There are a few different programs that players will be going through in the lab. One program that several players will be following is the Strength and Conditioning program. The program was created by Charlotte’s trainer Jorge Luna and a team of specialists he has brought together just for this purpose. Luna spoke about the philosophy behind the program. ”We have been working hard to put this together for our players. We have had quite a few injuries over the last couple of seasons and we feel like this could help some of our more injury prone players to not only build up their bodies to make those injuries less common, but also to help them learn how to avoid some of those situations that have led to them getting hurt.”
Six players will undergo the strength and conditioning program in this first session. The program will last most of the offseason and is considered to be a pretty hard program to complete successfully. While it is unlikely that all six will reap the full benefits of the program, the team is hopeful that it will lead to a few of the players being stronger and more resistant to injuries in the future. We asked each of the 6 players in this program for their thoughts as they enter the lab.
Dallas “Firecracker” Dixon has only had one injury that was considered more serious than day-to-day since 2055 but it was a big one. Dixon sprained his knee in the final homestand of the regular season and missed the playoffs. That was enough for Firecracker to say he wanted to do whatever he could to make sure that doesn’t happen again. “It hurt man. Having to sit out and watch the boys in the playoffs without me. I don’t ever want to be in that position again. If I can spend a few months working on my knee, and the rest of my body, then maybe I can be on the field when my team really needs me.”
Robert Menzies has had an amazing career but his 37 year old body (He turns 38 in May.) doesn’t respond like it used to. He has only played 132 games the last two seasons and his injury history is a big reason why his recent contract extension is only one guaranteed year with a team option and incentives based on playing time. “I love this game and it’s been good to me. I’m not ready to hang it up yet. I honestly feel like I’ve still got a lot to give to this team and this city. But my body just hasn’t been cooperating the last couple of years, man. If this program can help me stay on the field a little more then I’m all for it. Let’s do this.”
Tadataka Yoshikawa will be 33 when the next season starts. He has always struggled with injuries, some big and some small, throughout his career. The 2057 season was one of the worst of his career, missing 75% of the campaign. The 2058 season was much better but he has missed time just about every year of his career and would love to find a way to keep that from happening as much in the future. “You know, I was pretty healthy this year and that was great. I want every year to be more like that. It seems like I’m pretty much always dealing with something. If this program can help me get out there and be at my best every day then that’s what I’ve got to do. I know some people have questioned my work ethic in the past but I signed up for this things, right? I want to get this started.”
Josh “Dude” Clark was able to stay healthy most of 2058 but he remembers missing 6 weeks in his rookie season and 4 months a couple of years earlier in the minors. Last offseason, he added a cutter and became a much more consistently effective pitcher, even making it into RonCo’s top 100 starting pitchers in the BBA. This off-season, he wants to get stronger and make sure that he stays healthy so that he can take his game to even higher levels. “Like, I just want to pitch, you know. I love it so much. When I got hurt a couple of years ago, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to come back. But look at what I was able to do this year. I had my best year ever, and a lot of it’s because I was able to go out there and do my job all year. That’s what I want, you know. I just want to pitch. I’m willing to put in the hard work to make sure I can be out there doing what I love.”
Andy “The Pope” Bishop is off to a nice start to his career, posting nearly 3 WAR over the last two seasons, starting sometimes, and coming off of the bench in other games. He has seen action in just under 200 games the last two years and wants to make sure that he presents the best version of himself every time the team calls his name. He has missed 4-6 weeks to injury each of the last three seasons and just wants to be available every day. “I love this game and I hate having to miss time. I just want to help the guys win. I want to play every day. Coaches are going to decide whether that happens or not but I have to be healthy for them to be able to put my name in the lineup. That’s my job and this program can help me get there.”
Ron Christian is one of the team’s top prospects but his development has been hampered by a slew of injuries during his pro career. His elbow, forearm, rotator cuff, oblique, back, and hamstring have all been hurt over the years and he just wants to stay on the field so that he can reach his potential. “I’m so tired of it man. I’m telling you. I just hate being hurt all the time. If I can go into this lab and they can get me where I can stay healthy, that would just be incredible. I just want to pitch man. I just want to pitch.”
There will be several players spending a few weeks in the lab working their defense. The coaching staff worked together to create programs for players to develop their defensive skills looking to both make players better at their current positions and make them more versatile for the future. While the team has indicated that they will be sending more players in for defensive improvements as the off-season progresses, there are two players focusing on those programs immediately.
Jorge Trujillo has done great work with the bat since joining the organization but he has struggled defensively in left field up to this point. “The coaches said I need to fix my defense if I ever want to be able to play every day. I guess that’s what I’ve got to do then. Glad they made this lab I guess. Gives me a chance to get where I want to be.”
Jacquot Natta is the team’s top prospect. He has been able to successfully move up the system while hitting and pitching effectively. He is excited to get into the lab. “I have so many things I want to fine tune in my game. When I sat down with the coaches, we decided we would start with my defense at third base. I want to be able to help out in any way I can and this seems like a great way to do that.”
The team has also indicated that catcher prospect Lawrence Stewart will spend time in the lab working on defense later in the off-season. He was not available for comment in the initial press conference about opening the lab.
Jim “91 Cents” Fleming was fantastic after being picked up in a trade deadline deal in 2058. When he heard about the development lab, he approached the coaching staff to ask if he could be part of it. “I’m always looking for an edge out there. I sat down with the coaches and talked about the options for the lab and decided it would be a great way to work on strengthening my secondary stuff. I’m really looking forward to it.”
Andres Gonzales was outstanding in 2057, going 12-6 with a 3.23 ERA. Then, he had an awful 2058, doubling his ERA to 6.46 and never being able to get things right. He will be entering the lab to try to add a new pitch to his arsenal. “This season sucked. I don’t ever want to have another year like that. I saw Dude add a pitch and take his game to another level. Maybe that would work for me too. I know it won’t be easy but I’m hoping I can find something that will work for me.”
We will keep track of these players and any others that find their way into the lab this off-season to see what happens.
