Job security can be difficult to attain in professional
baseball given the ever-changing landscape. However, relief pitchers that prove
they can consistently produce out of the bullpen are all but guaranteed to
steer clear of the unemployment line. A perfect example of that is right-handed
pitcher Jim
Mecir, who enjoyed an 11-year major league career as one of the steadiest
performers in his line of work.
Mecir was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the third round
of the 1991 draft out of Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida. He began
his career as a starter and found moderate results in his first three minor
league seasons but didn’t emerge as a top prospect. However, prior to the 1994
season, he was converted to the bullpen and never started another game again
(not counting rehab games).
After successful seasons in Double-A and Triple-A, he was
brought up to the Mariners at the end of the 1995 season. His debut came
against the New York Yankees in a mop-up effort, and he acquitted himself well,
throwing 3.2 innings without giving up an earned run. To top it off, he also
struck out veteran hitters Tony
Fernandez and Paul O’Neill.
Despite his promising start, Mecir was included in a trade
with first baseman Tino
Martinez that sent them to the Yankees. Over the next two years, he posted
an ERA over 5.00 but found his footing upon joining the Tampa Bay Rays in 1998.
He went on to also pitch for the Oakland A’s (where he had his greatest
success) and the Florida Marlins before retiring after the 2005 season. In 474
career games, he was 29-35 with a 3.77 ERA and 12 saves. Known for his
screwball, he struck out 450 batters in 527 innings, while allowing just 482
hits.
Now a professional speaker, Mecir has found just as much
success away from the game as he did on a baseball diamond. Keep reading to
hear what he had to say about his career as one of the most dependable relief
pitchers over the better part of a decade.
Jim Mecir Interview
Who was your favorite
team and player growing up, and why?: I grew up on Long Island, New York in
the 1970’s and 1980’s. I liked both New
York teams but my favorite was the Yankees.
My favorite player was Don Mattingly.
He was not only a great player but seemed like a great person too. He was a team leader who set the example for
the rest of the team. He didn’t showboat
or show up other players.
Please share a little
bit about your draft experience in 1991.: It was a tough year for me. I kept hearing whispers that I could be
drafted around the fifth round. It was a
surprise to me since I played Division Two baseball. I didn’t think they would draft me that
high. I hurt my forearm in the middle of
the year and I stopped hearing my name mentioned. I made a comeback and pitched my last three
starts. The last game was phenomenal and
I convinced the scouts I was no longer injured.
I received a call from the Seattle Mariners that I was selected in the third
round of the draft. I was unbelievably
excited and nervous at the same time. It
was the first time that I really believed I had a chance to play major league baseball.
You were drafted as a
starter but made into a reliever—which got you to the majors. Were you initially disappointed in being made
to change roles?: I wanted to become a reliever. I injured my arm in 1991 and didn’t recover
until spring training, 1994. I realized
that my unorthodox mechanics, because of my club foot, were detrimental to the
health of my shoulder. I found that
pitching more games, but with less innings, allowed me to stay healthy.
What pitches did you
throw, and which was your best?: I threw a fastball, screwball and
cutter. The fastball is every pitchers
best pitch. I wasn’t overpowering but
had good movement. I tried to keep the
ball on the ground. The screwball was my
go-to pitch. It was the only pitch I had
that I could get the hitter to miss. It
is a rare pitch, so hitters didn’t get a chance to practice against it, which
made it more effective than other pitches.
I threw my cutter sparingly; it was more for show.
The first major
league hitter you ever faced was Paul O’Neill in 1995. What do you remember about that encounter?:
I remember walking on the field and thinking it was a dream. My mom was going to wake me up any second and
tell me I had to go to school. As soon
as I believed it was real, Bob Sheppard (Yankees PA) announced my name and I
wasn’t sure again if it was a dream. I
couldn’t believe that I stood on the mound In Yankee Stadium. I dreamt of that moment my whole life. I retired Paul O’Neill and pitched the
longest outing of my big league career without giving up an earned run. I also held Don Mattingly hitless in two at
bats.
What is your favorite
moment from your career?: My major league debut against the Yankees in
Yankee Stadium.
Who was your favorite
coach or manager, and why?: I have great respect for all my managers and
coaches but my favorite coach was my college pitching coach, Rich Folkers. He molded me into the pitcher I needed to be
to succeed in the big leagues. He taught
me the screwball. He was a coach you
respected but also wanted to hang around.
You played for the
Oakland Athletics during the height of Moneyball. At the time, did playing on those teams feel
much different?: No it didn’t. I
tried not to get too caught up in media business. We were a great team that had three stud
starting pitchers for a couple of years. Any team that has that always has a chance to
win.
If there is something
about your career you could go back and change what would that be?: I wish
that I could have had better emotional control earlier in my career. I developed it during the second half of my
career but physically I wasn’t the same pitcher because of knee injuries. Controlling the negative voice in my head
would have led to more success early on.
It took a long time to realize that my biggest enemy was me.
Now that you are done
playing, what are you up to?: I am a professional speaker that talks about
overcoming adversity. I also work with
Ellen Schnur. She is a trained
improvisationalist for ImprovTalk. We utilize the tools from improv and
reinforce those lessons with stories from the mound to teach communication and
teamwork skills to corporations. It is a
fun and interactive way to educate.
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You can check me out on Facebook or follow me on Twitter @historianandrew
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