Wade Miley Wants To Be A Pitching Coach But Not Yet

 

 

Dateline: 318 kilometers from the Gulf of Mexico

Reds’ manager, Terry Francona, heaped praise on Wade Miley who is in camp competing for a job in the starting rotation.

Although 38-year old, a veteran of 14 major league seasons, won’t be able to help the team from the mound until May, He is helping the team right now even before games start.

“Miley watches things he sees things. He’s going to be very good for our guys. I listened to Nick (Krall) and Brad (Meador) talk about him the other day. He sees things during the game that are valuable. He’s a baseball rat,” said Francona.

Could Francona see him as a manager?

“I don’t know,” Francona said. “The reason I say that is not because of his baseball acumen. Guys that play as long as he has make a lot of money. You have to want to. It’s not like he needs to so I don’t know. I hope guys like him stay in the game because it’s good for the game.”

Miley has been in deep conversations early in camp. He had just finished talking to Hunter Greene in the clubhouse, as he was approached for this interview.

Miley does not want to manage but he wants to give back to the game as a pitching coach.

“No, I would not like to be a manager,” Miley said. “Hats off to all 30 managers for the stuff they have to put up with.”

But pitching coach is a different animal and something that he would do to stay in the game.

“There is zero chance that I’ll be managing, maybe someday but for right now, I want to stay in the game as a pitching coach, assistant pitching coach or bullpen coach. Staying in the game, yes. I want to keep it (pitching knowledge) going. I can see myself rolling into that position after playing the game. And learning that side.”

Miley was able to rattle off a list of professional players, who helped him since he broke into the big leagues with the Arizona Diamondbacks on August 20, 2011 as a 24-year old out of Hammond, Louisiana. He was the top draft pick of the Diamondbacks in 2008. That day the fourth batter he faced, Dan Uggla, hit a two-run home run. He gave up another run in the second inning and two more in his four inning stint.

“I enjoy what others did for me,” Miley said. “Giving out a little bit or reaching out, helping a young guy, not even mechanically but mentally. It’s hard times man, this game can beat you down.”

After his ugly first start his teammates helped pick him up. Miley pitched six scoreless innings against the Washington Nationals. He finished with four quality starts of his eight that season. The very next season he won 16 games against 11 losses and forged a 3.33 ERA in 29 starts. He made the All-Star team that year and was rookie-of-the-month for April.

“I can name a lot of guys who helped me. Micha Owings was a big part early in my career, Joe Saunders, Ian Kennedy, Bronson Arroyo when he came over to Arizona. What a pro he was.”

There were people on every team that Miley credits for aiding his career.

“Just about every team,” Miley said. “Sometimes I’ve had younger guys, who have told me things. It is like damn,dude. You continue to learn stuff.”

Miley is one locker away from the Reds’ top pitching prospects, Rhett Lowder and converses with him every day.

“I’ve been talking to Rhett a decent amount and trying to pick his brain. That kid is smart! He’s ahead of the curve ability wise. I’m excited to watch him grow.”

Miley is still a competitor and does not want to stop playing yet but knows that father time is at least looking over his shoulder. 

“We’ll see. We’ll see. It might be a lot closer than I want to be,” Miley said.

For his part while he’s still recovering. He underwent a hybrid UCL repair of his left elbow last May but is hoping to be ready to contribute at the major league level. He posted a 3.14 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP over 120 innings for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2023.

The Reds don’t have a set timetable for Miley’s return.

“These guys know him a lot better than I do (pitching coach Derek Johnson, GM Brad Meador and President of Baseball Operations, Nick Krall) but I can see why they say the things they do. We have to lean on him. He wants to pitch yesterday. I think we owe it to guys like that and not let them hurt themselves. I don’t mean that in a bad way. I told him that we’ll probably piss you off a time or two. It’s guys like him that want to play so bad and pitch so bad.”

Miley sat with Francona while watching other pitcher’s bullpen sessions.

“Wade yesterday I was sitting there watching bullpens and he plopped down next to me,” Francona said. “He doesn’t have to be out there. He’s doing his own stuff.”

Francona also observed one of Miley’s first sessions. 

“I was stunned. Like his first pitch he followed the glove (of the catcher) I was just sitting there. I was stunned,” Francona said. “I was blown away, I couldn't believe how good he looked.”

“He watches. He sees things. I talked to Brad and Nick. They say he sees things during the game that are so valuable,” Francona added.

This is Miley’s second stint with the Reds and the fourth year he and Derek Johnson worked together.

Miley made 28 starts in 2021 and won 12 games, including a no-hitter on May 7 at Cleveland against Francona’s Guardians. He posted a 3.37 ERA.

The Reds failed to re-sign him and he went to the Chicago Cubs then on to Milwaukee for two years. Miley has been limited to a total of 33 starts in the last three years.