The Pirates are hiring Brent Strom as an assistant pitching coach, as first reported by Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The veteran coach was dismissed from the lead pitching role with the Diamondbacks at the outset of the offseason.
It comes as something of a surprise that Strom accepted an assistant pitching coach role. He’d been a team’s top pitching voice for more than a decade. The Astros hired him as pitching coach going into the 2014 season. He quickly secured a reputation as one of the sport’s top coaches. Houston had quite a few developmental success stories among their young arms over his eight-year tenure. Arizona hired Strom during the 2021-22 offseason. He held a role on Torey Lovullo’s staff for three years.
Strom will now work alongside pitching coach Oscar Marin in Pittsburgh. (The Bucs also still need to hire a bullpen coach after dismissing Justin Meccage in September.) Marin and Strom will work with one of the sport’s most talented young staffs. Paul Skenes and Jared Jones already look like top-of-the-rotation starters as they go into their second seasons. Mitch Keller is a quality mid-rotation arm who might still have untapped potential. Bailey Falter and Luis Ortiz have the final two rotation spots on paper, though the Bucs could graduate prospects Bubba Chandler and Thomas Harrington before long.
Strom is Pittsburgh’s second notable hire of the day. The Bucs tabbed Matt Hague as hitting coach this morning. The bullpen coach may be the final remaining decision as Derek Shelton builds his 2025 staff.
Love this
I expected to go to his bio and see “Born in Pittsburgh” or something. He has zero affiliation to the area (unless his wife etc). It is surprising he took an assistant role
Great hire
Maybe he sees that much in Skenes, Jones and others?
Branch that’s what I was thinking
Why? Because he wanted to work with Skenes, Jones, Keller, Bubba?
I guess maybe this would have been surprising 3-4 years ago when they had very little. Here, he can tweak instead of having to rebuild or resurrect. If he wanted to keep working, it only makes sense for him
Why the falling out in Arizona? Anybody know? Love it for the Pirates.
It’s because of the “special” man that yelled at him about the football slider. Completely destroyed his career.
3 months later Rog was in the Dbacks clubhouses showing techniques to his football Slider. That’s a heck of long connection.
Someone took over the bullpen in ST from up above, got a little crazy, no security. Turned into a circus but more clowns.
Really like the moves the Pirates made today. Very promising start to the off-season for sure.
Holy cow. Someone tell Roger B!! Get the football slider going. Maybe Roger can send a message of cut out magazine letters!
Roger, strap on the helmet you wear in the car and get heading to Pittsburgh!
I just saw the pictures of Roger and Strom on his Twitter, Even Lovullo acknowledges he knows the Football Slider. I never heard of it, what’s going on? I wish pitchers from the past would have gave out their secret so I could have thrown it 40 years ago.
Shut up, Roger. Nobody is believing your BS. I caught you like Chris Hansen.
Have a seat.
I played for the Yankees 34 years ago, Sax got the Mackey Sasser, Knoblach thing and I got my shot. I tried 3rd base but I’m a shortstop without an arm. I’m the only player that injuries helped my longevity. When I went to the Cardinals I befriended Mac. I always told people I’ve been lucky my whole life.
Why didn’t Guidry tell the Yankees pitchers his Grip, tilt and Wrist action every year since 1980? I saw he told Leiter everyone should try their own thing…The answer is no, there’s only one way to get 2 plane break and all 3 must be used.
How did Lovullo know the Football Slider? That’s a weird one.
What pitchers from the beginning of baseball told their secret slider grip, tilt wrist action? I wish they would have I would’ve thrown it 65 years ago. Hey wait a minute if ONE of them would have that would have started hundreds of others in the league throwing it causing a revolution and even making MLB call it another slider like a sweeper? That wouldn’t be a good idea to video testimonial would it? Hooked on phonics reports all this stuff, get one at dollar general they are 80% off.
You aren’t helping your case, Roger. I’d say go the Dave Hopla route and do youth camps, but I feel like that’s not an option with your record.
Cut out magazine letters are much different than a future HOF pitching coach admitting half the pitchers don’t f n listen to him after they just went to the World Series. That’s a major flaw for a Future HOF pitching coach. If he’s smart he will stay in contact.
Some of the pitchers in the video rebelled at what happened. T The guy sent down in the dbacks clubhouse is the guy who didn’t listen and the reason the Dbacks didn’t make the playoffs. Roger didn’t get anyone fired. Strom’s actions in the bullpen did.
Watch the pirates make the playoffs next year with 3 starters having an ERA under 3.5
No hitting. No hope to get any.
They have some hitting, and replacing Andy Haines with Matt Hague is a huge upgrade in the coaching staff.
Only if you think Andy Haines was the worst hitting coach in the league and Cherington and his weirdo “movement guru” Bart from Amsterdam aren’t the actual problem.
They have a bad offense but not like bottom 25 bad
Reynolds is a star, Cruz will only get better, Bart is good now, Gonzales has a ton of potential, hayes could have a bounce back (with an asterisk)
Hayes is just as likely to not play baseball this year with his chronic back disc with no gel problem as he is to get to 250PAs. Reynolds is a good regular but not a star. Cruz made some strides with his platoon splits last year but that still netted out in his best season to date being a 110 wRC+. He’s 26. Peak is 27. Will he _only get better?_
That’s a pessimistic take on the pirates
Would you rather try to find happiness or find sorrow? While there is 10x more sorrow than there is happiness in an organization like the pirates, finding happiness makes you happy
Correct they were 24th in runs scored
I was with you until Hayes. Back or no back, he’s a good glove and that’s all.
They have guys like Cutch and De la Cruz who may catch fire from time to time but they’re missing that bomber in the middle I think they were hoping Davis would be one day.
I don’t know what’s coming up through their farm—watched some Arizona games and there’s no immediate help there, for sure— but their pitching is going to be their calling card
Pirates do NOT have De la Cruz. You are thinking of the Reds.
He’s talking about Bryan De La Cruz. Also, Hayes always had the potential to be a great hitter. The raw power and plate discipline had always been there, and in 2023 he was putting those skills to good use. The issues were always lifting the ball, and he saw his ground ball rate go from 52% in 2020-2022 to around 40% in 2023. He’s never been one to strike out much and never had an exit velo under 90 MPH from ’20-’23. But his herniated disc really puts him in a questionable state. There was something clearly wrong when his exit velo dipped to 88.9 MPH, compared to over 92 the year prior. I really hope he can get the help he needs to heal his back, but those issues are always scary. Just look at the toll it took on Kris Bryant and his power.
I don’t quite see the upside that you do in Hayes and really, no amount of data is going to change that. From a purely instructional level, his mechanics have always been suspect at the plate and have actually regressed. As a pitcher, there is no reason to throw him a fastball when he’s a sucker for spin pitches off the outside corner
I think he’s a stellar glove but he actually hit his peak as a hitter a couple years ago. Back issues won’t help. And unfortunately, that contract was an albatross even before the physical problems
The point I was making is that even if his results may not have shown it, Hayes always had upside with the bat. He’s never chased outside the zone at a bad rate, nor has he ever swung and missed at a high rate, and he’s previously was making hard contact and was above the 70th percentile of exit velocity in 2021, 2022, and 2023. Last year, he was in the 93rd percentile.
The issues he always struggled with was lifting the baseball. Hayes had a ground ball rate above 50%, which while he may make decent contact, it was usually into the ground which are the least productive batted balls. Then last year, he started lifting the ball. His launch angle went from 5.2 degrees to 13.2 degrees. between 2022 and 2023.
His exit velo went from 92.2 MPH to 88.9 MPH. His launch angle went from 13.2 to 4.8 degrees. Sure, he wasn’t swinging at pitches outside the zone, or swinging and missing at a high rate, but it’s always been a battle for Hayes to up his ability to turn his hard contact into quality contact. You said how he struggled with pitches down and away, and that’s one thing he really improved in. He had a negative launch angle on down-and-away offerings in 2021 and 2023, but put up a 7 degree LA in 2023. It went back down in the negatives this past season.
I, and probably many others, are concerned that with his back issues, Hayes’ may not be the same. Hopefully, that’s not the case. If he showed he can make the improvements to be decent in 2023, then maybe he can overcome his issues in 2025 again. But back issues are always a huge concern and you never know how a player will recover from them.
It is hard to believe that there were actually six teams with offenses that were actually more offensive than the Pirates but the facts are the facts.
As Mr T once said “ I pity the fools”.
I prefer reality is the thing.
And of course Skenes Cy Young.
Just lost 150 because of betting on Jay Bell.
Ray Searage is 69. Leo Mazzone is 76. Might as well have given them a call, too
Seriously though, having Strom around isn’t going to hurt
Searage was good… for a while. Then the game evolved but he didn’t
He had the uncanny ability to connect with guys looking to resurrect their careers but hit a wall with young pitchers just coming up. Kind of strange
Maybe those 2017 and later Astros pitchers learned a different type of non traditional slider by an “unknown Roger source” and as Strom taught the high fastball and breaking balls away everyone is thinking that’s the ticket.
Take that Football Slider away from those Astros pitchers they are the same as they were in Pittsburgh.
Deja Vu Strom meets Roger in the Dback bullpen in ST and communicates with him all season long with an invite to Roger to show a special technique many haven’t understoo in the Dbacks Clubhouse. A few of those pitchers with heavy weight rebelled against it or didn’t throw it enough in putaway situations. Roger has a video on you tube October 28, 2016. Brent Strom, Charlie Morton…
11 Dback pitchers saw the unknown source Roger, in the bullpen telling Strom how to throw the RB Football Slider. There is a 6 minute video, a few of them rebelled to throw it, costing the Dbacks WINS. BS in the video said some of the pitchers don’t f in listen to me you kidding me. Now you know why there were major internal issues with the Dbacks.
A lot of ML pitchers already know the football slider, but not all for sure. Those are the the guys that need an assistance.
Many throw a watered down version. They need to follow all 3 cues Roger Beshens teaches, on center grip, throw like football, stiff wrist and also know key adjusments when misfiring the pitch at times.
I remember him pitching for the Padres. I must be old too.
If I remember right I heard on a broadcast that he was the 2nd guy to ever get elbow reconstruction surgery, only before Tommy John of course
The surgery could’ve been named Brent strom surgery! BS surgery is a lot more fun than TJ!
I remember his 1974 Padres Topps card. It’s lying in a shoebox around here somewhere.
My Strom and Ken Brett Topps cards ended up on my bike spokes in Conshohoken. I ran Stromy’s on the rear. Kenny’s up front.
My Cracker Jack baseball cards I always ran Kenny Brett’s on the rear. Tanana’s up front.
If he knew and threw the Football Slider he could’ve been hung around another 15 years.
Wait, the football slider guy said on here that he had spoken with Strom in the Dbacks clubhouse 2 weeks ago.
He said May 23, he got pictures of it on his Twitter and Facebook, smart man, I wouldn’t believe it. How did that happen?
Found your new account Roger. Thanks for jumping right out.
So why are you not employed there?
Are you trying to say that you are responsible for Brent no longer having a job with the Diamondbacks?
If you met with him on May 23rd, why did you not post your photos and video until Nov 3rd?
Someone said perhaps you will have more discussion with my replacement. The Dbacks are an organizational defect, never known for their pitching development. Doesn’t sound like a good place to end up. Nobody want’s to be pitching puppet they got analysts calling the shots. New replacement will find out real quick. Videos were edited. Would be a distraction.
Dude was spamming nonstop about the football slider guy. Can’t say the name it seems…
Strom brought the most important spammer in MLB history in the dbacks clubhouse and ended up getting in hot water.
He is the football slider guy. If he doesn’t show up it will be the first time. The videos are real. I watched them. I used to poke fun at the guy but not after seeing the videos. He really really needs our support.
It’s EDITED big time to protect Strom. It’s off the charts crazy what he said.
Oh wow. I thought you couldn’t say the name because he would show up. Literally can’t say the name lol
Strom and Football Slider guy communicated all season long, mostly trying to help 4 pitchers. A few knew the about the video and didn’t want to join the club.
Strom and you. You are the football slider guy.
62 emails, 48 minute video. Some pitchers knew about it and rebelled, they said screw it cutters, changeups curves, call it sweeper instead of slider, some weak minded guys, just trying to help elevate their game. Never asked for anything.
They were too scared. Their loss I say
Tommy Henry threw 51 sliders out of 800 pitches in the bigs then goes to Reno and throw the slider like 30% of the time. Even said he did cause the AAA catcher said so!! NUTS!
Walston is awesome with the Football Slider, savant said slider he had it changed to sweeper then decided to throw cutters and curves more!!! NUTS!
Cecconi wouldn’t move to the right side of rubber, his slider didn’t play from the left side, Told BS Don’t want anything to do with it.
Pfaadt did something nobody talks about, his arm wasn’t tired and it wasn’t more curve usage later in the year.
Pirates fans want to know is Roger he who shall not be named moving to Pittsburgh? Or at the very least going to Pirates spring training? Dbacks don’t deserve he who shall not be named anymore.
Gallen later in the year threw many knuckle curves without the spike, there was an adjustment period.
It’s up to Strom and or the Pirates, Roger travels anywhere, teaching his football slider.
The Pirates organization should have picked up the RBFS in 2018 when Glasnow, Taillon, Musgrove, Kuhl started throwing. This is proof pitchers DO NOT want to talk about the RBFS.
It’s possible Searage didn’t even know about what was going on!
They need to get together have dinner at red lobster and get it done. Strom without he who shall not be named is like mashed potatoes without gravy or turkey without stuffing. Just not as good. Strom seemed ready to retire. Roger could take over if he chooses to.
The analysts called the shots not Strom. Ryne Nelson was told at one point to just throw cutters, changeup fastball.
Look at Tigers game Nelson lost 13-0 23 cutters 3 sliders.
Those decisions by the analysts created many losses.
Kyle crick new it.
Crick learned RBFS May 2018 in PItt.
He didn’t throw it in SF.
All Strom has to do is get Roger to individually teach whoever he requests and that pitcher in one month will be top tier.
Many pick it up instantly but it’s the ones that are missing a technique or need to know a key adjustment that Roger specializes in.
Because he got a crick in his neck
Weak minded. Who cares, throw the pitch, elevate your game, don’t listen to the noise. If you make 100 M maybe a thanks for the input but not necessary.
Don’t understand what’s in the noggin except lots of pride, I did it myself, I didn’t need anyone’s help, I didn’t ask for your advice, (unsolicited advice) even though the message they got on Twitter how to throw that slider was a godsend to them and change their life.
Crick had a bad run, I thought he would end up in LA.
When he said he learned his slider from skipping rocks when he was a kid but didn’t show that type of slider in SF, I kinda thought he’s gonna get the RB karma special.
Arby 4 for 10 deal at aRBy’s Neveraskaus and Vasquez got the karma with pickles and special sauce also. Kuhl could have done better if contacted the Rog in June 2018, Bad grip or tilt
the pirates organization should have…..
fill in the blank
You could say that about every move they ever made and be right
Roger that.
A+ post.
The same water that the dinosaurs drank
Is the same water that the Persian fleet sank in
The same water that moistened the primordial ooze
Is now hammering on
Is now hammering on
My metal porch roof
Hammer ‘dem down!
I like when water has additives and tweaked, Coca Cola is my favorite.
The Pirates Starters overall, are better than the Dbacks,
Who gets the credit when Skenes, Keller and Jones are all 20 game winners in 2025? Shelton, Marinara or Swamy?
Roger he who shall not me named
Strom said some of the Dback pitchers with heavy weight didn’t connect with him. What’s going to change in Pitt?
Dbacks staff is full of established veterans who have had success for several years in MLB and the Pirates staff has a ton of arm talent but they’re young and just breaking into the majors. Great opportunity for Strom to share his wealth of experience.
Shame the Pirates won’t spend on better hitters.
Maybe the Pirates will be top 5 in pitching Era, bottom 10 in hitting and make the playoffs. The Dbacks won 90 games, if they won 84 and went to the playoffs they would have kept Strom. Dback’s are crazy for getting rid of Strom.
Nice to see Strom get this job, he should have never been fired.
That pitching staff could have had a deep run, it was like 7 guys that would have never pitched in the playoffs that destroyed the ERA.
The Dbacks were never known for their pitching development and it was no different in 2024.
Assistant to the pitching coach or Assistant pitching coach?
Apparently according to some, he’s assistant to God with his own personal assistant who found a way to reinvent the wheel thanks to a football.
Let’s all genuflect
The traditional slider has always been an off center gripped pitch with a non 90 degree tilt. Roger Beshens in May 2018 got hundreds of ML pitchers to throw his version of the slider which is on center grip with 90 degree tilt and it needs a stiff wrist. Roger Beshens saying on center grip, throw like football, stiff wrist are great cues. Why don’t you understand that? He influenced with simple Twitter messages to ML players. That’s why so ML many were throwing it by June 2018 he called it a football slider. You think those ML pitchers are going to tell anyone that tip? They want to cash in and be the best pitcher on their team, heck maybe even ALL MLB!
There were pitchers since the beginning of baseball that may have threw that same pitch but never explained it like Roger Beshens.
If just ONE of them would have gave out that secret then that SLIDER revolution would have started then. What’s so hard to understand?
Brent Strom?
Didn’t he invent the Football Sweeper?
That was Roger Beshens but it’s called a ‘Football Slider”
If Strom knew about it in 2017 why is Beshens showing Strom that slider in the Dbacks clubhouse May 23, 2024? There’s pictures and video of it.
Why do you think some of the Dback pitchers didn’t listen to Strom? There’s a 6 minute video, 11 Dbacks pitchers listening to Roger Beshens and R Nelson was even throwing in the bullpen while it was being explained!!! That’s humiliating for Nelson. No wonder he was conflicted between throwing the cutter and Roger Beshens Football Slider.
Roger asked Strom if he ever heard of the Roger Beshens Football Slider, he said yes…, then Ginkels name came up and Bmacs terrible motion was mentioned fetters kept scratching his head and Carlson gave a stop sign but Roger ran threw the stop, Carlton and Guidrys name was spoken, Tommy Henry was fixated on Roger for 3 minutes and 4 seconds. Pfaaft, Walston told Drabek about Football Slider guy Roger and Doug looked at Roger trying not to get noticed it, Strom said only If he could be added to Mt Rushmore, Glasnow, Taillon, Musgrove came up with and they paid you, it was a 6 minute video of a circus but more clowns.
Skenes was throwing the RB Football Slider at LSU that’s why he got drafted as high as he did.
When Skenes wins the Cy Young in 2025 who gets the credit?
Shelton, Marinara, Swammy, Roger Football Slider guy?
I am pretty sure that Paul Skenes will get the credit if Paul Skenes wins the CYA.
At Lsu the pitching coach that showed him the Football Slider didn’t know that football slider in May 2018? That’s the education you need to learn before you try to discredit someone.
There are DOZENS and dozens of pro pitching coaches teaching the RB Football Slider that didn’t know it before 2018. First hand information, passed down info doesn’t matter, it’s from Roger Beshens. Technically Roger posted a You tube Video October 2016 that’s before the Astros, Cole, Morton Verlander…threw that 2 plane RB football slider.
Paul Skenes will get the credit
“Perhaps you will have more discussion with my replacement” said the future Hall of Fame Pitching Coach as he now heads to another RBFS city.
That sums up what happened with the Dbacks.
If they don’t listen anymore you got to bust a move.
If Strom says on center grip, throw like Football, Stiff wrist to Keller, Jones and Skenes they just may say Hey you met Roger Beshens Football Slider guy didn’t ya?
Stromy could just to say Yeh I invited him into the Dbacks Clubhouse May 23 2024, I may have forgot to tell Hazen and Torey about that visit on Sanctuary ground.
Little bit of a Major internal issue. OOPS, Pittsburgh road trip, extended stay. Hope he likes the tequila and Oscar marinara sauce.
Strom, let’s pack up the Mexico thing and head for Pitt.
He had to have a bad taste in the mouth. Can’t go out like that. Tequila can only black you out for so long.
Poor Brent. A San Diego kid. Houston, Arizona. Now Pittsburgh. Houston may get a little humid in summer, but Pittsburgh, forgettaboutit.
Lovullo is going to miss Strom and the Football Slider guy. I hope Strom didn’t forget his USC cap in Torey’s office. That thing had a bug in it for a long time. Those pitchers who got sent down to Reno had to retrieve that sucker all the time to get updates.
I hope he’s getting paid triple of what Oscar Marinara gets.
When Oscar Marinara finds out how much his assistant protege is getting he might get a little hot sauce.
Don’t be shy…..
You should post more.
Any off center pitch, (traditional slider), or pitch that you are behind, but cut (cutter) can’t possibly be as safe on the arm as a fastball or 90 degree tilt.
The Dbacks, Kyle Nelson, Jarvis, Kelly, Walston, Ryne Nelson all threw cutters and were on the IL at some point. The interesting thing is if they ALL just threw the Roger Beshens Football Slider instead and they dumped the cutter, they would have did better and won more games. No need to morph off of the Football Slider.
Puk, Ginkel, Martinez, Thompson, Pfaadt would be foolish to throw the cutter.
The Dbacks never brought up the fact that the analysts weren’t top-notch when it came to pitching, and if they did it would lead to a lot of questions. Questions like, have the analysts ever ignored Strom’s advice? Yes, Strom recommended that the starting pitchers should focus on throwing more Football Sliders, especially for the put away. This is significant because the analysts preferred more cutters many times over football sliders from their best pitcher in the second half. This is an issue within the organization. The Dbacks front office and analysts are at fault, not Strom.