ASTROLINE | Ethan Katz & Steve Sparks

ASTROLINE | Ethan Katz & Steve Sparks

Welcome back. This is Steve Sparks and I’m with Ethan Katz, the Astros new assistant pitching coach. And you’re listening to Astroine. And Ethan’s been the main pitching coach for the Chicago White Socks for the last five years. Has worked with a couple of other organizations as well. 42 years old. Ethan, uh onto the the next journey in your baseball life. Welcome to Houston. Thank you. Excited uh excited to be here. What was the uh interview process like? It sounds like that they had a lot of candidates and uh you you came out on top, but what was it like? Um it actually was like out of all the processes that I went through, this was one of the one of the ones I really liked. Um you know, I flew out to Houston. Um I got to meet everybody. Um so it was, you know, when you do the Zoom thing, you you get to know a little bit, but you know, you just when you get to meet somebody face to face, it’s always a little bit better. So, you know, I talked to I think like eight panels. Um, so there’s like I met everybody. Um, and I got a chance to speak to everybody. Um, and I really enjoyed every conversation I had. Um, Joe was amazing through the process. So was Josh and so was Dana. Um, those were some of like the the most time was spent with them. Um, but it was great. I really enjoyed it. Um, I was, you know, when I when I got on the plane, I told my wife I was like this, you know, I didn’t know anybody from Houston. Um, really. Um the only person that I happened to know was Bennett Souza just because I had coached him. Um and de Santos and so it was like okay I don’t really know anybody here. This is a new beginning. Um but I left there feeling like I really jelled well with everybody and I really enjoyed all the conversations and I was I told my wife I was like this is somewhere I could I definitely see myself being very happy at. Seems like the Astros have had a a great infrastructure as far as their pitching goes, not only at the major league level, but even with player development. Uh it feels like they just get guys better. Bill Murphy is who you’re replacing uh out in the bullpen. And I think he was probably part of the analytical side mostly at the major league level. As a former player yourself, how did you get so in tune with the analytical side of baseball? Um, it just was something that it was like when I when I was with the Mariners, it was kind of they challenged us. They kind of like this is where we’re going. This is the direction. And kind of challenged us to kind of, you know, get on board and learn this stuff. And it was like, okay, I I I love what I do. I want to be good at it. So, um, I I spent a lot of time going upstairs, um, like, you know, talking to a lot a lot of analysts just trying to like understand, okay, what is this? What is that? Um, and then obviously the game has just grown. That was like 2017 16, you know, it was like a while ago. Um, so and it’s continued to grown and I just continue to try to learn as much as possible because I know um, you know, players take information from every which way. So like, you know, whatever conversation um, we need to have, I want to make sure I’m I’m well verssed to be able to have that conversation and connect with the player. As a former player, are you like me and like the more you learn, the more you wish you knew when you were playing? A thousand%. I feel so short changed in my career. Um I wish I could have uh maybe coached myself and just like seen a different lens. Um but you know it it’s it’s amazing how much the game has evolved and I mean I I got done playing I think 09 and and you know here we are now and and it’s changed so much. It’s changed a lot. I mean, you’ve been the the pitching coach for the White Sox the last five years and even probably in 2021. You’re probably going, “Man, that sounds antiquated at this point.” Every year, I mean, we’re learning more and more. Uh, but one thing that we we do kind of know is that strikeouts play very well at the big league level. It takes a lot of lot of chance out of the equation. But also, it seems like for bullpens that when you give another team different looks and you have enough guys that can match up differently, that usually plays better than than not. If you got a lot of guys that are throwing from different arm angles with different stuff, what do you think about that? A thousand%. like um you know obviously I was in the um the central and you had teams like Cleveland um you know Kansas City, Detroit, these were heavy platoon teams that would like really match up and try to exploit bullpens. Um so like being able to have a wide variation and trying to get guys in good matchups. You know, you’re not going to win every matchup, but you want to try to win two out of three when you put a guy in. um it’s very hard to get three out of three, but knowing that there’s going to be a lot of movement um on the other side coming from the bench um based on where you are in the lineup um it’s super important to have different variations, different looks because you have the same guy and they’re they’re ready for it. They’re ready to combat that. So, it really it it really helps having a wide variety of arm angles, different pitch types, um just to be able to try to help guys put them in the best pockets possible. One of the things that we love to to talk about, Ethan, whenever you’d go out to the mound for a mound visit with the White Socks was your background as far as who you coached in high school. Uh do you mind ex sharing that uh experience and what that was like with uh kind of a star-studded cast in high school? Um, yeah. I mean, it was obviously in the moment I had no idea that there was going to be three first rounders, all stars, World Series champions, ginormous contracts. Like, I had no idea that I was going to be a part of the equation, let alone first rounders. I just knew they were very talented. Um, I just got done playing, so I knew what like a professional player looked like, but I also knew the hurdles from a high school kid going into pro ball. A lot of them do fail. Um, and but the one thing I did know was all three were mature beyond their years. Um, and if given the opportunity, I knew they would flourish. Um, you know, how what they would make, you know, what kind of careers they would have, I had no idea. Um, I I was just living in the moment trying to help them, enjoying it. Um, you know, each one their journey was completely different. um in the sense that like Lucas was a very talented arm, needed a ton of um support and help along the way to kind of maximize his talents. That’s Lucas Gileo. Yeah, Lucas Gileio. Um Jack Flity was a guy that, you know, he was a very good strikethrower. The VO, he was still like everyone thought he was going to be a shortstop first. Um and I always thought he was going to be a pitcher. Um, and I was reminded of him on a daily basis. And, you know, he he developed his slider in high school that he now is like one of his key pitches in um, in pro ball. And then Max, you know, was a really gifted left-handed arm that could run it up. Max Freed. Um and uh you know that that VO and that curveball um you know was overpowering um hitters in high school and I thought it was you know he had a a huge talent, a huge future. But like I said, I had no idea. There’s so many variables for for guys especially pitchers um going into pro ball, their journey and how they’re going to go, health, all that kind of stuff. You never know. Um what was your advice to them? What was your advice? I mean, it’s a great point is like them having a guy who just went through that. You just played several seasons in the minor leagues. What did you tell them? Yeah, I just tried to like I was able to kind of see um further for them, I guess you can say, and what they need obviously helping them in in the moment to be in high school. Like Lucas Gileo had a big- time curveball in high school that overmatched hitters. Um but I thought there needed to be more to it. Um, same thing with Jack. Jack had a really like kind of slower curveball and change up, but I felt like there needed to be a wipeout pitch was the slider. So, I was able to kind of knowing my experience and kind of seeing what I don’t I kind of could see the future of what might be needed and added. Um, which is my biggest thing is like development, right? And I didn’t understand um I just wanted to help them and I didn’t realize I was helping their development in a in a further state than currently in high school. Um, so it was, you know, they did a lot of hard work. They, you know, they did everything. I just was like a little little piece of the puzzle that tried to help them along the way. During the the season, the major league season, once the season starts, after spring training, in my experience, the the main pitching coach, who would be Josh Miller, typically deals mostly with the starters, and I always felt like the bullpin coach dealt mostly with the relievers. So, it’s going to be a little bit different for you uh coming off the last five years dealing with mostly starters with Chicago. What’s going to be the difference for you on a daily routine? Um I don’t know just yet. Um because I want to help support Josh in any way possible, whatever that may be. So, it’s kind of like figuring out what what where does he need um you know certain areas addressed or help with. Um that that’s priority number one. But typically, that’s kind of how it’s been. And like where I was with the White Sox, I spent a lot of time with the starters and their bullpen coach spent a lot of time with the relievers and I would assist with the relievers as well. Um so I just got to figure out what he needs and what he likes and what he wants. Um we haven’t had those conversations right now because I’m just trying to get to know everybody in the organization. Um but um I that’s typically how it’s been, but like I you know I want to be able to um you know fulfill whatever needs he needs and whatever the organization sees important that I need to step in and do. One of the biggest probably chores is to develop relationships with a lot of these players so you can kind of manage their workloads I would imagine. Yeah, for sure. Like that’s like um you know getting on the horn with all these guys, introducing myself, getting to know them. Um that’s important. Start to build those relationships. That’s something that I feel like I’m over my career if you know you ask around a league and stuff like that um you know a lot of the pitchers I’ve would probably say I have a very good rapport with all of them. And that’s step number one for me because I don’t want to, you know, I want to get to know them and see how I can help them. You man or Yeah. You you were the coach for Lucas Gelo in high school and also at the big league level with the White Sox. I think it was 18 to 19. One of the biggest transformations or at least upticks in performance that we’ve seen in the last 10 years or so is his seasons from 18 to 19 I believe when he was an all-star. But there was an obvious mechanical change that he made. Can you talk about that a little bit? Yeah, I mean he was, you know, so every offseason, um, Max Freed, Jack Flity, Luke, we always got together in Los Angeles and we would work out, um, and try to prepare them for their upcoming seasons. And, you know, 18 finished, it was a very hard year on Lucas. Um, and he pretty much said to me like, let let’s go to work. We got to like, what do you got for me? let’s change this up. I I I need to do something more. You know, he was getting worried about not just like being a bigger, but actually staying. And yeah, you know, it literally was like, okay, this is what I’m seeing. Let’s um gave him a plow ball. I said, “Throw it.” And he was like, “That didn’t feel too good.” And that’s like that’s my point. Like you’re just not consistent right now. So um that started like the transformation. Then we did some lower half stuff um to kind of help him along the way. And then like you know as the time went on in the offseason he was throwing bullpens and it was just like wow this is like the deception’s off the charts the balls flying out of his hand in a different way that nobody had really seen it to me like in layman’s term like he had just shortened his his stroke once he took the ball out of the glove he just shortened things up big time right yeah and that just cap that just happened organically like the the plan wasn’t necessarily to like put the arm in a better position Was it supposed to be that short or how like No, it wasn’t kind of like the the steps were like kind of let’s try to get you in a better spot. The arm did need to shorten up. Was it the was it the plan to be that short? Not really. Um and you know it just kind of he felt really good with it. You know, I had him throw the football around kind of acting like a quarterback um to kind of really understand getting on time a little bit more with some other drills. And it just kind of really, you know, he’s like, man, this feels really good. And not only that, the deception, like that’s one thing that like a lot of guys won’t um talk a lot about, but the deception was off the charts because you could no longer see the baseball. So, it was just exploding out of his hand um in a different way that it had been in the past where guys could track it um behind him um and the VO was down a little bit. So, it just kind of really maximized um his overall stuff and performance. That’s the thing I love. I mean, I don’t think people talk about for a hitter being able to track a baseball behind their midline if you take the ball out of the glove and you can see it behind you. I mean, it’s just easier to get in a a rhythm as far as your timing goes for a hitter, but just taking it out barely and keeping it behind his body the whole time. It seems like it comes from nothing. How do you develop different ways uh for pitchers to increase their uh deception? Um, well, it’s just kind of like, you know, seeing what’s going on, right? Like there’s always like some clues that’s going off. There needs to be a change. Um, and the big league level will really expose that to certain guys. You can get away with a little bit more in in the minor leagues. So, um, you know, it’s one thing that you can add deception, whether it’s like the front side getting a little bit higher, maybe the arm swing gets a little bit tighter. Um, it it does add some added bonus to what they can do. Um, so it’s just trying to find ways, but making sure they’re comfortable, right, and they’re consistent and being able to repeat things. But adding some deception goes a long way. Um, and it makes the Arsenal play a lot better, too. Hey, Ethan, one of the things you got to do, and I know that you were the the coach for a lot of stars and some studs with Gilo and Carlos Roodon and Dylan CE and Martine Perez, those guys. You’re going to be around Josh her, Brian Abra, these guys. is the idea is just to kind of observe and develop some relationships before you kind of earn that trust. Yeah, definitely. I want to be able to kind of get to know them. Um they’ve been very successful. I want to see how they go about their business. And then, you know, once we build that relationship, try to understand um what they like to hear, stuff they like to do, um and kind of learn and especially, you know, pick Josh’s brain because he’s been around them. Um and kind of understand what he’s done with them and and just so I can kind of continue that support along the way. Um so it it it’s definitely let’s build a relationship, let’s get to know one another. Um and then do what I can to kind of help support along the way. Talking with Ethan Katz, the Astros new assistant pitching coach. Ethan, how did you get here? I mean, we know about your major league resume, but growing up in California, when did you start loving baseball? And what were your parents like? And, uh, take us through those steps. Yeah, I mean, I I basketball was first. Um, you know, my mom I didn’t have a father. My mom did everything. Um, she uh got me every where I needed to be for every single game. Um, and she’s been she never missed a game until I got into Pro Bowl. So, she she was a big supporter of mine. But I I I loved basketball. Um I loved the Clippers. Um and I I grew up uh um loving basketball, liking baseball, and then I just was more talented in baseball. So, at high school, I was kind of make a decision, play varsity baseball as a freshman or continue to play basketball. And I opted I thought I liked the sound of playing varsity baseball as a freshman. um because the sports kind of ran into each other. Uh so I I I I chose baseball and the rest was history. Um and I, you know, back in the day there was a draft and follow process. So I got drafted at a high school. Um and then I did the junior college route for a couple years and then I went to Sacramento State for two years and then got into Pro Bowl. So, um, little bit of everything, but you know, I was born and raised in LA and and that’s kind of, you know, I’m in Chicago now, but, you know, spent 37 years in LA. So, um, yeah, that’s where me and my family started off. You remember that moment when when you thought, “All right, I might be able to play this professionally.” It was, you know, it was always a goal. Um, to be able to to play pro ball. Um, and in high school, in college, it was like that was always, while other guys were like enjoying, uh, doing certain things, in college, I was just focused on my next start and trying to be as good as possible to be able to maximize my talent. I knew the window was closing. There’s small opportunities. And then when I got into Pro Bowl, you know, I was a 26 round draft pick, but I still believed I had a chance. And then when I went to independent ball after I got released, like when you’re in it, you always believe you have a chance. Um so, and if you don’t, then you shouldn’t be doing it. So, it kind of um stepping away like my heart started to drift a little bit and more into coaching and that’s why I chose coaching. But like um I was always always locked in on the um being a a professional player. What’s the main thing that you know now since you’ve been coaching that you wish you would have known when you were playing? Um I wasn’t good enough. I know there’s pieces of equipment like the slow camera for me. I I wish I I would have access to that. So, do you know anything that like you wish you would have changed your arm angle or anything like that? I wish there was more information that we have we’re privy to today. I would love to know how my fast ball played. I was a big slider guy. I would have loved to know like what my slider metrics were and kind of just to be able to dig into it. Like there wasn’t, you know, back then I talk like this is so long ago. I got done playing in ’09. But like, you know, very rarely were were things recorded or anything like that. Like every minor league game you can watch on TV now. um that wasn’t the case. Um so I just love to see myself move down the mound and what kind I mean I have pictures. Um I really have never really seen myself throw. I’m curious to see what it look like. I’m curious to know um what kind of data points I would I would have um and what direction I would go. Like there’s so many things that I’m curious about that just weren’t there. Yeah. Well, it’s Ethan Catz. I mean, uh, I I feel like the Astros is really lucky to have you. So, uh, I I know we’re going to get to know you a lot better, uh, as the year goes along. Uh, but welcome to Houston and thanks for catching up with us. I’m very excited. Thank you. Looking forward to meeting all you guys in person and getting to build relationships. All right. Thanks, man. We’ll be back with more of Asheline right after this.

Tune in to another episode of Astroline featuring Ethan Katz and Steve Sparks. Hear about Ethan’s journey to being a coach, the impact of analytics, and his approach with his new role.