Monday, April 19, 1999

Wohlers impresses Reds brass, himself

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Delivery flaw might be root of wildness

BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Mark Wohlers, sitting in the dugout Sunday, will remain with the team while trying to work out his mechanical problems. (Michael E. Keating photo) | ZOOM |

        Mark Wohlers changed the Reds' plans while confirming what they already knew during a throwing session in the bullpen Sunday.

        Instead of reporting to Triple-A Indianapolis today, as had been expected, Wohlers will remain with the Reds for an indefinite period to solve some problems in his delivery with pitching coach Don Gullett.

        When the Reds obtained Wohlers from Atlanta last Friday for fellow reliever John Hudek, they thought that the hard-throwing but erratic right-hander primarily needed help with his mental approach. Though the Reds still want to address Wohlers' psychological outlook, his 15 minutes on the mound left them feeling optimistic that solving his mechanical flaws might hasten his return to the majors.

        The Reds expected to see high velocity from Wohlers when he threw. But they sounded as if they didn't expect to see him so close to his peak effectiveness.

        Manager Jack McKeon called his workout “outstanding.”

        General Manager Jim Bowden said it went “very well.”

        Said Wohlers: “Was it perfect? No. But was it better than I expected? Yes, considering the circumstances — first time wearing red, throwing on this (foreign) bullpen, with the weather conditions. I was excited about how it went.”

        Gullett, who probably wouldn't flinch if he were dealt a royal flush, was unusually e pressive.

        “When he did it right, he was throwing the crap out of the ball. Unbelievable,” Gullett said. “But we've seen that before. It's something we hope we can get him to do with regularity.”

        To achieve that, Gullett wants Wohlers to eliminate the “recoil” in his motion. Gullett explained that Wohlers' momentum was actually carrying away from home plate when his front leg hit the ground.

        When that happens, said Gullett, “You have no true release point. You either beat the ball on the ground or you throw it over the moon.”

        Wohlers said that some of Gullett's observations were new to him.

        “When I did what he was asking me to do, the ball came out great, and it was right in the strike zone,” he said. “Now it's just a matter of continuing that, getting that muscle memory down, and, when I do get out of whack mechanically, recovering much quicker.”

        Wohlers said that he will report to Indianapolis at some point to regain his feel for pitching. Bowden reiterated that “it might be two weeks; it might be two months” before Wohlers is summoned to the Reds.

        But should Wohlers leave the disabled list after the minimum 15 days, he'll join the team in Atlanta on May 1. That would be fairly dramatic.

       

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