FS Interview: Lucas Harrell, RHP, Birmingham Baron's

[Chisoxfn]

FS Interivew: Lucas Harrell, RHP, Birmingham Barons

Interview Conducted by Evan Solon

FutureSox.com

 

Lucas Harrell, 20, has emerged as one of the Sox top pitching prospects. His success with the Warthogs this season led to a recent promotion to Birmingham. With the Hogs, Harrell went 7-2 with a 2.45 ERA in 17 starts. What's even more impressive is the 58 hits allowed in 91.2 innings of work.

 

Harrell made his Baron's debut just hours after completing this interview:

 

Bold: Evan Solon

Normal: Lucas Harrell

 

First off, how does it feel to be called up to Birmingham?

 

It’s really nice, you know. I’m working on a lot of new things this year and I feel like my progress has gotten a lot better. I did well at the low A level, and now I’m hoping to do well at the AA level. I was really excited.

 

How come you picked a start day to do this interview rather than one of your off days?

 

Well, on my start day I don’t have to be at the stadium until two hours before the game. Our game is at seven o’clock tonight, so I have to be there at five. I just have this little down time, where I just don’t think about anything. It’s when I get to the field when I start putting on my game [face].

 

Early in your professional career you had struggled with your command and you talked about how it could be attributed to trying to overpower professional hitters. Talk about the progress you've made with your command and where you currently see yourself "command" wise?

 

The command in my movement, I throw a two-seam fastball, and early in my career I threw it hard; actually, a little bit harder than I do now. But, I couldn’t control the movement. And then I learned that with a little bit off I can still throw 92-93 (MPH), but I can control, and with that pitch, being able to control that, that’s really helped me just with my other pitches. I mean, my change-up was always good, but in high school I didn’t throw it enough because it helped hitters out. At this level, that’s my second pitch. And then my slider is still a pitch I really need to work on a lot. It’s either there or it’s not. Maybe some days I’ll throw two good ones in a game when I need to throw eight or nine [good ones]. Some days I can throw nine or ten good ones, and maybe one or two bad ones, so I need to get more consistent with my slider. And, I mean, I can always improve my fastball command and my change-up command, but those are two of my better ones.

 

Was there anyone in particular that has helped you with your command? Maybe a pitcher coach or instructor?

 

Yeah. Last year when I was in Kannapolis, I got with J.R. Perdew in spring training and that’s when we tweaked my mechanics a little bit, to change a few little things, and I noticed my command getting better. And then there were some things that he taught me, like how to work hitters, how hitters set you up, how you can set hitters up, and to work to your strengths, keep it simple, and don’t try to do too much. He’s really helped me in my development.

 

What is your plan on the mound? How do you go about attacking the hitter?

 

It depends. There are a couple guys where you see their teams a lot, so the hitters make adjustments, and you have to make adjustments also because if you don’t, they’ll start to hit you. You have to be able to recognize what their strengths are and what are each hitter’s weaknesses, and try to exploit that. Therefore, you do pitch to some different than you do others. I mean, with lefties, I’m going to attack more with my fastball, change, and with righties, I’m going to attack more with my fastball, slider, but I will mix in a change-up away to the righties also.

 

How would you describe your arm angle during your delivery? Is it overhand, ¾, sidearm?

 

I guess it’s kind of three-quarters, maybe a little bit below.

 

What pitches do you throw? Also, are you working on anything new?

 

Right now, I’m not working on anything new. I’m just trying to keep the ones I have good. But, I throw a four-seam fastball, a two-seam fastball, a slider, well, it’s kind of a slider-curve or slurve, and a change.

 

What would you consider your strikeout pitch?

 

It would probably be my circle-change. Actually, I’m a right-handed pitcher, but I think I match up better against left-handed hitters.

 

Do you think your groundball tendencies will put you above other SP prospects in the system, considering U.S Cell is a big HR Park?

 

I would hope so, but, yeah, U.S. Cellular Field is definitely a field where the ball flies out, so you want to be a good groundball pitcher. I have a lot of natural downward movement to my change-up and my fastball, so that’s helped me get a lot of groundballs, and hopefully that puts me ahead of some other prospects because I do get a lot of groundballs. But, I’m still young, and I know it’s a work in progress.

 

Do you think getting a chance to pitch with some top Sox pitching prospects like Lance Broadway and Tyler Lumsden will help you in your development?

 

Yeah, no doubt. I actually watched Lance throw last night, I was in the dugout, and I just picked up a couple little things he does; he attacks hitters. But, I mean, I think you can learn something from everybody, even the guys that are younger you, even though (laughs) I’m the youngest one on this team, now. And Tyler Lumsden is a good pitcher, smart. And another one is Corwin Malone. He’s an older veteran guy, so if you just sit and listen, you can learn something from everybody.

 

What teammate of yours has impressed you the most this year?

 

It might sound funny, but I’m going to say Chris Kelly. He was our first baseman in Winston, and he hits the ball well. He’s probably hitting .270, .280; probably has about 15 homeruns. I think was leading the league in RBI’s, too, with about 60-something. But, he’ll have a bad at-bat, and some guys will come in there saying “f-this, f-that,” and he’ll come in there, set his helmet down, and he might even smile because he knows that there’s going to be another at-bat, don’t get so pissed off that it ruins the rest of your game. He doesn’t take his at-bat to the field. He is the best fielding first baseman that I’ve ever played with, and he’s just very professional, and does what it takes to get the job done. If you need a hit in a clutch situation, he’s the guy that going to get your hit.

 

What are some things you need to improve in the future to make the majors?

 

Consistency and also my mental side of the game. From last year to this year, I know a heck of a lot more, and you have to recognize when guys make adjustments to you. I think those things, and you’ve got to be able to get out left-handed hitters. I know when Lance Broadway was pitching last night, he was ahead of hitters, and you have to be ahead of hitters because when you fall behind, you get hit. So, the mental side of the game, staying ahead [in the count], and throwing pitches for strikes at any time are the main things.

 

Primarily, you’ve pitched as a starter in the minors? Have you ever pitched in the relief role, and if so, is that something someone in the organization has ever approached you about doing?

 

No one has ever approached me about doing it, at least not to my face. When I first got drafted in ‘04, I was sent to Bristol, and I actually started out there throwing two or three relief appearances, and I struggled. But then shortly after my last relief effort, they moved me to starter, and I’ve started ever since.

 

Growing up as a kid, who was the player you tried to emulate? Are there any players currently in the majors that you model yourself after?

 

Well, if you look at my high school draft video, I look almost exactly like Nolan Ryan. That’s who I wanted to throw like. I didn’t quite throw as hard, but actually, I threw harder in high school than I do now. But, Nolan Ryan is a guy I really look up to. He took care of business the way it was supposed to be done, and he had a long career. Greg Maddux is another guy I really look up to.

 

If you had to chose, who is the one person that has helped you throughout your baseball career the most and why?

 

My dad. I always had an interest in baseball since I was four or five years old, and he didn’t really push the game on to me like some parents do. Every time I wanted to do something, he’d put the tools in front of me so I could do it. Like, we had a batting cage in our back yard. He spent money he didn’t have to, for me to do stuff, do trips, and they really put a lot of time and effort and love into it.

 

Best baseball memory?

 

I have two. In high school, my senior year we won the state championship and that was a great feeling. Obviously, I want to win a World Series one of these days, but I mean, I beat Blake DeWitt, who was a first round draft pick of the Dodgers that year and I hit a homerun off of him, and then the next day we won the state championship. That was a pretty good feeling. And then last year, when we won the South Atlantic League in Kannapolis, that was a pretty good feeling. We worked hard all year. We didn’t play well in the first half, but we played really well as a team and did the little things to get the job done. It was pretty awesome.

 

Do you have a nickname? If so, how did it come about?

 

They haven’t really given me one. They call me “Ducas” sometimes, but besides that, they haven’t really given me one. Since I’m the youngest one, they give me the most crap. I was the youngest one in rookie ball, then in Kannapolis, and then this year in Winston-Salem and Birmingham. I’ll probably get one here. I’ve only been here a few days, so the older guys will probably give me one.

 

Who's the toughest minor league hitter you've had to face this season?

 

There are two, and they both play for Myrtle Beach. Michael Rosamond, who’s actually in Mississippi now, is a left-handed hitter, well-balanced, and he doesn’t swing at stuff out of the zone. He’s got a good eye. And then, when you get ahead of the count, he’ll foul of five or six pitches to make you throw eight or nine pitches to him. He’s always a tough at-bat. And then another guy who’s in Mississippi now is Brandon Jones. Same kind of guy [as Rosamond]. He’s a left-handed hitter with power, and if you make a mistake, he’ll hit it out of the ballpark.

 

Is there any one song or CD that you listen to before you pitch to get you pumped up for the game?

 

There’s not a particular song. I just listen to some hard rock or rap, whatever I’m in the mood for that day. Just something so I can sit there and think about the game, but at the same time, get pumped up.

 

Favorite Baseball Team growing up?

American League: Royals

National League: Braves

 

Favorite Movie: Braveheart

Favorite Food: Chinese Food

 

Lastly, what’s the best prank you’ve pulled on a teammate or seen pulled?

 

When I was in the instructional league, I got a prank pulled on me. They almost pulled it off, but I was sick and I didn’t feel good. It was early in the morning and I had fallen asleep in my locker. So, they turned the clock to where it said 9:45, when we were supposed to be stretching. Then Snyder comes in and starts yelling, but I had my cell phone in my hand. Anyway, he starts yelling “What are doing!” And everybody is out in the hallway, listening. I didn’t look at the clock on the wall, though, because if I would have, I wouldn’t have known, but for some reason, I looked at my phone and saw what time it was. So, I was just like “What’s going on?” All the guys say that they got me because I did jump up at first because I was kind of startled. And they were all laughing. It was kind of funny.

 

FutureSox.com would like to thank Lucas Harrell for the interview and we wish him continued success.

[Felix]

Good interview, although I'm very disappointed you didn't ask if he believed in the Rally Crede

[Chisoxfn]

Great Stuff Evan, Harrell is emerging as one of our top prospects and my guess is in the next day or two Wes Whisler will be joining Russell and Harrell in AA (now that Lummy has been moved).

 

I'm also expecting McCulloch to be promoted to Low A where he will replace Cortes in the rotation.