They hadn’t been in town long and had very limited practice time before their opening game at State College on May 24, but as the players assigned to the Williamsport Crosscutters opening day roster emerged from the clubhouse on Media Day, the uniforms were crisp, smiles crossed their faces, and it looked every bit the same as the team’s prior NY-Penn League beginnings.

Only this year, things are different. The players aren’t draft picks of the Philadelphia Phillies, and they aren’t getting paid. But the brand-new MLB Draft League is providing a glimpse of what professional baseball is all about and the team’s players, ranging in age from 17 to 23, are anxious to make the most of the opportunity.

The professional experience gained by manager Billy Horton, pitching coach Jim Gott, and hitting coach Anthony Manuel is well established, particularly in the case of Gott, a 14-year MLB veteran with the Blue Jays, Giants, Pirates, and Dodgers. He served as the Phillies bullpen coach from 2018 through 2020.

The likable Gott took the time to talk some baseball with Webb Weekly during Media Day.
WW – What are your initial views of the Draft League concept?

Gott – “It is awesome. I’m super excited about this. Even before I was approached by Billy [Crosscutter manager Bill Horton] to become a part of this, I thought it was a wonderful concept. Going from 60 rounds of the MLB draft when I was coming out of high school in 1977, to the draft recently being 40 rounds and now having it cut down to 20 rounds, understanding the importance of streamlining it and MLB taking a bigger presence in Minor League Baseball, it just makes a lot of sense.

“It also makes a lot of sense to push back the amateur draft from the beginning of June until the MLB All-Star break in July. What a wonderful way of celebrating the game and the young talent being excited to be there. We see the way the NFL has made a major production out of their player draft and how much excitement that creates. There are a lot of wonderful reasons why this is happening, and I am excited to be here in Williamsport to be a part of it.”
WW – Rather than being a pitching coach for one MLB organization, you are now developing pitchers for all 30 MLB teams. How do your coaching plans change?

Gott – “It really is all about just getting back to the basics. For pitchers to be successful, they need to pound the strike zone, throw first-pitch strikes, winning the 1-1 count, and helping guys understand that when you are in professional ball, it isn’t a showcase anymore. Here, we are getting them ready for pro ball, and that defines our mission. We have 12 weeks of preparing them for what pro ball looks like. During that time, the evaluators can see how these players can acclimate, judge their talent level and their ability to be able to move forward. For MLB, it is not about weeding people out, rather providing the opportunity for people to step up in a pro setting.

“The value for a starting pitcher these days is he needs to be able to maintain a low pitch count to be able to get them into the sixth, seventh, or eighth inning. Even though today’s analytics are stressing a pitcher getting through a batting order twice, I am so old school, dating back to Nolan Ryan, that we are trying to prepare these guys to pitch in the big leagues, and their value is winning games in the latter innings, even though there is tremendous importance on relief pitchers.

“As far as relief pitchers are concerned, if they are able to have low pitch counts every time they go out there, they will be healthier and available for the next day, which places a greater value for themselves and a greater benefit to the team.”
WW – You are dealing with young pitchers you’ve never seen before. What approach do you take?

Gott – “We have to be super careful. We had the chance to talk with a lot of their previous pitching coaches. Communication is paramount for every single player that is out there. You have to be able to evaluate and communicate every single day, both positive and negative. This is a time when the players need to be able to streamline what works for them.

“I have been so lucky to be with the Phillies the past few years. Aaron Nola is one of my favorite pitchers and people on earth. He has talent, humility and is a great teammate, and I love that about him, but what makes him stand out is the way he prepares himself for each and every game. He begins to prepare for his next start the day after his last start. Not everybody does that, but he is hydrating, strength-training, resting, and throwing bullpens in between to be able to make the next start. That is what makes him great.”

“Crosscutters hitting coach Manuel (son of former MLB manager Jerry Manuel, who managed the Chicago White Sox and New York Mets and played parts of five seasons in the Big Leagues) had favorable first impressions of his summer in Williamsport.

“The facilities are absolutely amazing. MLB did a great job in upgrading the field for the MLB/Little League Baseball Classic. I absolutely love the town. Everywhere I have gone, the people have been extremely friendly and nice. The Crosscutters staff has been welcoming and wonderful, and I couldn’t ask for a better situation.

“I’ve been in and around baseball all my life. I’m 38 years old, and hopefully, I’ll be around baseball another 38 years but being able to do what I do in a beautiful yard like this is something special. I couldn’t be more blessed.”

(Note: Next week, Gott shares his views on pitch counts, Tommy John surgery, and his fling with Hollywood).