Zephyrs trying to help fireballer regain form
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
By Bob Fortus


Three years ago, the Cincinnati Reds, under General Manager Jim Bowden,
thought enough of right-handed relief pitcher Ryan Wagner to draft him in the
first round with the 14th pick.

It didn't take long for Wagner to reach the majors. Forty days after he threw
his last pitch for the University of Houston, he was relieving for
Cincinnati.

Twelve days ago, the Nationals, under General Manager Bowden, acquired Wagner
from the Reds as part of an eight-player trade that brought outfielder Austin
Kearns and shortstop Felipe Lopez to Washington.

Wagner, who was pitching for the Reds' Triple-A affiliate in Louisville, was
sent to the Zephyrs. At 24, he's trying to find the stuff that brought him so
quickly to the majors.

"Ryan's been struggling since we drafted him," said Bob Boone, who was the
Reds' manager when Wagner came to Cincinnati and now is the Nationals'
assistant general manager/director of player personnel. "We think there's
been some things done tinkering with his delivery that had him struggle. We
think we can get him back.

"He had success. His stuff is pretty special."

Wagner was dominating as a sophomore closer in the 2003 college season. He
pitched 79 1/3 innings, striking out 148, walking 21 and allowing 39 hits. He
went 6-5 with 15 saves and a 1.93 ERA. His strikeouts-per-nine-innings ratio
(16.8) set an NCAA Division I record. Opponents hit .147 against him.

In his big-league debut against the Astros, he retired all five hitters he
faced. In 17 big-league appearances spanning 22 innings in 2003, Wagner went
2-0 with a 1.66 ERA. He struck out 25 batters and walked 12. Opponents batted
.173 against him.

As a Reds rookie, he was using the same delivery that he used in college, he
said.

"I was always a three-quarters, sidearm-type guy in my first year in pro
ball," he said.

"All last year and this year, they (coaches in the Reds' organization) have
been trying to get my arm all the way up. I don't know why. It was basically
changing who I was. It wasn't why I was drafted."

In 2004, Wagner spent all but three weeks with Cincinnati. He went 3-2 with a
4.70 ERA, striking out 37 and walking 27 in 52 innings. Last season, in which
he missed time with a shoulder injury, Wagner went 3-2 with a 6.11 ERA for
the Reds.

This season, he was 1-3 with a 6.34 ERA in 35 games for Louisville when he
got word of the trade to the Nationals.

"It was basically a sense of relief," he said. "I was kind of spinning my
wheels in that organization. I had kind of fallen down the totem pole over
there."

Wagner gave up four runs in one inning in his first appearance for the
Zephyrs, but in his next three appearances, he pitched four scoreless
innings.

He said that the Nationals want him to throw the way he used to throw.

"It hasn't taken long to find it again," he said.

He said that Zephyrs pitching coach Steve McCatty makes suggestions without
making demands.

"What's good is advice is offered to you," Wagner said. "He'll ask you to try
it. If it's not working out, you can do what you want. Cat just wants to get
you to the big leagues. . . .

"He's great. He has a lot of wisdom in this game."

McCatty was coaching at Triple-A Ottawa in 2003 when he first saw Wagner, who
was pitching for Louisville, then on the fast track to Cincinnati.

"He had quality, quality stuff," McCatty said.

He said that Wagner's stuff should return as he gets comfortable again with
the three-quarters delivery.

"His fastball from that arm slot is very good," McCatty said. "The fastball
from that arm slot will be the first thing to come back, and the slider will
be the second thing."

They'll work on a changeup "down the road," McCatty said.

For now, he said, his objective with Wagner is "just let him clear his mind
and take his time to do it."