For this week’s podcast, I have a trio of interviews from the Diamond in Richmond (excuse the standard stadium noisiness!), all involving pitchers whose baseball paths have involved twists and turns.

First, I spoke with Reggie Crawford, the Giants’ top pick in the 2022 draft, who has just recently joined the Richmond pitching staff as he continues to work his way back from Tommy John surgery. Crawford is, for the first time in his career, developing as a pitcher only, after being a two-way player at UConn and previously in his pro career. We talk about his time as a hitter in the AFL and the decision to focus on pitching, his health history, the path forward and much more.

Next I spoke with 2021 4th round pick, Eric Silva, who is negotiating a change from starter to reliever in his third full season. Eric talks about the relationship he’s built with fellow pitcher Jose Cruz, the value of being bilingual, and the improvements he’s made to the mental side of his craft.

Finally, Tanner Kiest discusses his long career in Independent leagues as he worked on his craft and worked his way back to affiliate ball. A decade after he was originally drafted by the Phillies in 2014, Kiest has made it to Double-A, where he’s doing quite well in the Squirrels’ bullpen, sporting an 0.82 ERA over his first seven games.

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Intro/Outro: “You Learn,” by Alanis Morissette

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