The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - Josh James Discusses Possibly Becoming The New Starter

Episode Date: February 19, 2020

Current Astros Reliever, and Potential Starter, Josh James , joins Matt and Ross in West Palm Beach at Spring Training

I'm going to pass over the headset to Josh James. I don't know very many individuals of my life that have ever thrown 100 miles an hour. I'll start with Nolan Ryan, and then I will start now with Josh James, who's now my new bestie here on the Matt Thomas shirt. We're going to build a relationship, right? Yeah, how are you doing? Why are you dressed up for like a trip to Anaheim right now? I mean, you're already ready to go.

I like it. He's ready to hit the club or something already. No, no, no. Just woke up this morning and said I put it on. I really didn't have much to it. Yeah, what does a club seem like in West Palm Beach? Don't answer that question. I was going to say, I don't know.

I don't really go out much. You good. You should be in bed like we were last night at 9.30. Especially with the week camp goes. Yeah. Try to get to bed early. He's too busy playing 2K with heat. That's what he told us at Fan Fest.

I am a 2K guy. Played Joe Smith the other day. Uh-oh. Did you handle business? Yeah, unfortunately. He's getting the hang of it. Okay. Joe plays pretty good defense.

We're talking about video games. I know what they were. He knows Pong, so it's a little different. Just don't even. It's whole school. Okay, so let's get to it. When you walked in the clubbos, you sat down, Stromy came to you or maybe even Dusty, whatever.

What were some of the early things that were brought up to you and said, all right, here's what we envision. Here's what you got a chance to do while you're down here in West Palm Beach. That speech mainly happened after the season when I got on the phone with Stromy. And he kind of just spoke to me about possibly coming in and being a starter and just kind of just be ready for anything. Like he wasn't going to say that I was going to start. And I was set in stone. He said that I could be a reliever, but just to mentally be ready to start.

And that was it. Coming into camp, so I had the idea that I was that I was. going to get a chance to start and I just now I'm just kind of running with it and keeping my mind set on being a starter and if the transition happens then I've had a whole year of experience in the Penn so when you are at your best tell me what that's like for you in terms of the relationship between you and your catcher and then there were times last year where you would strike out three and walk three in one inning so give me and be honest if you can because our audience is looking out for you give me the best of you last year and the in the times that were the most

difficult for you? The best, I think, you know, when I'm at, when I'm at my best, I'm, you know, I'm attacking guys and I get ahead and when I get ahead, I get to put, you know, I put them away. Right. A lot, I've been saying this a lot, was a lot, I gave away a lot at-bats towards the end of the season, or I'd say middle of the season. I was giving away a lot of bats. When I came back from the shoulder soreness, I was a little bit better. but I gave away at bats. I fell behind or fell behind early or I would get ahead and waste a couple pitches

and put guys in hitable counts and put myself in tougher spot. So that's kind of like that was my downfall last year. As I looked back at a lot of film, I just gave away too many of bats. But when I was at my best, I attacked guys and got ahead and put ahead and put it. put them away and I have the stuff to do that so this year that's kind of my focal point is just get ahead stay ahead and put them away. You talked about there's been discussion about you altering your delivery for this year. What are some of the things you're changing and working on?

Not really an alter just try to find a little tempo and rhythm in my windup instead of kind of step to the side this year I'm gonna try stepping behind and kind of like trying to build some kind of rhythm and tempo through that. Last year I made a little bit of a change in my arm path and trying to feel a little bit more linear in that and that it's kind of helping me this year. So far I feel I feel the most connected and even when I miss my misses are smaller and and to the side of the plate that I'm that I'm trying to go to. So I'm not really trying to change too much. I think I need to start realizing who I am and kind of just refining smaller points and I think I'll be better for it.

Had they given you any indication, Josh, that they're going to tell you on a certain date that would they envision you for the start of the season? No. You okay with that? I'm fine with that. I'm just, like I said, in my mind, I'm a starter. And I'm going to go through camp and prepare as if I was a starter. And if they tell me, halfway through the season, or halfway through the spring, they're like, hey, you know, we best see you on the pen.

And then I just transitioned back into a reliever in my mindset. I already know pretty much my routine and lifting and mental preparation for being a reliever. So you finished last year. When was the next time that you threw a pitch? Was it here? Or did you do some workouts at home before you came back? I did. I worked at two different places this year early. I worked at a place called To the Top.

It's in Fort Myers. Dan Vogelback, he's with the Mariners. First Baseman. His brother owns a gym over there, so I went in there. Okay. Worked out with him, and then for the majority of the rest of the all season, I was with Eric Cressy. Okay.

So when, when's a lot, before you got here, when checking it, can you check velocity during the off season? Do you want to check it? I've gotten a couple checks just to kind of see where I'm at going into camp. And they use a Rapsoto, which kind of measures spin and velocity and all that stuff. Just to kind of, it's not 100% accurate, but it gives you a really good description. Because if I threw one-on-one boys, I wouldn't let anybody touch my shoulder. Like you're like in an airport line wearing to get in?

Excuse me. This is my livelihood right here. I got to keep it strong, though, you know, you got to keep it strong. Got to see where I'm at every now and again. And I don't want to get, you know, too complacent and too satisfied with where I'm at. I'm always trying to get stronger and if that's possible. But, yeah, try to get stronger. Yeah, I heard about, like, do you have a consistent weight you try to stay out or get,

you said always trying to get, because like, Forrest Whitley, they talk about gaining, you know, 30, 40 pounds or whatever. In camp, coming into camp, I always like to be around 240 just because. when the season starts with the way travel and playing every day and working out and all that all that stuff I tend to lose weight so I always get to like the mark where I want to be is 235 and I sit at 235 all season I fluctuate a little bit just depending on how much water how much I ate the night before but 240 if I come into camp 240 I'm I know I'm in a good spot I know I kind of flirted with the idea of maybe coming into camp a little lighter, 2.30, but then I'm like, if I go in the camp 2.30, and I come out and by the time camps over the season starts,

I may drop down to 220, 2.25, and then I don't know how if I'm going to still be powerful or if my villa will maintain. Yeah, you got to keep the flames throwing. I mean, that's who you are, my man. Get the walk out down, total down, and you're going to find yourself in the starting rotation. Yeah, and that's... With a great team behind you. And that's my goal is to cut that down and just be in the zone a little bit more. Let my defense do...

Do some more work, and that's it. I like it's a good simple formula. Josh, thanks for coming by or appreciate it. No, thank you for having you guys. All right, Josh James, joining us here on the Matt Thomas show here from spring training already in regular season form. It's just got wordy's last clock to pitch 123 miles an hour.

So, my goodness, you be really careful that arm.