RSN: You were drafted in 2004 and proceeded to go 0-4, 10.90 in 20 appearances at Lowell. To put it bluntly, why was your first season of pro ball so poor?
MJ: A lot of it was that I wasn’t attacking hitters. Instead of getting ahead in the count, I was falling behind a lot, which got me in trouble. My numbers hadn’t been all that good my senior year in college, so I think I was trying to be too picky with the location of my pitches. I wasn’t as confident as I should have been.
RSN: Do you think fatigue may have also been a factor?
MJ: It’s possible. I had only pitched 100 innings that year in college, which isn’t really that many, but I hadn’t done that before, either. So it may have been part of it.
RSN: You were converted from a closer to a starter your senior year at the University of Connecticut. Why, and what impact did that have on your development as a pitcher?
MJ: That was a decision that the coaches and I had made. We felt at the time that I could benefit the team better as a starter. As far as my development, I think it probably set me back a little. I had tried a few new things that year mechanically -- some of those things I still use -- but in 2005 I went back more towards the way I threw as a closer in college, which is more comfortable.
RSN: What were your expectations going into the 2005 season, and were you concerned that you might get released if you didn't pitch well in the spring?
MJ: Yes, I was definitely concerned about getting released going into 2005. I knew they have to release some guys every spring, and I’m sure I had the worst numbers in the organization the year before, but I also knew that I was capable of pitching a lot better than I had. So, when I went into spring training I made sure that I made the most out of each outing and that I pitched by attacking hitters. The difference in my last two seasons, compared with my first one, is that I came after hitters, threw strikes and kept hitters off balance.
RSN: How much does confidence, or lack of confidence, influence a pitcher's mechanics?
MJ: Confidence can have some influence on mechanics, especially when you try to be too fine with pitches. If you lack conviction, you’re not going to throw the ball like you want. You’ll try to guide the ball too much instead of letting it come out of your hand like it should. You’ll try to place it too much.
RSN: Can hitters smell fear?
MJ: I don't necessarily think that they smell fear, but if you fall behind hitters a lot and throw fastballs over the plate they’re going to be hit somewhere. The more you can get ahead of hitters, the better off you'll be.
RSN: Despite putting up great numbers in Wilmington, you weren’t promoted to Portland during the season. How disappointing was that?
MJ: Being promoted is something that I can't control, and therefore do not worry about. Worrying isn’t going to do you any good in baseball. Bob Tewksbury talks about how you need to focus on what you can control -- not what you can’t. The only thing that I can control is my pitching. Each day that I am told to pitch, I go out and pitch as well as I can.
RSN: How would you describe yourself as a pitcher, including repertoire and velocity?
MJ: I definitely pitch off my fastball, a 4-seam and a 2-seam, which is mostly around 91-92 and touches 94. I can throw my change in any count, behind or ahead, and I believe the velocity is in the low 80s. My curve I'll mainly throw ahead in the count, but will definitely start off a hitter with one, too. Its velocity is in the high 70s.
RSN: Looking at your splits, you’ve been very effective against left-handed hitters the past two seasons. Why is that?
MJ: Honestly, the biggest thing for me is keeping hitters off balance by mixing speeds and location. I do throw more changes to left-handers than right-handed hitters, for the simple reason that my change runs away to the lefty.
RSN: Growing up in Georgia, how did you end up at the University of Connecticut?
MJ: My summer coach at East Cobb, John Ihlenburg, who was an All-American at UConn in the early 70s, referenced me there.
RSN: You were drafted in 2003 but didn't sign. Why did you stay for your senior year rather than turn pro, and what did you study?
MJ: I was drafted by the now Nationals in ‘03, but my reasoning is that I wanted to finish school. I studied Environmental Engineering, which is what my degree is in.
RSN: You were teammates with Mike Leonard, who is now catching in the Red Sox system, at Connecticut. Tell us a little about Mike.
MJ: He's a great guy, we were teammates all four years at UConn and he's pretty much the only guy I threw to in college. He's a very solid catcher all around. It's takes a lot of strain off a pitcher to know that there's a guy behind the plate that can block the ball, receive, throw runners out and score runs for you.
RSN: Spring training is coming up in less than two months. What is a typical day like at the minor league camp?
MJ: A typical day usually starts around 6:30 or 7am. Some guys get in before camp starts, to lift, if they don't they lift after. But we all go to our fields and stretch, which is usually around 9am. After stretch we work on drills and situations at different stations. Hitters will hit on the field or cage, and pitchers throw off the mounds. Then there is conditioning at the end. It's a simple schedule, but a lot of hard work.
RSN: What are your goals for the 2007 season?
MJ: To go out and attack hitters, throw strikes and change speeds. If those things happen I should hopefully have a decent year.
RSN: When Mike James isn't playing baseball, what are we likely to find him doing?
MJ: Most of the time you would find me working, working out, eating and sleeping. Nothing real exciting, but I keep busy.
RSN: What is your favorite memory from the 2006 season?
MJ: One of the best memories I have is from this year when we won the first half in Wilmington. But it's not so much that we won -- it's how we won it. I believe we were four games back or something, and we won the last eight games in a row to pull it off. We, as a team, pulled together and played some great baseball. It's awesome to watch and be a part of a team when everything clicks together.