Levine: John Danks Done Tipping Pitches, Thanks To Dioner Navarro
March 23, 2016 6:49 PM By Bruce Levine


GLENDALE, Ariz. (CBS) — A tip from catcher Dioner Navarro to left-hander John Danks three outings ago has turned the veteran pitcher around.

During Danks’ start on March 13, he was getting shelled and not understanding what he was doing wrong. That’s when his recent luck changed.

“Dioner has been around awhile,” Danks said. “He has seen me and faced me. If he says something, I don’t need to look at it on video. He told me exactly what I was doing. We fixed it, and it has not been an issue since.”

Danks was holding his glove in different positions for grips on fastball and breaking balls, tipping his pitches to hitters, sources said.

The improved results continued Wednesday, as Danks threw six shutout innings against the Padres in a 6-1 victory against the White Sox. Danks is in line to be the team’s fifth starter when the season opens.

“I don’t care what number I am labeled,” Danks said.” By the time you get to the second week of April, it is all mixed up anyway. I just want to be a guy that every time out helps us win a ballgame.”

In 2015, Danks posted a 7-15 record with a 4.71 ERA, following a 4.74 ERA in 2014 and 4.75 ERA in 2013. In Cactus League play, Danks had allowed 13 earned runs in 9 2/3 innings during his first three starts, including giving up eight runs in that March 13 start. He’s since pitched 11 shutout innings, earning the victory in both outings.

Danks will be happy if he can throw 200 innings in his role this season.

“If you’re good enough to be out there and pitch 200 innings, then I will live with whatever the other numbers are,” he said. “You must be doing something right if you’re out there that much.”

Navarro was matter of fact about the tipping incident. Before coming to the White Sox this offseason, he was 9-for-23 against Danks, including three home runs. As a hitter facing Danks, the struggles became apparent.

“I noticed it against the Diamondbacks,” Navarro said. “That is my job as a catcher — to see those things. I think his last two outings have been great. I know he will continue to do it the whole season.”

An American League scout offered the following scouting report on Danks:

“He was working the ball around great today. His sinker was good and changeup mostly controlled. He pitches backwards, using his fastball in breaking ball counts. That generates ground balls and surprise punch-outs. He did not throw many curves. I suspect because of the dry air in Arizona, he has put that pitch on the shelf until he heads back north. The guy knows how to pitch. He just has to have good command to get through six decent innings.”

Should Danks make strong outings a regularity in 2015, he will have Navarro to thank in large part for it.

As for the new White Sox catcher, it’s all just part of the job.

“I pick up these things from being around awhile,” Navarro said. “These things happen more than you think. That is what spring training is for. We are all working on something. Now is the time to clean it up. When the season starts and I start putting up numbers, then I will ask for a raise.”

Well if true then yippee.

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Elections have consequences.

He'll have a huge turnaround season.

Probably should start negotiating an extension

Although not explicitly stated, should we assume Danks is in the best shape of his career?

He probably is, but I dont think this story is Spring Training B.S.

Anything in the spring is BS. His ERA the last 3 years... 4.71 ERA, 4.74 ERA in 2014 and 4.75 ERA in 2013. Its ridiculous to believe there was a tip out there for 3 years that was so obvious that the entire league was in on it. Yet the staff, or an incoming player never let him in on the joke.

I'm not saying he can't have a decent season, but it won't be from the catcher saying he was tipping his pitches.

time to start roiding up for the next contract.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

I think your underestimating how often these things happen and giving way too much credit to scouts. It can absolutely help him. If Navarro noticed it (assuming he's not lying) some others probably did too.

Jon Lester's throw to first issue was completely ignored by the league until ESPN brought it up. These things can happen and not everyone notices.

Obviously Im joking about re-signing him but I would guess that this will help him a little bit.

It is a contract year, he will have a good season. Hopefully, Rick is smart enough not to resign him.

Of course they wont re-sign him.

The hope for Sox fans should be that he puts together a good first half and you can trade him.

You don't get smacked around with a 4.75 ERA for 3 years without everybody noticing. That was my larger point. If only a handful of players/teams caught it, then it would be localized to the dat gum Twins having his number. But if everyone is hitting him his "tip" is a lack of stuff/execution instead of telegraphing what pitch is coming next.

Are you telling me the great Don Cooper missed this simple little thing over the past 4 seasons???

Can't be!

I guess that's what happens when you are taking care of hangovers all game in Herms office and calling Kenny to snitch on everyone.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

No not everyone, but if a few teams here and there are noticing it and tagging him for a big inning that matters.

Its absolutely believable that Navarro could help him with that and he'd be better for it.

That's my point.

Well they usually say Year 10 is when you start learning how to pitch.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

I see your point, just think its a bad one with his ERA in the high 4's. That's edwin jackson bad. To me, that points more to a complete lack of stuff/execution than tipping. Perhaps he found some stuff coming into a contract year, otherwise I just chalk up to another spring training story.

I guess Im not understanding why his ERA matters. Its not that tipping pitches is the totality of his issue. No one said that.

A guy with a 4.50 ERA can benefit from not tipping his pitches the same way a guy with a 1.50 ERA theoretically could.

I guess its just a disagreement on whether the article is a typical fluff piece in spring training.

Whatdya gonna do?

Happy Holy Thursday. If you want to meet up for the Stations of the Cross tomorrow, PM me

I believe the story is true. But I do not believe Danks will have a real good season. Since his shoulder injury, he has never had the velocity on his fastball he had previously. As a result, hitters can guess change and may still catch up to the fastball as the pitch is coming in, even if only to foul it off. He may improve over last year, but I highly doubt he will have a winning record or an ERA under 4. But good job by Navarro. He's an underrated catcher with some pop. He was a good signing by Hahn.

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Go Cubs!!!!

You know why Scottie Pippen was good for so long?

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Pay that man his money.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

When you sit at the chairmans table for breakfast, its a lifelong job, no matter what you do and we all know that brings out the best in people.

I actually feel bad for Hahn (not that bad) but the guy is fighting the uphill battle in his own organization.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

And how would you rate that breakfast?

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

I was hoping it was one of this things where old former players come to spring training as advisors and Jamie Navarro of all people found something no one else did to help Danks.

I was really hoping KW was moved outside the circle of trust because of his discussions with the Blue Jays last year.

_________________
O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

I do not understand, why he did not go there. They have more talent.

JR nixed the deal

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Jerry didnt get anything for it. Thats why.

Jerry would have let it happen and I am surprised Kenny just keeps acting like such a dumbass.

After all these years of sitting with Jerry, Kenny thought he was going to be able to sneak out of town and then Jerry allow it without getting anything back????

The word dumbass seems so Beavis and Butthead, but it just continues to fit Kenny.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

You seem to hate Kenny Williams more than any other front office person in Chicago. And I guess you're a Cubs fan so his blunders have no impact whatsoever on your baseball team. I wonder if there's something particular about him that gets inder your skin. Something that, I don't know, makes him different from all the other Chicago front office people.