Pitching Coach Bob McClure
Bob McClure has been the Phillies’ pitching coach since 2014, and with the team’s early success on the mound this season, he’s finally getting some much-deserved recognition. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports recently wrote a story on McClure, his pitching philosophy and the effect he’s having on Philadelphia’s young arms.
A coaching veteran of the Royals and Red Sox, McClure is credited with helping mold Zack Greinke into a Cy Young winner in Kansas City. Although that’s a high standard to live up to, the Phils hope that he can work some of the same magic on their crop of youngsters.
Based on what we’ve seen from Velasquez and Nola so far, McClure is having a positive impact on the club’s new-look staff. Rosenthal notes that a team official dubbed him a “mad scientist” because of his creativity and experimentation. With a renewed focus on the curveball (per Rosenthal, Phillies pitchers throw it an MLB-leading 19.8 percent of the time), the team currently boasts the sixth-ranked pitching staff in the NL by ERA (3.86).
Next: Old Meets New