Chris Bassitt used Yusmeiro Petit’s workout regimen to get through baseball’s shutdown period, meaning he threw tons of long toss and ran and ran and ran some more.
The A’s swingman didn’t have the facilities or ability to throw to live hitters while the country largely sheltered in place in the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic, so he made the best of what he had working out near his Ohio home.
Bassitt reported to A’s summer camp in fantastic shape using the Petit method, which the pair can be seen employing to this day.
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Bassitt picked a good example to follow.
Petit knows what he’s doing. The Venezuelan has played 12 major-league seasons to this point, filling almost every role imaginable on a pitching staff. He has been a starter and a bullpen fireman capable of working short or extended periods. While he’s normally a bridge to the later innings, the 35-year old even has six saves to his credit.
He has excelled pitching relatively insignificant innings and in a playoff pressure cooker. Petit’s always ready, always in shape, always comfortable taking the ball in any situation.
“Petit has the ability to do whatever you ask of him and he’s ready to go whatever it takes to win ball games,” A’s pitching coach Scott Emerson. “He doesn’t care about his role. When the phone rings, Petit’s ready to go.”
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That ability must be prevalent throughout an A’s bullpen that’s vital to success in a shortened 60-game baseball season. That’s especially true early on when starting pitchers aren’t fully stretched out.
The A’s hope their frontline pitchers can throw 75-85 pitches to start the year. Efficiency will determine innings eaten, though a long reliever seems crucial to survival in the early going.
The A’s are stretching out several pitchers for key bridge roles, where two or three innings will be required from one man. Setting up tandems are a short-term gain but ultimately aren’t sustainable, but the volume of A’s relievers capable of going long sets them up well until the starters are ready to go the distance.
Daniel Mengden’s a starter at heart but is prepped for a longer-relief role in 2020. The A’s are preparing Burch Smith and J.B. Wendelken and T.J. McFarland to perform those functions. Lou Trivino can go two innings in a pinch. Phenom Jesus Luzardo will be an option as he ramps up in-season to a starter’s role after missing roughly two weeks quarantined with a positive coronavirus test. Bassitt will take his bullpen spot in time and can bail out any starter struggling in early innings.
And, of course, Petit will be poised to pitch in any situation.
“The key is to be mentally ready for it,” Petit said. “When I get on the mound, I’m not thinking about the manager giving me one inning. I’m prepared for three or four every time. When he takes me out, I say, ‘Okay, I’ll be ready for the next day or the next two.’ That mentality is key for me. I want to be positive and ready for all work that is given to me in the moment.”
Everyone coming out of the A’s bullpen would be wise to employ a similar mindset. Petit says he’s trying to stretch out like a starter while maintaining a reliever’s routine. Petit’s playing catch every day and, as always, long-tossing and running a ton.
While starters and closers may get most of the press, Petit’s as vital as anyone on the pitching staff. That’s especially true if younger players follow in the footsteps of a leader by example.
“You ask him to do something and he’s there for you,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “He’s conditioned to go up to three innings. He has thrown more on call before, in the past. He doesn’t look any different, either. He has made some mechanical adjustments [to prevent possibly tipping pitches] that he thinks will make him better. He’s constantly striving to get better and has gotten better as his career has gone along. He has pitched in World Series games and in a number of roles.
“It doesn’t surprise me that he’s getting ready in a fashion that is a bit different this year, with the starters not going as long. He’ll be prepared for that. He’s a terrific player not only performance-wise, but also in terms of his work ethic, his personality and the respect he gets in the clubhouse.”
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Petit is the gold standard for longevity among longer relievers and will pace a talented young group essential to the A’s winning games in an odd season where every contest is magnified.
“We have lots of different guys who throw well,” Petit said. “We have a special bullpen, especially over 60 games because everybody can throw a lot and throw well in any situation. We have the possibility we can win a lot of games.”