Interesting fellow, this Rudy Seanez.After passing a physical and signing a one-year contract, the new Phillies reliever held court for a few minutes before batting practice yesterday. Among other things, Seanez, released by the Dodgers last week, said he would've retired after 16 seasons in the majors if he hadn't received a phone call from an interested team by Monday night. (The Phillies contacted him last Friday). Never mind that he made a career-high 73 appearances and posted a more-than-respectable 3.79 ERA for the Dodgers last season. If his phone didn't ring before Letterman was over Monday night, he was calling it quits.
"I was pretty much done," he said. "I was going to stay in shape until Sunday night, and if nobody called by Monday, I was done, man."
OK. So, does Seanez have any post-baseball plans?
He'd like to become an ultimate fighter.
No kidding.
Since 1997, Seanez has spent offseasons training at the San Diego Fight Club in El Cajon, Calif., where he works with former King of the Cage champion Charlie Kohler. Seanez is no slouch, either. Rumor has it, he doesn't wear headgear while sparring. He has met other ultimate fighters through Dodgers pitcher Brad Penny, and he said competing in that arena is something he may want to pursue after he finally stops pitching.
"Maybe one day. We'll see if I can hold up. It would be probably submission fighting first," Seanez said. "I don't want to end up on the mat, out cold. I need to get some training time in first. They just don't let anybody fight there, man. Those guys are pretty good."
Meanwhile, Charlie Manuel remembers Seanez as a flame-throwing 18-year-old pitcher in the minors. In 1990, he pitched for Manuel in Class AAA and routinely hit 100 mph on the radar gun. "When we had him warming up at Colorado Springs, our mound was on the right-field line and we were in the dugout," Manuel recalled. "When we made him the closer, he'd be whisking balls right by my head. I'd tell someone to tell Seanez to sit down."
But if Seanez pitches as well for the Phillies as lefty J.C. Romero did last season after being picked up off the reliever scrap heap, Manuel won't be shy about calling for him to warm up.
*
Spoke to farm director Steve Noworyta before last night's game and got an answer to "Gkit's" question in the comments section of a previous post: Zack Segovia is starting the season in extended spring training because his velocity isn't quite up to snuff after right shoulder surgery last Sept. 19.
*
Speaking of the minors, each of the Phillies' full-season minor-league clubs get things started tonight. J.A. Happ will start for Class AAA Lehigh Valley in Scranton, while Drew Carpenter goes for Class AA Reading in Altoona. Joe Savery will start for advanced-Class A Clearwater at home, and Drew Naylor will take the ball at home for Class A Lakewood.
1 comment:
Seanez is too old, but in Gillick's eyes, he's a young phenom. Gillick will keep the Phillies from winning the division again. He needs to go, the game has passsed him by.
Post a Comment