Prospect Q&A: Tommy Hanson
http://tinyurl.com/c29ye6
Grant Paulsen catches up with a prospect every week on "Minors and Majors," a
weekly baseball talk show on Sirius XM Radio. The show also frequently
features Baseball America writers and editors. Now you can read excerpts from
these interviews here at BaseballAmerica.com, in case you can't tune in each
Saturday at 8 a.m. Eastern on Sirius channel 210 and XM channel 175.
This installment features righthander Tommy Hanson, the top prospect in the
Braves organization. Hanson dominated at two levels in the Braves system last
year, leading the minors with a .175 opponent average, then won the pitching
triple crown in the Arizona Fall League by going 5-0, 0.63 with 49 strikeouts
in 29 innings. He also became the first pitcher to win the Arizona Fall
League Player of the Year award.
Grant Paulsen: Your offseason is almost over. How did it go, and are you
ready to go back?
Tommy Hanson: It's been going good. I'm just trying to relax a little bit
right now. It was a little shorter this time around because I played out in
Arizona for the fall league. I took a couple of weeks off from throwing and
then I started trying to get back into shape. Then I was working out and
throwing and tried to get my body going again."
Paulsen: Did playing fall baseball help or hurt how your arm felt when you
started throwing?
Hanson: This time around I had a shorter period to throw and get ready. The
first couple times I went out to throw, my arm felt like I didn't take any
time off. In past offseasons I would go out and throw and it felt like I
never threw a baseball before. It was just a long time off and my arm just
felt really weird. But once I get home now I just take a couple of weeks off
and then it's back to the gym to try to stay in shape and get in better
shape. Once the holidays roll around it's time to start throwing and getting
ready for spring training again.
Paulsen: Tell me more about the workouts and throwing sessions you're talking
about
Hanson: Right now I've been working in some bullpen and some side sessions
like every other day. I take two days off in between sometimes depending on
how my arm feels. I'm just trying to get off the mound, you know. When I'm at
home it's a lot more long toss and playing catch, but once I got out here (in
Atlanta) it's more throwing to catchers and getting off the mound. As far as
workout stuff goes, it's just a lot of sprints and your basic weight training
and your shoulder maintenance program and all that stuff that helps you try
to stay strong.
Paulsen: What will we notice that's different about Tommy Hanson come day one
of spring training?
Hanson: I just feel like I'm ready to go. I'm very, very eager to get going.
I'm excited to face big league hitters and to be around all the big leaguers
in camp. I'm just very excited to get going. As far as pitching stuff goes,
I've been working on my changeup a lot in the fall league and in the
offseason. I think I've come a long way with that. That's probably the
biggest difference with me. Just trying to throw it more and get a better
feel for it. I think I'm coming along in that area. Other than that it's
going to be same thing I've always tried to do. I'm going to attack the
hitters and go after them with my best stuff.
Paulsen: You went 5-0 with a 0.63 ERA out in Arizona. Did people forget to
tell you that the AFL is a hitter-friendly league?
Hanson: (Laughs) That's what everybody said going out there. That the ground
is real hard so the ground balls will get through a little easier, and the
air is thinner so the ball will carry and all that. When it comes down to it,
that's the last thing on your mind when you are facing hitters. The Braves
told me to go out there and work on my changeup and throw it a lot more. I
was trying to balance that in, but at the same time be competitive and work
on everything else. I just wanted to go out there and compete and work on
some stuff. It was one of those things where everything felt good. I could
throw all my pitches when I needed them and that's pretty much what happened.
Paulsen: What were the Braves instructions as far as working on your changeup?
Hanson: They said they just wanted me to throw it more. During the season I
was throwing it, maybe, six to eight times a game. They wanted me to throw it
10 to 12 times. The just wanted me to focus on it even between starts and in
side sessions. They said that's the one area I'm lacking and I needed to get
that going a little bit. I felt like I did that. When I was out there I got a
lot more comfortable throwing it to hitters and I'm happy where it's at right
now.
Paulsen: Hitters always talk about seeing the ball bigger when they are
grooving. Did it seem like home plate was growing as you were working your
way through the AFL schedule?
Hanson: When I was out there I had Tyler Flowers catching me and he's a huge
guy. Whenever he was catching it felt like he was super close. It definitely
felt like the plate was closer. Basically it felt like I could do whatever I
wanted when I was out there. It was just one of those things where everything
was going good and having Tyler catch me every game, we were always on the
same page. Everything just kind of went together.
Paulsen: You were the talk of the league. (Giants righthander) Kevin Pucetas
said guys were calling you Jesus. How do you respond to that type of praise
from your peers?
Hanson: I just think it's funny. I don't see myself that way. I've got stuff
to work on and I still have a long ways to go. But to hear comments like
that, I just think that's cool . . . A lot of the guys were joking around and
telling me to 'take it easy, it's a hitter's league' or to slow down because
it's the end of the year. But I never heard the Jesus one (laughs). That's a
new one for me.
Paulsen: You threw a no-hitter last year (on June 25 for Double-A
Mississippi). You dominated the AFL. You have players calling you Jesus. What
are you most proud of from 2008?
Hanson: I just think the progression I made. Every time I go out I want to
get better. I want to learn. I want to pitch in the big leagues for a long
time. Pretty much everything I've done up to this point I'm proud of. I take
my job seriously. I want to do good and I want to go out and dominate when I
pitch. If I had to pick a couple things, the no-hitter is an obvious one.
That was an unbelievable time, probably the funnest time I've had pitching.
And then I'd say getting the MVP award out in Arizona, being the first one to
do that was pretty neat. I'd put those two right at the top of the list. But
I'm just proud of the steady progression. I just want to keep working hard
and keep going along this path.
Paulsen: For people not familiar with you, talk about the mentality and the
repertoire you use out on the mound.
Hanson: Basically I'm just a calm, laid-back guy, but once I go out on the
mound I get that competitiveness going and I get aggressive. I like to attack
hitters and go right at them with my stuff. I pitch off my fastball. I throw
my fastball a lot. Then I have my slider, my curveball and my changeup.
Basically all I try to do is go right after hitters and try to keep them off
balance as best I can. I like to get outs quick, but my favorite part about
pitching is striking someone out, hopefully by making them miss three times.
Paulsen: Is it difficult to keep yourself from falling in love with the
strikeout?
Hanson: You know, when I do get in trouble it's because I am pitching to
contact a little bit too much. I've always struck out a lot of guys as I
pitched. That mode has helped me up to this point. Maybe down the road I may
need to switch up how I think and how I go about getting outs.
Paulsen: Yeah, let's not tinker with anything right now . . .
Hanson: Definitely not. If I need to make an adjustment I will, but as of
right now it's the same thing. Just go right after guys, and I like to strike
guys out so hopefully that will happen.
Paulsen: What major leaguer pitcher do you pattern yourself after?
Hanson: That's kind of a tough one for me because I don't get to watch a lot
of baseball because we're always playing. Maybe a guy like Smoltz. I don't
like to compare myself just because they are so far along in their career,
and I'm just trying to make my way up. I'll just say that whoever tries to go
out and attack hitters and be aggressive is who I try to pattern myself after.
Paulsen: Goals and game-plan for spring training?
Hanson: I'm just going to go down there and be in shape when I show up. I
want to keep working hard and try to get ready for the season, whether I
start off in Atlanta or in Gwinnett in Triple-A. Obviously the goal is to be
Atlanta as soon as possible, and I want to go down there and show them what I
can do. Hopefully I can make that choice of where to send me a tough one. I'm
just looking forward to going down there and getting ready for the season,
and hopefully stay healthy and get ready for the season so I can go get after
it.
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