Sports

Angels hope Aaron Loup’s addition to bullpen results in zero-sum game

Published

2 years ago

March 16, 2022

TEMPE, Ariz. —

Aaron Loup marvels at his numbers with the New York Mets final season, a lot in order that the brand new Angels left-hander nonetheless is scratching his head six months after turning into solely the fifth reliever within the final 10 years — and twelfth since 1950 — to throw 50 innings or extra with an earned-run common of lower than 1.00.

“It’s loopy,” stated Loup, who will play a key short-relief function for the Angels after signing a two-year, $17-million deal in November. “A number of issues should go proper for that to occur. I’ve to pitch effectively, however on the similar time, if you go away a sport with guys on base, the fellows coming in after it’s important to assist out.

“It’s not simply me — it was everyone, particularly the fellows taking part in protection behind me, as a result of I strike guys out, however I’m not a strikeout pitcher. I pitch to contact more often than not. I’m attempting to get out and in of there in 10 pitches or much less.”

Loup, 34, doesn’t have the overwhelming repertoire normally related to a sub-1.00 ERA. The toughest pitch he throws out of his low-three-quarters-arm slot is a two-seam sinking fastball that averaged 92.4 mph final season, a pitch he enhances with an 84.7-mph reduce fastball, 79.9-mph changeup and 75.6-mph curve.

The opposite 4 relievers with sub-1.00 ERAs within the final decade have been hard-throwing closers or major setup males — Blake Treinen (0.78 in 80-1/3 innings with Oakland in 2018), Zack Britton (0.54 in 67 innings with Baltimore in 2016), Wade Davis (0.94 in 67-1/3 innings with Kansas Metropolis in 2015) and Fernando Rodney (0.60 in 74-2/3 innings with Tampa Bay in 2012).

But, there was Loup with a zero in entrance of his ERA and nil saves final yr, the 10-year veteran going 6-0 with a 0.95 ERA in 65 video games, placing out 57 and strolling 16 in 56-2/3 innings and limiting opposing hitters to a .192 common and .501 on-base-plus-slugging proportion.

“Perhaps the [velocity] quantity on the board doesn’t actually compute, however every thing else does,” Angels supervisor Joe Maddon stated. “I believe that is the place [analytics] shine — they provide the capability to clarify why he’s nearly as good as he’s and perceive why hitters have such a troublesome time towards him.

“I believe that’s why you’re seeing different guys turning into extra profitable that possibly have been good pitchers however abruptly are considered in a different way, as a result of they have been capable of obtain info that doesn’t essentially change a pitch they’re throwing, however possibly the frequency of it and the situation of it advantages them.”

Loup acknowledges that his 2020 season with the Rays, who’ve been on the forefront of the analytics revolution, performed a key function in his improvement, however so did his mastery of a comparatively new pitch, a wholesome elbow and a renewed confidence.

Loup, who grew up in Raceland, La., and performed faculty ball at Tulane, was efficient with a three-pitch combine in his first eight seasons with Toronto, going 12-20 with a 3.47 ERA in 369 video games from 2012-18.

In 2017, on the recommendation of then-Blue Jays bullpen coach Dane Johnson, he started throwing a cutter, a pitch that breaks left to proper and paired effectively together with his sinking fastball, which breaks proper to left.

“He’d been wanting me to strive it for some time, and for no matter purpose I used to be reluctant, however I did it, and it modified my profession,” Loup stated. “I’ve that good two-seamer, sinker, and now I’ve an analogous pitch that holds that very same lane however goes in the wrong way.”

Loup signed with San Diego in 2019 however pitched in solely 4 video games earlier than struggling a flexor pressure and present process season-ending surgical procedure.

He signed a minor league take care of the Rays in 2020 and went 3-2 with a 2.57 ERA in 22 video games of the pandemic-shortened season. He had a 3.38 ERA in 9 playoff video games, together with 4 World Collection appearances towards the Dodgers.

New York Mets’ Aaron Loup seems up as he returns to the dugout through the seventh inning towards the Philadelphia Phillies on Sept. 19, 2021, in New York.

(Jason DeCrow / Related Press)

“An enormous a part of that was being wholesome, however previous to that, I had by no means been uncovered to the entire analytic aspect,” Loup stated. “I at all times had an thought in my head how my stuff performed and the way I ought to use it, however with the ability to go there and really see it and the right way to higher apply it, you type of grasp and perceive what’s occurring.

“It was like, if I’m dealing with a right-handed hitter and I throw two sinkers in, abruptly I can throw that cutter off the identical lane, and also you suppose you’re getting the sinker, and abruptly it goes the opposite method. They confirmed me various things to make you extra environment friendly and use your repertoire higher.”

Loup carried that method to New York, the place he credited Mets catchers James McCann and Tomas Nido with serving to him combine pitches to grow to be much more unpredictable and inspiring him to assault the zone with strike one.

An angle adjustment after Loup’s first sport of the season, through which he yielded a single, a success batter, two unearned runs and blew a save in a 5-3 loss to the Phillies on April 5, additionally helped.

“I went house after that night time and I spotted, you’ve pitched in all these conditions, and you already know what it is advisable do to get out of those conditions and pitch effectively,” Loup stated. “The boldness enhance type of triggered in me.”

Loup thrived in visitors, holding batters to a .183 common (17 for 93) with males on base, a .183 mark (11 for 60) with runners in scoring place and a .125 common (two for 16) with the bases loaded.

“I appear to pitch higher when my again is towards the wall and there’s no room for error,” Loup stated. “It tends to carry out the perfect in me, for no matter purpose.”

Although his monitor document and expertise would possibly warrant a conventional setup function in entrance of Angels nearer Raisel Iglesias, Loup is predicted to pitch wherever from the fifth via ninth innings.

“I just like the idea of a middle-inning nearer, if you’re capable of shut video games down within the center innings,” Maddon stated. “This man simply needs to pitch. He doesn’t care when it’s.”

Loup made that clear in a gathering with Maddon, pitching coach Matt Smart and normal supervisor Perry Minasian at the start of camp.

“I advised them I don’t want a task,” Loup stated. “Should you want me to throw the fifth, the ninth, I don’t care. I simply need to pitch, to compete. I get pleasure from being the man who you go to when issues go sideways and also you’re not actual certain what to do and it is advisable hit the panic button.”

Sports

Texans' C.J. Stroud reveals how Snoop Dogg played vital role in his NFL career

Published

3 hours ago

July 5, 2024

Press Room

Texans' C.J. Stroud reveals how Snoop Dogg played vital role in his NFL career

One, two, three to the four … Snoop Doggy Dogg and C.J. Stroud are at the door.

If the NFL were to do over a draft, the Houston Texans quarterback might be the first overall pick.

Stroud led his squad to the playoffs with an outstanding rookie season, and it should surprise nobody if, and likely when, he is in the MVP conversation this season.

Before becoming one of the best young talents in the NFL, he was dominating youth football, but not just any league.

C.J. Stroud played in the Snoop Youth Football League as a child. (Getty Images)

The league he played in, the Snoop Youth Football League, was founded by Snoop Dogg.

Stroud and Snoop are both Southern California natives, and Stroud is credited for his ability to “understand people for whatever they really are.”

“I’m able to kind of relate to people really well. God has blessed me with that skill,” Stroud recently told ESPN.

When he left his original youth league to find more competition, Snoop’s league was a match.

“I was so competitive and wanted to win, so I was like, ‘I have to find a way to be a leader and relate to these guys.’ That was my first step. … It was good for me to learn, this is how you build a brotherhood. I wasn’t even thinking about that back then. But now that I’m older, that’s what that was,” he said.

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud warms up before a 2024 AFC divisional round game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore Jan. 20, 2024. (Tommy Gilligan/USA Today Sports)

TOM BRADY SUFFERS DEFEAT IN FOOTBALL GAME AHEAD OF MICHAEL RUBIN’S ANNUAL STAR-STUDDED FOURTH OF JULY PARTY

“The Snoop Dogg league was super instrumental in C.J.’s journey,” Stroud’s mother, Kimberly, said. “It was a village that raised C.J. Stroud, and it wasn’t just his mother. It was mainly God, but he put people on our path to help C.J. along his journey. The Snoop Dogg league was one of those.”

Stroud’s on-field talent speaks for itself, but Snoop is most impressed with Stroud’s character.

“It’s special because [Stroud] is exactly what we breed kids to be,” Snoop said. “Good students, good athletes, respecting their elders, their parents and being a great listener. C.J. was a great listener. That’s why he’s translating on that football field into a great leader. I like to get information from him because he’s the future. … So, to be able to tap in with the youth and stay active, that’s a gift, and I love the fact that my football league has created that.”

Snoop Dogg during WrestleMania Goes Hollywood at SoFi Stadium April 1, 2023, in Inglewood, Calif. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Stroud threw for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns his rookie season and figures to improve on each of those numbers after the Texans acquired Stefon Diggs in the offseason.

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Sports

St. John Bosco's Brandon McCoy keeps contributing at FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup

Published

4 hours ago

July 5, 2024

Press Room

St. John Bosco's Brandon McCoy keeps contributing at FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup

Already ranked among the top three high school basketball players from the class of 2026, Brandon McCoy of St. John Bosco is having a summer to remember playing for the United States’ U17 national team at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup in Turkey.

On Friday, he had 12 points, six rebounds and four assists to help his team advance to the semifinals with an 111-60 win over Canada.

McCoy’s versatility and unselfishness continues to show up on a team full of stars. The U.S. will play New Zealand in Saturday’s semifinals in Istanbul.

Sports

Army veteran reaches new heights with Soldiers to Sidelines charity: ‘Puts our veterans at the forefront’

Published

9 hours ago

July 5, 2024

Press Room

Army veteran reaches new heights with Soldiers to Sidelines charity: ‘Puts our veterans at the forefront’

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Maurice Allen has worn many different hats in life. He is a U.S. Army veteran, a husband, a father and a football coach.

He is also a “soldier coach.”

Allen, a retired Army communications specialist, is just one of the more than 1,800 “soldier coaches” certified through the veteran charity Soldiers to Sidelines that was able to find a renewed purpose after his military service.

Maurice Allen enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2012 and served for four years, which included his deployment to Afghanistan in 2014-15. (Maurice Allen)

“I played high school football. I kind of always knew I wanted to be a coach. I was going to go to play college football out of high school and instead went active duty Army and was stationed at Fort Hood,” Allen told Fox News Digital in an interview.

Allen put his dream of coaching on hold to serve his country and, eventually, to pursue his education. He enlisted in 2012 and served for four years, which included his deployment to Afghanistan in 2014-15.

His story is like many others. However, after completing his service, Allen knew he wanted to return to coaching. With that in mind, he earned his Bachelor’s degree and a Masters of Education in Sports Administration at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and later an Education Specialist degree from Valdosta State University.

During that time, however, Allen was looking for something that was just for veterans. That was when he came across Soldiers to Sidelines.

He reached out to Harrison Bernstein, the president and founder of Soldiers to Sidelines, a veteran service charity organization whose mission is to provide a renewed sense of purpose to members of the military community through coaching while also serving the youth community.

They kept in contact and, eventually, Allen was able to attend one of the Soldiers to Sidelines seminars.

“It’s just an amazing organization that really puts our veterans at the forefront. And it’s something that I strongly believe in, and it’s just been an amazing opportunity.”

The program is free and is available to veterans, service members, military spouses and gold-star families. (Soldiers to Sidelines)

SOLDIERS TO SIDELINES FOUNDER ON A MISSION TO HELP VETERANS AND GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY

Bernstein told Fox News Digital that the idea for a coaching program designed for service members came about in 2010 after his time with the Washington Commanders, where he served as an assistant strength and conditioning coach for three years.

“I was coaching high school football and a colleague of mine was adamant about helping out service members in the area get involved in coaching football, because the news was just riddled with people coming back from the Middle East looking for purpose, looking for a way to reconnect and to find some renewed happiness and purpose,” Bernstein explained.

“And so it was actually a colleague who suggested that we bring some of the local veterans out to high school football practice and make them part of the team and teach them how to coach football.”

Bernstein admitted that he was not initially interested in the idea. He was working on perfecting his own coaching technique with the hopes of returning to the NFL. But after much persistence, Bernstein obliged and held a seminar that just six people attended. To his surprise, Bernstein’s plans for his future had shifted in that moment and Soldiers to Sidelines was born.

More than 1,800 soldier coaches have now been certified through the program across eight different sports. Veterans make up 38% of certified coaches, while retired and active duty make up another 25% and 27%.

The program is free and available to veterans, service members, military spouses, and gold-star families. After completing the certification process, Soldiers to Sidelines offers continued learning with online coursework, webinars, workshops and more.

Those who have completed the certification process have gone on to coach at all levels. For Bernstein, though, the most impact can be seen in those who coach at the youth level.

Maurice Allen is the head football coach at South Paulding High School in Georgia. (Maurice Allen)

Allen currently serves as the head football coach at South Paulding High School in Georgia. He previously coached at different 5A-8A schools across Texas, Florida and Georgia. However, in the spring, Soldiers to Sidelines helped to introduce him to a new opportunity.

Allen became the first soldier coach to land an internship with an NFL team, the New York Jets. He worked with the team during mandatory minicamp and OTAs.

“It was just really, really intriguing just to see how they operate and how they practice, the coaching points and how intricate it is coming from high school up to the NFL,” Allen said. “But just to see the level of detail preparation and the ins and outs of the program and how they communicate with each other and the coaching staff communicate. And it was by far one of the best experiences that I’ve been a part of and made some really good connections and got to learn.”

Maurice Allen was the first “soldier coach” to get an internship with an NFL team this past spring. (Maurice Allen)

Allen said the experience opened his eyes to the possibility of coaching at the highest level. For now, he is taking all that he learned and repurposing that knowledge within his own community. He is also looking to continue spreading the mission of Soldiers to Sidelines.

“There’s a team outside of the military that you can join and be a part of, and that’s Soldiers to Sidelines,” Allen said of those service members transitioning out of the military.

“It gives you a purpose, and you can touch so many lives, whether it be youth, middle school, high school, college or the NFL. There’s so many lives and so many people that you can come in contact with and impact. So my message for any veteran out there that is interested or looking to transition, or even if you’re still active duty and you’re coaching a youth or middle school team, Soldiers to Sidelines is for you.”

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