Scout.com > NY Yankees Addison’s Got The Tools But Needs Mechanics Story URL: http://yankees.scout.com/2/555535.html Stephen Haynes PinstripesPlus.com Aug 10, 2006 Progress has been incremental for Staten Island reliever Tyler Addison as he's been beleaguered thus far, struggling with shoddy mechanics and uncertain of his role. The 22-year-old, who was an undrafted free agent, has pitched to a 6.11 ERA having surrendered 13 runs in just 14 appearances out of the bullpen. (FREE PREVIEW OF PREMIUM CONTENT) Relegated to long relief, he last pitched on August 6th, giving up four earned runs to the Cyclones in 1.1 innings. Carlos Chantres, his pitching coach, said that his mechanics are flawed and his delivery causes him to “open up a lot and drag his arm.” "It's getting better,“ said Chantres, “better than what it was at the beginning of the year, but it's not where we want it to be. It's very good when we do our side [work] on flat ground but when he goes in the game, he forgets about it, which I’m not mad at because he's just concentrated on getting outs. But he hasn't taken any of the stuff that we're working on to the mound and he knows that." For Tyler Addison, it's been difficult to break away from the delivery he had grown accustomed to, and he believes that it will take more time and practice for him to make it become routine. Chantres said that at times, the right-hander is overly aggressive on the mound, yearning to dominate, and his pugnacity can lead to poor fundamentals in his motion. Addison reiterated that sentiment saying, “I guess, coming in and wanting to do so good for my team and play well, sometimes I get overanxious.” The pitcher, who has been blessed with exceptional stuff, has yet to fully harness his ability. Capable of unleashing a wide array of pitches, he works mostly with the slider, his best pitch, along with a changeup, sinker and a four-seam fastball that he says tops out at 92 miles-per-hour when his delivery is on point and he's able to control it. He believes that part of his problem has been too much unexpected (and unwanted) movement on his four-seamer, which makes it very difficult for him to locate it consistently. "It wants to go all over the place,” he said of the fastball. “It wants to cut, it wants to sink and I’m thinking to myself, ‘I’m not trying to make it sink.’ I’ve got a lot of movement and sometimes it’s hard to control.” The pitcher does, however, have confidence in himself and believes that his mechanics will improve and soon. “The biggest thing is staying on my pitches and making sure that I follow through and keep my front side going straight to the plate,” he said. “Because before, I was all over the place and I’ll get it going before too long.” Addison spent his first three collegiate years at Lander University where he pitched to a pedestrian 4.51 ERA before transferring to Niagara University and finishing with a 2.68 ERA as a senior. He attributes the ascension from mediocrity to excellence to his role being defined. At Niagara, he was used as a closer (recorded 10 saves in 2006) whereas at Lander, he was utilized in several bullpen positions and his role changed frequently - as it does with the Yankees. Addison, who had pitched as a starter in high school until his junior year when he relieved for Kevin Culpepper (drafted by the Minnesota Twins), said that he served as a long and short reliever, setup man and closer at various junctures during his tenure with the Bearcats. "My three years at Lander, I was coming out of the bullpen, but going to Niagara, they allowed me to specialize in a role," he said. "I knew where I fit in on that team.” He said that each year, he participated in summer leagues, where he was a closer, and his statistics there were always outstanding compared to those he compiled in his college seasons. "Any time that you know what you’ve got to do,” he continued, “you can prepare yourself better.” Reluctant to make excuses for himself, he then said, “But that’s not always the case and as a ballplayer, you’ve got to be ready for whatever, and part of what makes this game fun is the spontaneity of it and if you’re not ready for that, you’re in the wrong game.” Addison considered Nolan Ryan to be his favorite player growing up, having read his book, Nolan Ryan’s Pitcher’s Bible, and watched tapes of the Hall of Famer. “He’s in his fifties now and I’ve heard that he still throws 90 [miles-per-hour],” said the Georgia native in a southern drawl. “I‘m not saying he‘s old, but for a guy that age to be able to do that, you‘ve got to have solid mechanics in addition to being gifted.” He said that he doesn‘t try to emulate Ryan‘s style, but admired his doggedness and strives to work as hard. “Not everybody can throw like him, but everybody can always work a little harder,” he added. “He’s definitely a hard worker,” said Chantres. “He’s dedicated and puts in the time. And he’s got a good slider to work with so I think he’ll come around.” “This is my first year with hard instructions,” Addison mentioned. “Coming up, we didn’t have that much coaching on pitching and being here, this is the first time I’ve ever seen myself on video. Being able to see myself and trying to go out and correct what I’m doing wrong, it’s been a big adjustment, but that’s what I’m doing now and I’m going to work through it.” _____________________________________________________ Subscribe to PinstripesPlus.com today! Only $79.95 brings you one full year of Total Access Pass and all premium content on PinstripesPlus.com, Scout™ Player and Roster Database (including the 'Hot News' at the top of the site), Breaking News and Information, Total Access to all Scout.com Websites, and Player Pages, detailing the progress and careers of players from high school, the minors, and the pro ranks. 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