days, Marlins pitching coach Wayne Rosenthal relied on guile and guts to overcome a lack of natural talent.

 

''I didn't have the blazing fastball. I didn't have the lights-out stuff,'' said Rosenthal, who pitched in more than 330 minor-league games and in parts of two major-league seasons with the Texas Rangers more than a decade ago. ``I had to be a smart pitcher. I had to learn how to get guys out. So my whole philosophy, or what I think about pitching, is a lot of mental stuff.''

 

That approach should serve him well this week because Rosenthal figures to be wracking his brain to solve the Marlins staff's recent collapse.

 

Through their first 10 games, Marlins pitchers led the majors with a 2.44 ERA while opponents were hitting a big-league-low .207 against them. But in their past 10 outings, they have gone 4-6 with a 6.16 ERA. The Atlanta Braves, Colorado Rockies and San Francisco Giants combined to hit .302 against them.

 

To make matters worse, the Marlins lost set-up man Chad Fox for at least a month Monday after an examination found inflammation in a nerve in his right forearm.

 

After surging to the best record in the majors two weeks into the season, Florida has slipped to 15-10, good enough to lead only one division -- the National League East, which, fortunately, is the only one that matters.

 

''We have to regroup,'' manager Jack McKeon said.

 

And the responsibility for making that happen will fall to Rosenthal, who got the Marlins pitchers to change gears once before.

 

When he was promoted from minor-league pitching coordinator after the dismissal of manager Jeff Torborg and pitching coach Brad Arnsberg a year ago, the Marlins were 21-29 with a 4.34 ERA. Under Rosenthal, they went 70-42 with a 3.95 ERA the rest of the way.

 

''The difference between a good pitcher and a bad pitcher is who makes the adjustments,'' Rosenthal said.

 

TIME OF TRANSITION

 

The past 12 months have been a period of adjustment for all the Marlins pitchers, beginning with the loss of Arnsberg, an extremely well-liked coach and close friend to many on the staff.

 

''He was fiery,'' said Josh Beckett, who has worked with three pitching coaches in the majors. ``He and I had the same mentality. I liked that.''

 

However, Rosenthal -- who Beckett says ''is cool, too'' -- has been more demanding. Florida went with a four-man rotation through much of the exhibition season in an effort to strengthen its pitchers. Rosenthal also has suggested minor mechanical changes to most starters' deliveries to allow them to shoulder a heavier workload.

 

For right-hander Carl Pavano, Rosenthal tried a number of things before finding a delivery that takes the strain off his arm and shoulder. As a result, Pavano -- who is 43-51 in his career -- has won five of his past six decisions, including postseason games, with a 3.08 ERA.

 

Rosenthal also suggested some refinements in Beckett's delivery that eased the pressure on his arm. The right-hander has gone 10 months without a stint on the disabled list, the longest he has gone without an injury in his big-league career.

 

But Rosenthal's biggest reclamation project has been left-hander Dontrelle Willis, who struggled with fatigue in the second half of last season. Rosenthal's solution was to slow Willis' quirky delivery and get him to focus on his target earlier.

 

After struggling with the changes during spring training, Willis didn't allow a run in his first three regular-season starts.

 

''He's huge with information,'' Willis said of Rosenthal. ``There are a lot of things he's helped me with. I could go on and on.''

 

NOT SO SMITTEN

 

Not everyone is as effusive with their praise, however. Asked how much of a pitcher's success should go to the coach and how much to the pitcher, right-hander Brad Penny answered, ``100 percent to the pitcher. About 0 percent to the coach.''

 

Still, Penny, who was especially close to Arnsberg, has thrived since Rosenthal came aboard, winning 17 of 27 decisions -- including two World Series starts.

 

''It's something I've got to go through,'' said Rosenthal, at 39 the youngest pitching coach in the majors. ``Last year, a couple of guys got mad at me, and in between their bullpen [training sessions] they wouldn't talk, wouldn't listen. Sooner or later, things are going to work out.

 

``I think some of them have more respect than others for me.''

 

But it's hard not to respect the results. Rosenthal is quick to salute his pitchers for that, though.

 

''Everybody knew Penny was good, Beckett was good,'' he said. ``The pool of talent was there. It was just a matter of when it was going to come out.''

imo i think he has done a hell of a job and he will fix the pitching problems...

Pavano for President