NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Mavericks pitching coach Rod White talks with starting pitcher Ethan Bromley during the Mavericks home opener May 29. Bromley picked up the victory on the mound as the Mavs beat the Moose Jaw Miller Express 9-3.
The Medicine Hat Mavericks have a doctor on their coaching staff. A pitching doctor that is.
Mavericks pitching coach Rod White received the title from a pitcher at San Diego State, Eldridge Armstrong III, who he worked with to increase velocity and command while limiting injury. With a background in biomechanics, kinesiology and exercise science, White says he is able to coach players while also helping them stay healthy.
“I’m like Greg (Morrison, Mavericks owner) I’ve always been trying to figure out, ‘OK, how did you get injured, how do we help somebody else not get injured,’” White said. “Since the time that I’ve been doing this stuff, I’ve had zero arm injuries and I officially became the doctor a couple of years ago, but I’ve been doing the same thing for probably the last 10-15 years, zero arm injuries.”
White was a two sport Div. I athlete who quit football due to a shoulder injury that would not heal, and began to solely focus on a baseball career that also, after injury, forced him into coaching.
He said trying to rely on information and data can be like pulling teeth as coaches and players can be ignorant when it comes to their own game — something he says is the complete opposite with the Mavs.
“I see how you handle your practices, I can tell right then and there if you know something. I’ve seen old guys that clearly know the game and I’ve seen old guys that clearly don’t. I’ve seen young guys that know the game and I’ve seen young guys that clearly don’t,” White said. “I would say for Medicine Hat, you have something that you need to really embrace, everybody doesn’t have a Mavericks, everybody doesn’t have a Greg here, who’s trying to help promote it, push it, and when you do have it, appreciate it.”
White said his approach so far with the Mavericks has been building relationships with the players so his words and advice mean more.
“One of the first things that I got them to buy into is when we did our stretches, I taught them several stretches. Some of them said, ‘never felt like this,’” White said.“Nobody’s ever showed them this. So when you’re able to show them instead of just telling them how the body operates and how they can be better, they begin to listen. We just finished our first official workout as a pitching staff today at Temple Fitness and the guys are freakin’ loving it. So when you can see they’re bonding and there’s nobody pushing away. ‘Oh, I don’t want to do that. Oh, I don’t think that works.’ I think that’s when we’re becoming that staff that I look to build everything with.”
White said he’s already planned to return next summer with the Mavs because he wants to build the program for the community.
Coaching is in White’s blood as he follows in the footsteps of his father Raymond White, the third winningest basketball coach in the state of Alabama. White says his father only counts his varsity team stats and if he claimed the JV teams he coached, he would be No. 1.
The Alabama product has often been the most dressed up Maverick to start the season and says it’s one of the many things he learned from his dad, who wore a suit every game as a coach.
“No matter how high you get, stay grounded. You’re never better than anyone, you’re never worse than anyone,” said White, another tip from his father.“Come out and compete every day, you’re here to prove that as a ball player you’re better than the next guy by beating them. But you’re never personally better than another person.”
With his free time away from the game, White is either calling his family or beating assistant coach Michael Forgione in pool. White says his family, wife Tamara, daughters Precious and Alani and his eight-month-old granddaughter Paisley-Grace are looking to come to Medicine Hat for a game this season.
The Mavericks hosted the Edmonton Prospects Wednesday evening at Athletic Park and lost 9-8.
The Mavs are back in action tonight in Lethbridge against the Bulls before hosting the Brooks Bombers on Friday at Athletic Park. That game gets underway at 7:05 p.m.
