February 2, 2014
Thanks to a mechanical change in his delivery, RHP Ian Kadish found success in 2013 with the Lansing Lugnuts.
Being passed over in the MLB draft can be tough on a young baseball player. While many players get an opportunity to play as an undrafted free agent, the task of making it to the majors seems near impossible for some. But for right-handed pitcher Ian Kadish it’s motivation.
Since joining the Blue Jays organization in 2011, Kadish has driven himself to prove everybody wrong. He continued to grow as a player in 2013, completing his first full season of baseball, which saw him go through a bit of a mechanical change in his delivery. A change successfully implemented by Lugnuts’ pitching coach Vince Horsman.
“Vince wanted me to stay more in line with the plate,” he said. “In the past I had some command problems, but Vince and I worked them out. Total thanks to Vince and the organization for letting me work through the issue. It’s definitely a change for the better.”
The coaching worked out well for Kadish who walked only 15 batters in 67 innings of work in his first full season. The Cincinnati, Ohio native led all Lugnuts’ relievers with 79 strikeouts and a respectable 3.36 ERA.
The great 2013 season should come as little surprise as Kadish had a busy 2012 off-season preparing for his 2013. The 25-year old spent time in the instructional league as well as the Arizona Fall League, two experiences he speaks highly of.
“The instructional league was awesome because it offered a lot of one-on-one coaching. I learned a lot from the guys down there that I could use towards my career,” he said, adding, “The AFL is unbelievable. Probably my best baseball moment ever, going from low-A to facing big league caliber hitters from AA and AAA. I learned a lot. I have to give credit to Jon Nunnally who taught me a lot. That whole experience taught me what I needed to do to get to the big leagues because I held my own down there. It was a great experience and I was very thankful for it.”
“I think I learned more out there than I have in the last 10 years of baseball.”
As a member of the Lugnuts’ in 2012 and 2013, the right-hander commented on the similarities and differences he seen from both teams.
“The one thing I’ve noticed is everybody gets along. Everybody has the same goal and everybody gets frustrated when we’re not winning. Nobody is happy with losing, but the drive and desire is still there with both teams,” he said. “The differences I’ve seen are we’re younger in the field this [past] year. In 2012 we were younger on the pitching staff and this [past] year’s pitching staff is older especially the bullpen.”
Also being a member of the 2012 Lugnuts’ Kadish commented on the Blue Jays busy off-season in 2012 that saw three of his teammates traded with Justin Nicolino, Anthony DeSclafani, and Noah Syndergaard all finding new homes.
Kadish and (Arik) Sikura have been teammates since college. Kadish mentioned that he has enjoyed having a friend in the system.
“I was shocked when I heard the news. I still talk to all three of them today. They were three of my best friends in the organization, but they’re all doing well with their new teams and it’s great to see them continuing to succeed. I couldn’t be happier for them.”
An aspect Kadish enjoys about his journey in the Blue Jays organization is having fellow reliever Arik Sikula with him at every level he’s pitched at in the system. The two were college teammates and roommates at Marshall University and the friendship continues in the Blue Jays organization.
“It’s good. We have been together at every level we been at. We went to college together and we were roommates at Marshall,” he said. “We played summer ball together after our junior year. Then we were at Bluefield and Vancouver together, now Lansing. We have played seven years together; it feels like having a brother with you. We know each other better than anyone else here. It’s good having somebody you can relate too and have a bond with. It makes everything a lot easier for sure.”
As Kadish prepares for spring training he was excited to spend time with his family in Cincinnati. The busy 2012 off-season made it hard for him to spend a considerable amount of time with his family that’s very close to one another.
“I’m going home to Cincinnati to spend some time with the family. I haven’t been home in a long time. I’m going to take a couple weeks off and get back into it.”
Hopefully, Kadish enjoys his time at home and is ready to get back to work at spring training in the upcoming weeks.