Joe Maddon

Really, I still love the changeup, fastball changeup, curveball, then slider, cutter.

That's my preference when it comes to teaching a young pitcher.

I think you're going to keep a healthier arm longer, and you're going to be able to develop better command that way also.

And a curveball, to me, really is a great pitch to the opposite side hitter.

The slider is a better pitch normally to the same side hitter.

Or is a good leader a good leader regardless?

A good leader is a good leader regardless, but on a middle-of-the-road team,

Okay, you need that in order to have them not be a middle-of-the-road team anymore.

When I was with the Devil Rays into the Rays, we'd get to the World Series in 2008.

Check our record in 2006 and 2007.

Really not that impressive.

The difference was, I mean, obviously Andrew made some good deals.

He got Garza, he got Bartlett, the Ascension of Longo, Carl Crawford, BJ, Carlos Payne.

Had a great group in there.

But...

The ascension of those guys was so important, however,

Cliff Lloyd, Troy Percival, Eric Hinsky, were the hugest difference makers in that season.

Nobody talks about it.

I mean, it's coming to bear right now with Cliff because it was asked the question, but all three of those guys were dynamic in the Ascension and Danny Wheeler.

The reason why the race turned it around, biggest reason was seven, eight was because of Danny Wheeler.