Pirates Prospect Kyle McPherson Interview Part II: Growing Up in the Shadow of Jake Peavy

Tom Smith — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 02:58:24 +0000

The St.Paul Episcopal School in Mobile Alabama has a tremendous sports program. The finest player in their storied history is Jake Peavy who had a 44-1 record on the mound for the Saints. The Peavy story has Hollywood movie written all over it. And Kyle McPherson, a St. Paul’s star student years later, paid attention to all of those athletic feats on the diamond..

Read this from ESPN about Peavy and you will agree with me. It’s a great article. Click it and read it please. It’s the best story you will read today.

Peavy’s number 22 was retired by St.Pauls. Watch the video, especially the part about not changing from number 44 to number 22. Unreal in today’s sports marketplace.

When you talk to Kyle McPherson, he exhibits those same personality traits as Peavy. McPherson is a special talent.

And he also had a similar mentor to Peavy’s Paw Paw. It was his Dad. What a job his father did in raising his family. The Pirates Baseball Club is fortunate to have Kyle McPherson representing their ballclub.

Kyle shared his story in the most humble manner as the State College Spikes bus wound through the Allegheny Mountains on Tuesday. The Spikes were headed to Tri-Valley and the teams confidence was high. Rightfully so. The team has made a complete turnaround from last season.

Kyle McPherson has a lot to do with that turnaround. For the Spikes he has thrown 28.2 innings and fanned 25 batters while walking two. He was equally impressive with the West Virginia Power where he threw 51 innings, struck out 32 and walked six. This season, McPherson has pitched 79.2 innings with 57 strikeouts and just eight walks. His WHIP is 1.17.

So the obvious question was about his control. It’s impressive. Especially on a Pirates club littered with pitchers who issue walks to lead off innings, walks in crucial situations, walks, walks, walks.

“I tell you sir, I have always had control, thanks to my Dad.” And then the story began…..

Kyle’s dad nailed an old rubber mat about three foot by three foot and spray painted it. ”Dad always told me, ‘pitch to a spot’ and I have been doing that for years.” He continued to speak of his Dad as a proud son and finished with, ”we would always work on it and after a while it allowed me to develop a good release point.”

Yeh. Now that’s modesty.

Kyle answers the questions thoughtfully and uses the word sir at the end of each sentence. Mothers and Fathers across the country dream of their sons one day riding a minor league bus chasing down the dreams of youth. Some dream of their son being as successful while being so downright humble.

Kyle is living that dream. I could tell he absolutely loves it. But he worked his tail off to get where he is in life. His calm voice exudes his soft, southern charm, but don’t let it fool you.

Kyle McPherson is a black belt. Twice.

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Part III tomorrow night

Battling high school baseball star, now Miami Dolphin QB, Pat White for headlines while at an interesting disadvantage…Kyle’s age.

Yeah, the kid has brains too.

Pirates Prospect Kyle McPherson Interview: Spikes Roll Through The Mountains of New York

Tom Smith — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 02:10:52 +0000

Riding the State College Spikes team bus through the mountains of New York, 21 year old Kyle McPherson is repeatedly redialing this baseball blogger with the screwed up name so he can get his interview completed.

He is diligent. Each time the phone cuts out, he quickly calls back. Every time when our phones reconnect, he apologizes with the most pleasant southern accent. ‘’Sorry about that, sir.’’

The guy is all class. All the time. We talked for about an hour, seven times. Each time his apology was more sincere.

The bus was just as we have all imagined it growing up. Music blared and laughter resounded. It was especially loud when the interview began, the sounds of a team on the rise. But perhaps at the direction of one of the outstretched arms of the ambidextrious McPherson, it got more calm about twenty seconds into the call. McPherson, a veteran on this ballclub, knows all about control.

He asked if I could hear him. I told him I could hear him just fine. The music picked back up.

Go Spikes.

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When Neil Huntington talks about building a championship club and how awful the minor leagues were, well, look no further than State College. The 2008 Spikes were awful. The team finished with the worst record in the NewYork Penn League at 18-56. The pitching staff allowed 461 runs. 71 runs more than the second worst staff in the New York Penn League. Yeh, it was bad.

The Spikes play near my hometown, but McPherson never started when I was in attendance, all of his starts were on the road. The Spikes pitchers were tough to watch because the pitchers relied on their fastball to the delight of the rest of the league. It was a developmental strategy. But did it work?

Fast forward to this season and in the early going, it certainly appears to have paid off. The team is above .500 and the pitching staff has turned it around with some solid improvement.

The same pitchers who had an ERA of 4.83 in 2009, now sport an ERA of 2.77. The WHIP is also down to a respectable 1.32.

The command and control has returned to the Spikes staff.

But Kyle McPherson always had both.

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Part II tomorrow night….Growing Up, Quickly, in the Shadow of Jake Peavy

Some highlights: Miami Dolphin Pat White was a rival. And you might be surprised to learn how McPherson develops his flexibility.

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Pirates Prospect Kyle McPherson Interview Part II: Growing Up in the Shadow of Jake Peavy

Pirates Prospect Kyle McPherson Interview: Spikes Roll Through The Mountains of New York