Author Archives: Joe Janish

About Joe Janish

Joe Janish began MetsToday in 2005 to provide the unique perspective of a high-level player and coach -- he earned NCAA D-1 All-American honors as a catcher and coached several players who went on to play pro ball. As a result his posts often include mechanical evaluations, scout-like analysis, and opinions that go beyond the numbers. Follow Joe's baseball tips on Twitter at @onbaseball and at the On Baseball Google Plus page.

2010 Analysis: Hisanori Takahashi

Posted on November 5, 2010 by Joe Janish

Takahashi was the less-heralded Japanese pitcher signed by the Mets last winter, and some less-in-touch fans might have confused him with Ken Takahashi. But by the end of 2010, there was no confusion as to who was Hisanori Takahashi, and … Continue reading →

Posted in 2010 Mets Evaluations | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Wally Knows Motivation

Posted on November 5, 2010 by Joe Janish

Wally Backman briefly discusses his approach to players who “dog it” on the field.

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Wally Knows Keystone Coverage

Posted on November 5, 2010 by Joe Janish

This is elementary, but useful for kids and amateur coaches. Wally Backman explains how middle infielders decide who is going to cover second base in a stealing situation and how that decision is communicated.

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Wally Knows Pitching

Posted on November 5, 2010 by Joe Janish

Wally Backman shows he knows a bit about setting up batters from a pitcher’s perspective.

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Wally Knows Passion

Posted on November 4, 2010 by Joe Janish

Jon Zeringue, a former second-round pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks, explains Wally Backman’s passion for baseball and his players, comparing it to how a parent might protect his children.

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Wally Knows the Double Switch

Posted on November 4, 2010 by Joe Janish

Wally Backman knows National League (i.e., true baseball) rules. And unlike some recent Mets managers, he already is well-versed on the head-scratching “double switch” — to the point where he schools the umpire on how it works.

Posted in WallyBall | Tagged | 5 Comments

Wally Knows Homerun Hitting

Posted on November 4, 2010 by Joe Janish

In the spirit of the old Nike commercials featuring Bo Jackson, I present to you a short series of “Wally Knows …” video clips demonstrating the baseball knowledge of Mets managerial candidate Wally Backman. First up: Wally Knows Homerun Hitting … Continue reading →

Posted in WallyBall | 1 Comment

Melvin and Jauss Begin the Proceedings

Posted on November 4, 2010 by Joe Janish

According to the REAL Sandy Alderson on Twitter, the first two candidates to be interviewed for manager of the 2011 Mets are Bob Melvin and Dave Jauss. Excuse me if my heart rate drops rather than races at the hearing … Continue reading →

Posted in 10-11 Offseason | Tagged , , | 8 Comments