Chris Rusin’s name was mentioned, and Walt Weiss, former manager of the Rockies and current bench coach for the Braves, flashed a smile.
“I called him the Swiss Army Knife,” Weiss said. “He can fill any role you need on your pitching staff.”
The emergence of Rusin as a key part of the Rockies’ pitching staff is, in part, due to Weiss.
The Rockies claimed Rusin on waivers from the Chicago Cubs in September of 2014. The following season he primarily worked in the rotation for the Rockies with mixed results. When he was good, Rusin was really good and when he was bad…
Well, he finished the season with a 5-10 record and a 5.62 ERA, which was blown out of whack by those seven non-quality starts he had in losses, during which he had a 12.71 ERA.
Weiss spent the winter mulling around the puzzle of Rusin, and in the spring of 2016, he made a suggestion to pitching coach Steve Foster and bullpen coach Darren Holmes.
“I had seen some pitchers use the quick pitch during my (playing career), and I liked the concept,” said Weiss. “I told Foster we needed to see if certain guys could do it, and Rusin was the perfect guy to try it. He is really athletic. Not anybody can do it.
“A lot of guys will try it, but it messes up their delivery. They get caught in between. It’s not as easy as it looks.”
It’s certainly not as easy as Rusin makes it look.
“Walt was the one who originally thought about working the quick pitch into Rusin’s arsenal,” said Foster. “He talked about it from a hitter’s standpoint, how it would screw up hitters if you put that wrinkle into what Rusin is capable of.
“Darren and I talked about it and liked the idea. It’s worked out pretty well, but give that credit to Chris. He’s the one who took it into the game. He didn’t hesitate at the idea.”
From Rusin’s standpoint, it was a no-brainer. He was 29 and had spent parts of four seasons in the big leagues. He knew something needed to change.
“It made sense,” said Rusin. “It was worth a try.”
Dang right, it was.
And the try turned into a staple for Rusin. Since adding the quick pitch to his arsenal and assuming a bullpen role, Rusin has become a versatile member of the Rockies’ bullpen, working short relief, long relief and anything in between, and doing it well.
He did make five spot starts in 2016, but the telling numbers are in his 89 relief appearances prior to Monday. It’s not just that he was 7-2 with a 2.95 ERA out of the bullpen, but it’s the luxury he gives current manager Bud Black.
He has made 13 appearances of three or more innings; 20 appearances of less than three innings but at least two innings; 38 appearances of less than two innings but at least one inning; and 18 appearances of less than an inning.
“When it happened, I don’t think any of us realized he would utilize it so quickly, but he did,” said Foster. “He turned it into something that is in the mind of the hitter. When you get in the hitter’s mind you have accomplished what you want. It’s not a pitch he uses over and over, but the hitter doesn’t know when it is coming. It creates an ability to slow down the bat because there is that hesitation created by the threat of the quick pitch.”
Or as Weiss put it, “The element of surprise, that’s what makes it such a good pitch.”
