Interview With Steven Ellis: What It's Like To Be a Former Minor Leaguer

Steven Ellis is a former pitching pro for the Chicago Cubs.

Armed with a 94-mph fastball, he was a good prospect for the Cubs, but an arm injury overtook him and ended his career. He now has written seven books about pitching (the most notable being the TuffCuff Strength & Conditoning Manual), and he runs what is often called the best website about pitching on the web, thecompletepitcher.com.

His website includes a discussion forum, where you can ask anything about pitching to just about anybody. I am member of his site, and after messaging him a couple of times, he agreed to do this interview through email. 

1. So who helped you develop the workouts that developed your 94 mph heater?

The workouts I followed can be found in my book, "The TUFFCUFF Strength & Conditioning Manual for Baseball Pitchers," which is  based on four MLB workouts (Cubs, Red Sox, Cardinals, Rangers) and the International Performance Institute in Florida.

2. How did you get the shoulder injury that ended your career?

It was a freak accident, unfortunately. And although I was throwing in the low 90's mph following surgery, I wasn't recovering from bullpen sessions and inter-squad games as quickly as I would have liked. So instead of opting for a second surgery, I got married and went to work for my family's software company.

  3. What was the name of that injury, in particular?

Frayed labrum.

  4. What did you love about the minors and college ball?

Pitching in front of 12,000-16,000 people.

  5. What did you loathe about the minors and college? (Come on you have to have had at least 1 pet peeve )

Pay was very poor; you had to live off of your signing bonus, which if you're in the minors for more than 2 years gets tough.

  6. Would you change anything if you could play baseball again?

Nope. I enjoy coaching and helping people through my websites. To get and stay in the kind of physical shape that's required is the hardest part.

  7. Does Jered Weaver really land closed?

It depends on your definition of closed.

  8. Name your all-time greatest moment in baseball.

Facing guys like Chase Utley and Ryan Howard in college; playing with guys like Carlos Marmol, Dontrelle Willis and Mark Prior, etc., in pro ball; pitching the game that got us to the Missouri State High School Baseball Championship final when I was in high school; getting drafted by the A's, and then again the next year by the Cubs; going to a Div. 1 college on a full baseball scholarship. There are lots of moments...

  9. Who was your closest teammate and/or friend during your journey to the Show?

Carmen Pignatiello who's an MLB pitcher and Craig Hawkins who was drafted by the Twins.

  10. What other pitches did you throw besides the 94-mph heater?

Circle change and knuckle curve ball.

  11. Did you have a high leg kick, low leg kick? Point out something special in your delivery.

Very compact motion, I pitched from the stretch all the time (I was a closer).

  12.  Did you have warm-up/ walk-up music in the minors? If so, what was your song?

It varied from season to season, but was usually heavy metal -- something to get me pumped up (not that I needed it). I always pitched with an intensity, which is what allowed me to be a successful closer and fit that role perfectly ... and a 95-96 mph fastball.

  13. Do you have any other hobbies rather than the whole baseball/website thing?

Downhill skiing, running marathons.

  14. Who is your favorite pitcher to watch in the majors to watch right now?

Mariano Rivera. He's one cool cat under a lot of pressure. Yet it doesn't faze him.

  15. Can you give any advice to young pitchers (including me!) who want to make it to the Major Leagues?

Got to have a good hard fastball with late breaking movement to have a shot. So doing things now like throwing every day to build durability in your arm is important. Then develop an off-speed pitch like a changeup. You should be able to throw your off-speed pitch in any situation with complete confidence. If you can't throw it in full-count situations with the bases loaded -- you need to keep working on it. You also need to be observant and try to learn something new every day, every practice, every game. The more you learn, the more natural it will be for you to be on the mound in any situation.  Obviously, just keep working hard --  and remember to throw!

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