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Q&A: LHP, Sean Marshall By Steve Holley Publisher Date: May 7, 2004 Left-hander Sean Marshall has been on fire in his first full season of minor league ball this year. The 21-year-old Virginia native has posted a stellar 1.36 ERA in six starts while at Class A Lansing this season. Recently we caught up with Marshall, who gave us this special Q&A session.
SH: Thanks for joining me, Sean. First off, just tell us a little about yourself. Marshall: Well I was born and raised in Chesapeake, Virginia, which is about 10 minutes outside of Richmond. I grew up there and played ball there. I went to college there at Virginia Commonwealth for three years and played baseball while I was there; pretty much had three good seasons. I played with my twin brother, Brian, while I was there. He got drafted by the Red Sox, and was [VCU's] closer while I was one of their starting rotation guys. I got drafted last year – sixth round. SH: What do you feel about the difference between being a starter like yourself and a reliever like Brian? Marshall: It seems like sometimes relievers come up faster through the system than starters. Whatever job opening there is, and whatever one helps me get to the big leagues faster, I’m there. SH: You went to VCU as you mentioned. What is the best advice you received while you were there, and who has been the biggest help to you in your career? Marshall: Our pitching coach at VCU (Mark McQueen) was great. He was named National Pitching Coach of the year, and always had good things to say; good, motivational things. He always helped me out with my mechanical problems, so he’s probably one of the biggest guys that have helped me. Another was my daddy. He coached us every year we played ball as a kid, and he knew a bunch about pitching and hitting, so he’s probably the other. SH: You’re off to a sensational start this year. Do you think that being a left-hander really helps your case more than the traditional right-hander? Marshall: Oh yeah, for sure. I mean, I don’t have the power stuff because being a lefty is a bit out of the ordinary. It’s going to be helpful. If I was another right-hander, I think I could easily be just another average pitcher. SH: Wow. So growing up, who was your favorite teams and players? Marshall: Player-wise, I was a Don Mattingly fan. He wasn’t a pitcher or anything, but I always loved the way he played the game and the way he could hit and everything. I’ve never really had a favorite pitcher. I always like the left-handers, though, and watch them on TV. SH: Brian draws a lot of comparison to Graeme Lloyd. You on the other hand have been heralded as a protégé of Barry Zito. What are your thoughts on that? Marshall: I don’t directly compare myself to anybody, but yeah, a lot of people have said my curveball is a lot like Zito’s. It’s got a sweeping, 12-6 rotation. So I mean Zito is kind of who I compare myself to. He’s got an effective changeup, a good breaking ball, and not an overpowering fastball, but still one that has pretty good command. SH: So out of your repertoire, would you say the curveball is your favorite pitch? Marshall: Yeah, I get most of my strikeouts from my curveball. That’s pretty much been my bread and butter over the years. SH: Do you have any favorite sports teams or hobbies? Marshall: Not really. I never really got into much except for baseball. I play golf now and again when I get time. Favorite teams? Not really. I always liked the Cubs, so it was kind of cool to be drafted by them and to have the chance to play up at Wrigley. SH: Was there any team you DIDN’T want to be drafted by? Chadd Blasko recently told us he was a White Sox fan growing up and that he hated the Cubs - imagine that - as a kid. Marshall: Really? (laughs) I didn’t have any negative feelings about any team. Whatever team I got picked up by, I’d do my best to get to the big leagues with them. SH: We had made the comment even before the season that you have turned out to be the best pick so far from the 2003 draft and now this year has certainly done nothing to debunk that perception. Going back to college life for just a second, Adam Greenberg told us the University of North Carolina was very strict and professional in the way they conducted athletics, in particular baseball. How did that differ, if at all, to VCU? Marshall: It was pretty similar to what Greenberg described. We always had workout shirts to and from the game to practice in. It was a pretty professional atmosphere. We always dressed nice on the road trips, and always showed some matter of professionalism and class. Our coaches always said that if you wanted to be a professional, you have to look like one. SH: Picture this--you, Brian, game seven of the World Series, Cubs vs. Red Sox, winner take all. Marshall: That’d be something else, wouldn’t it? All of my family would really love that. They always talked about me facing Brian in a playoff game and I was like, "Man, it’d be awesome!" SH: Yeah, who does a parent root for there? Marshall: Yeah, I don’t know. I guess you just root for... hell, you got me! SH: You work with Jake Fox, who is off to a torrid start behind the plate. What is it like working with him, and the kind of game he calls behind the plate? Marshall: He’s a good guy to throw to, I tell you. I threw to him one or two times last year and you could tell there were a couple of things he needed to work on, and he nailed them down in the off-season and in spring training. He’s a great guy to throw to. Me and him, our last couple of times we’ve worked together, we’ve been on the same page. He knows what I want to throw in certain situations, so we’re on the same page. He’s a great catcher, and he’s swinging the bat really well. I really enjoy having him on the team. SH: Good luck, Sean, and we hope things continue to go well for you this year! Marshall: No problem. Have a good one!