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Live Chat With MLB Pitcher Mickey Jannis
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Mickey Jannis
9:59
Hi everyone, thanks for joining me on the MLB Trade Rumors Live Players Chat! Look forward to answering some of your questions! Let's get started
MikeD
10:01
Mickey, I see you’re 35, which is childlike for a knuckleballer. You should be entering your prime!  Still interested in pitching?
Mickey Jannis
10:02
I am still pitching currently! Want to go as long as I can, which is almost forever for a knuckleballer. RA Dickey won a Cy Young at 37 so you know anything is possible. I am currently a free agent and working out for some teams. I most recently pitched in the Venezuelan Winter League for Aguilas del Zulia
Angel
10:03
What souvenirs did you keep from your first MLB game?
Mickey Jannis
10:05
Right after the game, I had everyone coming up to me and congradulating me. Then our bench coach handed me the official lineup card. Clubhouse manager handed me the first pitch I threw. Later on i received my first strike out ball and jersey. I have kept a few other things as well to remember the game.
Twinkies
10:06
What led you to the knuckleball? Was there a random curiosity or was there someone specific?
Mickey Jannis
10:09
It was always a pitch that I messed around with growing up. Really started when I watched a special on Tim Wakefield when i was about 13 years old. I went out the next day and starting throwing knuckleballs at my throwing partner and it was just naturally really good. I has kept that going all the way into pro baseball. Even though I was drafted as a conventional pitcher, I still believed that one day i might have to turn to the knuckleball full time, and when I first was released by the Rays, I felt that was the right time.
Duffy Scliff
10:09
Thanks for doing this Mickey! Do you wish to continue a career in baseball when your playing days are done?
Mickey Jannis
10:10
I do actually! I would love to be a GM one day. I love the challenge of putting together a team and finding the missing puzzle pieces to put together the best team.
Guest
10:10
how does it feel to be one of the last knuckleballers out there?
Mickey Jannis
10:12
I love keeping the art of the knuckleball alive. There is a huge value in it, but its not everyones cup of tea. You have to find the right organization that truly believes in it. It is so hard to develop but if a team is patient enough with it, it can pay off in a big way!
Jorge78
10:13
Hi Mickey thanks for chattin, it's a real treat!  You were a 44th round selection and a shorter than usual player.  Did you feel these facts held you back or causd problems?  Kudos for sticking it out and appearing in the show!  That is a great accomplishment on its own!
Mickey Jannis
10:15
Thank you! It might have played a part but the bottom line is getting guys out. Teams find guys all over the place. A lot is based on potential, which will give you the opportunities. But what you do with the opportunities is the biggest part.
Fred
10:15
Hi, Mickey.  Great work in persevering and making the bigs!  Did you find that modern analytics were helpful in developing a knuckleball, or were you more relying on the same trial and error, feel, and practice that were used in prior generations?
Mickey Jannis
10:18
Great question! I am still working on trying to find ways to analyze the best knuckleballs and I think thats why its hard for teams to develop them. There really isn't a way to track a knuckleball to see its potential. Trial and error, feel, constant practice are the only ways right now. Some analytics can work, but when I throw a knuckleball with zero spin there is no way to track the movement of it, therefore making it even tougher to analyze. That's part of the reason I love it and hate it at the same time
Bryce
10:19
What is your favorite minor league city to play in?
Mickey Jannis
10:20
So many great little cities out there that I've played in. Charlotte was always fun to explore, Hartford, even Binghamton, NY has some sneaky good restaurants and coffee shops!
Jeremy
10:20
Hey Mickey, do you see more pitchers trying the knuckleball or do you think it is a lost art?
Mickey Jannis
10:21
It is definitely a lost art right now, but more and more have reached out to me asking for help. I try to help wherever I can to help keep the knuckleball alive
Nathan
10:21
At what point in your career did you start to exclusively throw knuckleballs?
Mickey Jannis
10:22
I started making the switch in 2012, by 2014 was probably my biggest year and then in 2015 is when I really got it down. Which is probably why there was more interest that year and I ended up signing with the Mets out of independent baseball midway through that year.
Taylor
10:23
Hey, Mickey. Congratulations on achieving the dream of making the big leagues. I'm really curious about your time spent in Brisbane though because we don't hear much about the Australian league... Did you enjoy your time playing there? What was the best part about it?
Mickey Jannis
10:26
Thank You! I loved it down there! it was a great opportunity for me to continue to develop and it was very helpful for me to keep throwing the knuckleball for a full year against hitters. Brisbane was great! and the entire league was so much fun. I got to explore a new country and cities that I probably wouldn't have if it wasn't for baseball. Fun fact: my uncle was one of the first Americans to go down to Australia and play baseball in the 80s/90s and was one of the founders of the Brisbane Bandits!
Stu
10:26
What is your favorite memory of the indy leagues? Thanks for chatting!
Mickey Jannis
10:28
Indy baseball is so much different because it is centered around winning. Sometimes in the minor leagues you get caught up in development that you forget how much fun it is to go out there and just compete and win! Playing in the playoffs and a few championships were probably the best memories!
Jake
10:28
At how young an age do you think someone can learn to throw an effective knuckleball?
Mickey Jannis
10:29
I think it is very difficult at a younger age because kids hands are so small and its tough to get your finger tips on the ball to help throw it. I think in your teenage years is the best time to begin throwing it.
Insert Witty Name Here
10:30
How many times a day did you hear someone say “Hey Mickey you’re so fine, you’re so fine you blow my mind, Hey Mickey!”
Mickey Jannis
10:31
That definitely comes up almost every time I meet someone new. Still gives me a good laugh every time.
Alex
10:31
Why do so few pitchers at least try a knuckleball? Do MLB teams discourage it or is it just that hard to master?
Mickey Jannis
10:32
I don't think they discourage it. It is just so hard to develop. Trying to perfect an imperfect pitch, and spending a lifetime trying to master it, is what I always say
KevinS
10:33
Mickey, you've shown quite the perseverance in your life; how did you remain positive and motivated in the down moments of your journey?
Mickey Jannis
10:34
I've always had a great support system with my parents and sister growing up, and plus now with my wife and daughter. Even friends and teammates that I've been surrounded with have always supported what I do, so I think that has made everything so much easier for me.
Matt Cass
10:35
Who's the coolest teammate you ever had?
Mickey Jannis
10:37
Going into my 14th season I've had so many great teammates. Jeff McNeil is at the top, Andrew Barbosa, Ryan Ripken, and Patrick Mazeika are at the top of the list!
matt
10:38
Mickey, what was the first thing that went through your mind when you struck out Alvarez?
Mickey Jannis
10:39
That was great, but now I got to get the next guy out!
Jeff
10:39
What team did you root for growing up?
Mickey Jannis
10:39
Die hard Yankees fan, thanks to my dad, so I'm sure everyone can figure out who I was named after...
Andrew
10:39
What is it like knowing only certain catchers can catch a knuckleball? How did you create relationships with those certain catchers?
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