The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - Astros Pitcher Cy Sneed: Long Road Trip Is Going To Be All Hands On Deck

Episode Date: September 4, 2020

Astros Pitcher Cy Sneed: Long Road Trip Is Going To Be All Hands On Deck

This is 790 baseball direct. Direct from the ballpark. To your radio. Driven by Texas Direct Auto, powered by Vroom. We are happy to have Syneed, a second-time visitor to the Matt Thomas show here on Sports Talk 790. Cy is calling us from Anaheim, where the Astros are on a long-ass road trip, Cy. How many suitcases can you take on a three-city, like 80-game road trip? Just one.

And really, I think I could get away with a lot less. What? Oh, yeah. What about product for your beard? Oh, I don't do that. By the way, I promoted you on Twitter, and I went to your account. You're not tweeting. What are you doing?

What did you do for like the last six months? So somehow or another, I got myself walked out of it. I was just wasting too much time scrolling through it during the quarantine. So I deleted the app. And then I tried to log back in. Apparently didn't know my password. And got locked out, having been successful in getting back in there. Well, once you get active, I'll follow you.

But until then, I just can't because I just can't let dormant follows. You know what I'm saying? I mean, let's get out there. Understandable. All right. First of all, 96 on the gun a couple of times yesterday. I mean, you must have been amped to play those pesky rangers. I mean, I think you're amped any time you get into the game.

But, yeah, I mean, it's feeling good. obviously you've had a lot of days off. So pretty well rested, not the usual, you know, fatigued reliever arm that, you know, we usually have. So, you know, the ball was coming out a little better than normal. You know, Dusty was talking with us earlier this week about, you know, he has to check on you guys and see who's tired and you got too many guys that just need to throw. I got news for you, Sae. You're going to be tired after this road trip. I mean, all these games, these double-headers, you and the rest of the bullpen better be ready for that.

I'm assuming that you are, but it's going to be pretty much a challenge just kind of surviving all these games in such a short period of time. Yeah, I mean, it's definitely going to be an all-hands-on-deck thing. You know, we do have those double-headers like you mentioned. Fortunately, those are seven-in-down-headers. So, you know, when we get good starts, and that makes our day a lot easier, even though we're trying to, you know, play 14-in-ing. So, but, you know, the starters have been doing a pretty good job and, you know, pitching deep in ball games. and give us a chance to rest. And so we can use, you know, a guy here, there, rest guys than we can,

and, you know, be ready for this long road trip. You mentioned the mid-game, the double-headers. What's the mid-game snack like on double-hutter days? It depends. You know, usually it's something light for me. I don't like to eat a whole lot between games. You know, I'll stick with the PB&J or something like that. You know, maybe a piece of fruit or something.

You know, go from there not trying to. be full, especially sitting down there in the afternoon sun, you know, the full stomach isn't a good recipe. Well, I wouldn't trust the food in Anaheim, not in Anaheim, but in Oakland. I mean, you know where that stadium is. There can't be good food around there, so just be careful eating that stuff, okay? Oh, they take care of us. In Oakland, they do?

Everywhere they do. Oh, that's true. You are a major leaguer. Back to peanut butter and jelly for a second, and I travel with the Rockets called their games. I was telling my broadcast partner this in my audience, I've never had more peanut on jellies in my life than I have traveling with a professional sports team. Are you guys big B, B, B, and J. Eaters, too? I don't know that everybody is, but in Meyer League Baseball, it is the staple.

It's breakfast, lunch, and dinner. So I think guys get really used to it. I've always been somebody that just kind of enjoys it. You know, when I, you know, Mountain Mountains or whatever, I always have a couple with me or, or, you know, eat them at the ballpark or whatever. So I'm a big panther and jelly guy. All right, so as I was looking at your Twitter account, you are on the mountains. Give me your, like, ultimate postseason, end-of-season vacation getaway.

Where are you hanging out? Oh, I'd just like to hang out at my house or, you know, around Alaska somewhere. You know, I'm not real big on vacations just because we travel so much during the season. You know, you're here, there, and everywhere. Yeah. So where do you live in the off-season? Alaska. Intentionally?

Yes, absolutely. Wow. What's it like, like, I mean, I've been there for Thanksgiving, and first of all, the sun is on like five hours a day, and there's like a constant mushroom clot over the entire city. Like, what is it January day in Alaska like for a high and low temperature? Where we're at is not terribly bad. I'm going to, you know, it's not terribly bad,

but we did have some weather this year that, you know, it was 20 below zero for basically a month. But, you know, further up north, it gets much, colder than that but it's not too bad you know we had a good we had a good winter a lot of snow you know real pretty but you know you just got to plan for what you're going to do like you said the sun's not up for a really long time so if you need to do something outside with some sunlight you just got to plan ahead and be be doing it you know first thing when the sun is up but it's not too bad you just you know dress warm and go about your go about your day

Sy Steen is our guest here on the mat Thomas you're getting ready for the aster's and angels tonight. You know, a lot of guys when they go outside of Houston to go back to where they live, they have workout partners. Are there any major leaguers up in Alaska during that time of the year? Not that I know of. So I just work out at, you know, kind of one of the local gyms. And there's a guy that lives not too far away from me that has a cage or the mound and stuff in there so I can go in there and get my throwing done and go to the gym and work out. That's about it. How wacky because of this pandemic and everything's shutting down? I mean, Do you feel like right now that you are where you need to be, or is it still because it's a condensed season and it's awkward in terms of getting prepared for it, not having a lot of spring training games?

Is it still very much a work in progress for you? Yeah, I mean, I think it's always a work in progress, right? Like, you're always trying to make a little adjustment choice, trying to get better. But this year is just such an anomaly that I don't know that anybody is ever really feeling exactly how they want. You know, I mean, you get feeling good, and then you have, you know, games canceled or, you know, like last week we had the hurricane stuff and then game canceled and on an off day. So it's really hard to kind of stay in that rhythm and then now we go and play, you know, however many in a row. So it is kind of tough and it is different, but, you know, it is the game of baseball. You're constantly trying to make adjustments and, you know, dealing with different things.

So, yeah, it's definitely a unique year for sure. And the fact is, you know, look, your road trips this year are all in great cities. I mean, the West is, I think, is a lot of fun. And you really can't take advantage of it, can you? No, yeah, we basically stay in our rooms until it's time to, you know, get on the bus to go to the ballpark. And after the game, you come back to your room and you stay there. So that is very different. You know, I'm a big breakfast coffee guy.

I go out and, you know, get something to eat first thing in the morning and get a nice cup of coffee. So that is a little bit different for me, not being able to do that. But like you said, we do go to some really, really good cities this year that we are missing out a little bit on the experience. All right, before I let you run, and we thank you for coming on the show today. I'm going to assume, and look, I'm going to blame your manager. I mean, I like Dusty, but you get put out in there with a runner in second base every time you have to pitch. I mean, that's just not fair to guys. I mean, it's a very difficult process.

We know why Major League Baseball put those guys out there to get scoring going, but you've been a victim of bad luck. You know, everybody's a lot to give up a hit once in a while, but unfortunately, those runners at second have been scoring a lot. So what do you think about that? And what has been your mentality getting on the mound knowing that you're getting into trouble as soon as you get out there? Well, I mean, you know, life's not fair, right?

Yeah, that's true. Somebody's got to pitch it in, you know, weird games or whatever. And it's a heck of a lot better than not pitching at all. So, you know, that, man, it's just tough. And every team's going to have to go through it this year. We did play quite a few extra inning games kind of back to back to back. In short order early in the year. So it is different.

You know, coming in and start with that runner on second base. And you're just trying to limit the damage, right? Like, okay, if I can get a groundball on the infield, a fly ball, pop up, or strikeout, I just got to get those in the right order and this guy doesn't score. It doesn't matter that he starts on second base. So, you know, if you give up a lead off. off sack fly. Okay, now we're going to probably play infield in. Right. I got to go for a pop-up shell, fly ball, punch out, you know, something like that. So it is, it is a little bit different,

you know, and, man, yeah, it is different. But it sucks. I mean, that's okay. I mean, I get it. I mean, I don't believe the, like, I'm not, I'm not 100% against the rule. I'd rather you guys have a clean tent inning. And then if you feel like, because sometimes tenet games are fine, but when they get to 12th and 13th and 14th, I think people kind of check out. I would say in the future that they went to the 11th inning with it, I'd be more than okay with it. But putting it right away in the 10th, I think, you know, again, it makes the game a little bit gimmicky. In all seriousness, with people talking about bunting to move runners over, are you guys as a group spending more time practicing before games just to field that bunt just in case teams try to do that, especially with the runner already at second? Not necessarily anymore than normal.

Yeah. I think that is something we go over a lot, and you need to be able to feel your position and throw the ball across the end field. So, you know, and a lot of times, when guys butt well, they're not bunning it back to you, their button to third base and the first base is getting it, or, you know, it's right in front of the plate and the catchroll grab it.

So really, we're not, you know, having to get that ball a lot. And really, we haven't seen a ton of bunts. There's been more times where, you know, sitting in the bullpen or watching the game, you're thinking, you know, they might punt here with this guy coming up and so and so on deck. Yeah. You know, maybe only half the time or even less, you know,

they actually do kind of what we think. So, yeah, it's unique and everybody kind of has their own, you know, game plan for it, you might say. I get it. So, you know, it's different. But, you know, it is, I mean, it's, they didn't want bullpins to be, you know, getting blown out after, after long games with this short season.

So, you know, I think the longest game I've seen was 13. So that's, you know, if that was, goal it's being accomplished. Yeah. Last question, we were talking about the gun yesterday, showing you at a higher speed that we're normally accustomed to. Do you peek over there every once in a while,

or do you try to stay away from what the monitor says? I look, man. If they didn't want me to look, they wouldn't have it in the stadium. So, no, in all seriousness, I do think that, you know, seeing how that cutter came out, I feel like maybe, you know, didn't have the movement at wanted. So it was the Velo.

It was a little harder than it. Normally is okay on the next one. try to make it a little bigger to try to get that that V-Lo ride or same thing with the slider with the curvewalk. Kind of give you a little bit of feedback on how your stuff is doing. Well, you should do what Zach does. Try to throw it as slow as possible to see if they put 57 on the gun or something like that.

I mean, that's the real challenge. I'm telling you, that guy is special. I couldn't do that. I'd throw it to the backstop. You really? You couldn't throw a 57-mile-per-hour pitch if you wanted to? Not for a strike. That would be so hard.

I need to throw the ball harder to throw it where I want. Well, you got to the major leagues, and I'm just sitting here talking about you, so you're doing it the right way, my friend. Hey, Snius, it was really great to have you on the show. Have a great trip. Try to relax, get some saves, get some victories, and overtake the A's in over for first place,

if you don't mind when you guys are up there next week. Sounds like a plan. Thanks, I very much. Appreciate it, buddy. That is Sye Sneat with us here on the Matt Thomas show.