Question and Answer with Sean Gallagher - ANSWERS POSTED

[Chris]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v472/DJAXXFAN/gallagher.jpg

 

Sean Gallagher, pitcher for the Peoria Chiefs, has graciously agreed to answer questions from posters on NSBB! If you would like to send a question or comment to Sean, please feel free to post it here. Questions will be received until Friday, July 15th at noon CT. Once the interview has been completed his responses will be posted in this thread.

 

This session will be coordinated as in accordance with The NSBB Q & A Guidelines

 

Thank you to Sean for taking the time to interact with us on such an up close and personal level! A special thank you also goes out to Nathan Baliva, Broadcast & Media Manager for the Peoria Chiefs, for setting up this interview! In addition, thank you to all of you for making NSBB such a wonderful community!

[chicubs]

1) Do you read up on all the honors you are getting from publications like Baseball America?

 

2) Are you working on any specific pitch in particular?

[burnt out cubbie fan]

Thanks for sharing your time with us. A while back I heard that you were working on a cutter along with your change that you are still developing. How is that coming along? Are you still working on cutter or did you decide against it? Are you throwing it a lot in game or are you working on it more on the side? Are there any other pitches that you are thinking of adding? Also, I saw you pitch earlier this year at Kane County and you seemed to have a very good move to first and picked someone off. Is that something that you have put a lot of work into? Good luck on the rest of the season.

[UK1679666180]

Sean, can you tell us how it has been rooming with Walt Nolan? With Walt having gone to college while having a wife w/young daughter still in Louisiana, has he brought a different perspective to life off the field?

[NCCubFan]

Thanks for enhancing our forum by taking our questions.

 

Is there much emphasis placed in the minors on developing skills such as holding runners on, fielding, bunting, etc.?

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Thanks for taking our questions. What's a typical day like for a minor league pitcher?

[treebird]

I'm hoping this doesn't come off as creepy. Where do Chief players live? I'm not asking for an address, obviously, but what kind of living situations (apartment, hotel, mansion, cardboard box) do the players have? Do you all have similar living situations?

 

Thanks!

[TXCubsFan]

Sean,

 

When the Cubs drafted you, to which college had you committed? As a 12th round draft pick, why did you decide to forgo college and the possibility of being drafted higher a couple of years later?

[burnt out cubbie fan]

There have been rumors on this board that you fell in the draft because the teams could not reach you on draft day by phone. Is this true? What was that draft day like for you?

[Knyption]

Thanks for your time Sean.

 

What do you feel is your strongest asset to the Major League club in the future? Which pitches do you feel you need to work on more?

[KingKongvs.Godzilla]

First, thanks for doing this. Now my question...

 

Do you think you are like any pitcher in the major leagues? If you do, who?

[craig]

Given that this year's draft was just held last month, I have a couple of draft-related questions.

 

1. How close did you come to *not* signing and go to college instead?

 

2. Do you know who handled contacts and contract negotiations from the Cubs side? Did your area scout (Pina?) do that? Or Stockstill? Or Hendry himself? I've always wondered how that's actually done from the club's side.

 

3. Does your contract include a college clause, where the Cubs would pay for your college if your career broke down and you wanted to attend college? (Certainly hoping that your career stays healthy and great!)

[craig]

1. You were a very successful HS pitcher, and have achieved quick success now in the pros. Did the Cubs suggest any changes to your pitching last summer or in the fall instructional camp? You know, adjustment in arm slot, or grip, or other mechanical tinkering? If not with yours, which have perhaps been pretty good from the start, do you know if that's very common with other young pitchers?

 

2. Do you throw mostly 4-seam or 2-seam fastball, or a mixture of both?

 

3. Earlier this summer I read that you have worked on both the change and the cutter. Are you already using the cutter, or is that more for future use? If you're using it now, do you see that as being equally useful versus both RH and LH hitters? Or is that more something that will give you another tool against LH hitters?

 

4. How different is your strategy and use of the curve when facing good LH hitters versus RH hitters?

 

5. Would you consider yourself more of a groundball or a flyball guy? Any things you plan to work on to try to become more of a groundball pitcher? To date, you've certainly excelled in keeping HR's to a minimum.

[Chris]

Quick reminder to everyone that this thread will be locked tomorrow (Friday) at noon. Thank you for your interest!

[Chris]

Thank you to everyone for your support of this question and answer session with Sean Gallagher! Sean's responses will be posted as soon as the session is completed. Thank you for your interest and support of NSBB!

[Laura]

Below is the completed Q & A session with Sean Gallagher of the Peoria Chiefs! Thank you to Sean for taking time out of his schedule to take our questions and comments, and a special thank you to Nathan Baliva for taking the time to schedule and conduct this session!

 

As always, thanks to all of you for making NSBB such a wonderful posting community!

 

Sean Gallagher Q & A

 

chicubs – Indianapolis, Indiana:

 

1) Do you read up on all the honors you are getting from publications like Baseball America?

 

No.

 

2) Are you working on any specific pitch in particular?

 

I’m working on my changeup. I’m just trying to get it to be a consistent pitch and throw it at any count.

 

 

burnt out cubbie fan – Park Ridge, Illinois:

 

Thanks for sharing your time with us. A while back I heard that you were working on a cutter along with your change that you are still developing. How is that coming along? Are you still working on cutter or did you decide against it? Are you throwing it a lot in game or are you working on it more on the side? Are there any other pitches that you are thinking of adding? Also, I saw you pitch earlier this year at Kane County and you seemed to have a very good move to first and picked someone off. Is that something that you have put a lot of work into?

 

I’m not working on a cutter right now and I haven’t been all season. I’m not thinking of adding anything, just working hard on what I have. As for the pickoff move, it just is something that works for me. I’ve never really worked on it much.

 

There have been rumors on this board that you fell in the draft because the teams could not reach you on draft day by phone. Is this true? What was that draft day like for you?

 

It’s true. I was on a plane ride home form Boston where I was with my dad. My flight left in the second round and landed back in Florida much later in the day. Obviously you can’t use a cell phone on the plane and when I landed I had a ton of voice mails from teams and the last one was from Chicago saying we took you in the 12th round.

 

 

 

UK:

 

Sean, can you tell us how it has been rooming with Walt Nolen? With Walt having gone to college while having a wife w/young daughter still in Louisiana, has he brought a different perspective to life off the field?

 

Walt has a lot of responsibilities off the field with his family. Watching what its like for him to tuck them in on the phone from 1200 miles away is different than anything I have to deal with. He likes to joke that when I was in 8th grade he was in college. It does put a twist on it seeing how happy they are as a family and that is something I look forward to in the future.

 

 

 

NCCubbieFan – North Carolina:

 

Thanks for enhancing our forum by taking our questions.

 

Is there much emphasis placed in the minors on developing skills such as holding runners on, fielding, bunting, etc.?

 

Yes, we work on that every day at home with PFP’s. We practice it all: bunt plays, holding runners, fielding grounders, covering first. Pitchers get to the field early at home and we are out there with the coaches and infielders and catchers working on it all.

 

 

 

vance_the_cubs_fan – Monroe, Louisiana:

 

Thanks for taking our questions. What's a typical day like for a minor league pitcher?

 

We get to the field about 5 hours before the game, stretch, throw, run, maybe throw a side if it’s your day. Go in and change, shag fly balls for BP and then get ready for the game whatever your task is, start, game chart in dugout, video tape, chart in stands or run game chart in stands. Then we go home.

 

 

 

Treebeard – Avon, Illinois:

 

I'm hoping this doesn't come off as creepy. Where do Chief players live? I'm not asking for an address, obviously, but what kind of living situations (apartment, hotel, mansion, cardboard box) do the players have? Do you all have similar living situations?

 

Our situation is we live in an apartment in Peoria with teammates and we pay all our own bills, rent, cable, phone, internet, etc. It gives us a lot of responsibilities we aren’t used to, especially those of us who didn’t go to college and live on our own before signing.

 

 

 

TXCubsFan – Austin, Texas:

 

Sean,

 

When the Cubs drafted you, to which college had you committed? As a 12th round draft pick, why did you decide to forgo college and the possibility of being drafted higher a couple of years later?

 

Florida International. The Cubs are a great organization for pitchers. The situation was right for me and it is better to get in a great organization early and develop instead of waiting three years and postponing my chance to get to the majors.

 

 

 

Knyption – Chicago, Illinois:

 

Thanks for your time Sean.

 

What do you feel is your strongest asset to the Major League club in the future? Which pitches do you feel you need to work on more?

 

I feel my strongest asset is keeping my teams in games and in position to win. I don’t shy away from attacking hitters or get intimidated. I go right after hitters and I’m not afraid of them. Right now I’m working most on my changeup.

 

 

 

 

WeGotWood98:

 

First, thanks for doing this. Now my question...

 

Do you think you are like any pitcher in the major leagues? If you do, who?

 

Not really. I try not to pattern myself after anyone. I just want to go out there and be myself and do what I know how to do.

 

 

 

Craig:

 

Given that this year's draft was just held last month, I have a couple of draft-related questions.

 

1. How close did you come to *not* signing and go to college instead?

 

It was a tough decision but I wanted to start my path to the majors and I signed.

 

2. Do you know who handled contacts and contract negotiations from the Cubs side? Did your area scout (Pina?) do that? Or Stockstill? Or Hendry himself? I've always wondered how that's actually done from the club's side.

 

Pina and my dad worked negotiations and the money was right and I signed. We told them what we wanted and that’s what they gave up.

 

 

3. Does your contract include a college clause, where the Cubs would pay for your college if your career broke down and you wanted to attend college? (Certainly hoping that your career stays healthy and great!)

 

I will definitely attend college. The Cubs gave me specific money that can only be used in college and it must be used before the third year after you are done with pro baseball.

 

4. You were a very successful HS pitcher, and have achieved quick success now in the pros. Did the Cubs suggest any changes to your pitching last summer or in the fall instructional camp? You know, adjustment in arm slot, or grip, or other mechanical tinkering? If not with yours, which have perhaps been pretty good from the start, do you know if that's very common with other young pitchers?

 

Yes, they tinkered with my mechanics. My motion is totally different from high school. My balance point had changed, my arm slot is lower now and I keep my weight back over the rubber more so my arm doesn’t lag behind. It is very common for that to happen with young pitchers.

 

5. Do you throw mostly 4-seam or 2-seam fastball, or a mixture of both?

 

2 seam

 

6. Earlier this summer I read that you have worked on both the change and the cutter. Are you already using the cutter, or is that more for future use? If you're using it now, do you see that as being equally useful versus both RH and LH hitters? Or is that more something that will give you another tool against LH hitters?

 

I wasn’t working on a cutter during the season. I am working on the changeup.

 

7. How different is your strategy and use of the curve when facing good LH hitters versus RH hitters?

 

The strategy is the same. I throw a 12 to 6 break that is the same to lefties and righties and I just try to throw it where they will pound it into the ground.

 

8. Would you consider yourself more of a groundball or a flyball guy? Any things you plan to work on to try to become more of a groundball pitcher? To date, you've certainly excelled in keeping HR's to a minimum.

 

Groundball or flyball doesn’t matter to me at all as long as I get the outs.

 

 

 

Serena – NW Indiana

 

You lead the Midwest League among qualifying starters in ERA and WHIP; you're among the league leaders in innings, strikeouts and wins; and you started the All-Star game. They're all different measures/reflections of pitching well. Is there any one measure that's most meaningful to you?

 

Just keeping the earned runs down and limiting the other team’s chances. That gives your team a chance to win and that is most meaningful.

 

 

The Cubs organzation seems to prefer to see young players achieve some sustained success at one minor league level before promoting them. Oneri Fleita has been quoted as saying that they'd like to have you pitch a full season in Peoria. Has anything been communicated to you about what the next steps should be in terms of you getting promoted within the organization?

 

I haven’t been told anything. I don’t know what to expect. Whatever they feel I am ready to handle I will go there and do the best I can and compete as hard as I can.

[Outshined_One]

Terrific chat; thanks guys!