Gwynn & Chris On Demand

Matt Waldron talks about his knuckleball and the Patrick Mahomes shout out

Padres starting pitcher Matt Waldron came into the year trying to keep his spot in the rotation. After 15 starts Matt Waldron has not only kept his spot in the rotation, he has become one of the Padres best starters. He joined Gwynn & Chris to talk about this season, his knuckleball, and the pressure of pitching every 5th day.

Duration:: 14m
Broadcast on:: 21 Jun 2024
Audio Format:: mp3

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Embrace the future of skincare and join countless satisfied customers who've transformed their skin with Derma Clara. Visit dermaClara.com today and say goodbye to wrinkles and hello to beautiful healthy skin. Matt Waldron joins us here on Gwen and Chris. Matt, welcome to the show. How are you today, my man? I'm doing good. It's another great day in the big leagues. I'm enjoying that and I just got out of the field. Feeling good. So before we got you before you even gotten to any of your routine, I mean, let's just start with, you know, you made the club out of spring or you earned a spot out of spring. The season, I'd say the first couple of stars made didn't go the way you liked them to, but it just seems like every start that you have made, you've learned something from the previous start and you have been able to apply it in a way and it just seems like you're in a good groove right now. Yeah, thank you. Yeah, I feel like I am too. I feel like I'm learning something from each start and, you know, the best way to learn sometimes is the hardest way and that's failing at that level and just, you know, pretty badly like the Cardinals start and the Diamondback start. I feel like it's really, you know, I had to make some adjustments. Matt, you know, did you hear any of the noise in the month of April and if so, how tough was it as you're trying to legitimize and kind of prove to everybody that you belong here? I mean, it's pretty obvious to all of us now that you are where you are supposed to be, but I'm sure that there was a little, maybe a little extra stress on yourself to try and go out and show what you could really do early this season. Yeah, absolutely. I think just, you know, keeping the area at a good spot is always at the front of the starting pitcher's mind and just, you know, you know when you're not doing well and you know there's probably some better options out there if you don't, if you don't turn things around so you got to, you really got to perform, you know, immediately. Matt Waldron joins us here on Gwen and Chris and Matt, you've kind of evolved as a guy who has a knuckle ball. I don't know if that you would call yourself a knuckle baller at this point, but what do you think has led to the success? I mean, I've talked to you a little bit about it in the clubhouse about, you know, your different ranges of your knuckle ball. The one thing that stands out to me is on days that you haven't necessarily been able to command it the way you want, you've been able to lean on that sweeper and on that cutter and on that sinker to get you back in at bat so that you could use the knuckle ball. Has that kind of been the evolution in your year so far? Yeah, I would definitely say that. I think, you know, number one, I would say like I rely on the knuckle ball for sure. And if that thing's not going, it definitely have to rely on something else, whether that's a sweeper, you know, backdoor Tuesday or anything really, you just like, I feel like, yeah, having all of them isn't always possible. But like, when they're on it, it definitely makes the job less tough. Matt Waldron is with us from the Padres who play the Brewers tonight and our fire Friday guest. Matt, I'm curious, how much of a knuckle ball savant are you or have you become? And I'm talking about some of the history and the pictures that have used the knuckle ball and have you had a chance to speak to some of these guys at all, Charlie Huff, Tom Candiotti, talk about the pitch. It seems like back in the day, anyway, the knuckle baller was kind of a fraternity unto itself. Right now you're a pitcher unto yourself because no one else is throwing it. So so where do you who do you lean on to, you know, to talk about this crazy thing that you have? Yeah, I definitely talked with a couple guys. I'd say Tom Candiotti significantly. And you know, he's always left the door open. So if I ever if I ever have questions or hit a wall and you know, this game can definitely make you do that. So I'll reach out to him. But I can't say I'm just I've looked up so much of the history that like I'm just I know all about the like I I probably disappoint on saying that I just don't know as much about the history. Obviously I know Wakefield and I think I believe he's the reason why I started throwing it. And so I've been it's been cool to experience it. But really just, you know, I feel like I I'm able to throw that pitch and learning how to compete with it was the hardest part at first. But and I feel like I'm learning. I'm just, you know, trying to make strides. And I'm always a student of this game. And I feel like, you know, some things have been I've been clicking a little bit recently. I have to share with you having been up in the booth next to Tom. He this guy is beaming watching you throw the knuckleball and have the success that you're having. I mean, obviously, he talked a little bit about you guys relationship and giving you some little tidbits. And he made the note to myself that you've gone and gone through the same evolution as every knuckleballer. Right. I think there's a part of you that, you know, I still got good stuff on the other pitches. I don't necessarily want to become just a knuckle baller. But we've seen you at times when you've had your most success throwing it at a high level. He is certainly a guy who it seems like is in your corner, even though, you know, he's he's working with another team right now. Yeah, no, absolutely. And I really appreciated that, you know, just haven't any. Yeah, he just, I think he's supportive too. And that's what I think I've loved the most is just he wants to see me do well. And I think that that's more than even just leaving the door open. Like, I think just that support it. It's been he's been very helpful. Matt Waldron is with us, grew up in Omaha, Nebraska for those who might wonder went to the University of Nebraska, but grew up a Kansas City Chiefs fan, which is why this next quote is so amazing. The quote is, I'm trying to learn the knuckle ball, the Waldron dude from the Padres throws. And the guy who said that quote was Patrick Mahomes, no less the Chiefs quarterback. Have you had a chance to talk with him as he contacted you yet? I know you were kind of fired up about that though. Yeah, that was that was a crazy experience. I know I remember hearing, I got a couple texts and the MVP shouted you out. And for us that day, the MVP of our game was Jackson because he hit the walk off. So I was like, Oh, that's kind of cool. But then I realized they were talking about Mahomes so that was a different level. And then so, but no, I haven't gotten to talk to him. I'm a little nervous. I don't think I'm quite qualified. Oh, you're qualified. Come on. But that definitely crossed my mind. But he's, wow. Yeah, that was a definite high in my life for sure that I don't think I would have thought men as much as it does. Yeah, no doubt about it. Matt Waldron joins us here. Matt, a little bit about game planning. As you go into each of these starts, you and Ruben, I assume, and whoever's catch, we know it's going to usually be Kyle, catching, get together, you formulate your game plan. How much is that able to stick depending on how well the knuckleball feels? Because a lot of times for the knuckleballers in the past, they would have a start in which they just had no feel for the knuckleball and they would get hit. You don't necessarily have to go through that because you have the other pitches. Has there been a start where the knuckleball just didn't feel good coming out and you kind of had to adjust the game plan? Yeah, absolutely. And those are scary, to be honest. They're like, you know, it's like I'm fine with one arm or something, I would say. So I don't feel quite as whole without it. But I would say the red series was definitely one there. I was just like, are the red at home, the first time we played them was tough for me. And that being, you know, when I have a lack of belief in it, that's even another like, it's really like debilitating, you know, scenario. And it gets here. So I feel like just that lack of belief in it too kind of doubles down on top of just the results that it wasn't getting. Well, let's get in the results now for you, Matt. And some of the quotes, I mean, to hear jazz chism say thinks it's the best pitch in baseball. And Bryson stopped the other day, said, man, he threw one to bone that hit him. And then through the same pitch to me and it dropped in for a strike. I didn't know what to do. It's nice to hear that. I'm sure real last thing I wanted to ask you, because I did have a chance to visit with Phil Neekra one time, the great knuckle baller. And he he detailed this whole thing to me about what he does between starts and on game days in terms of keeping his fingernails right. The exact, you know, because it's actually a fingernail ball in a lot of ways, got to dip them into the ball. Right. So so do you, are you very careful, you know, like between starts or is it just day of game to make sure that everything is exactly right the way you need it? Yeah, I would say at first I was like obsessing over it a little bit. And then like, like, I get psyched me out a little bit. So like, I'd be like, Oh, no, that's a, you know, a millimeter too long or something. Because it really is. So I feel like just, you know, I kind of get it dialed in the night before and that way I don't have to worry about it. And if it's a little long, like, I'd rather shy on it being too long, been too short. And I'm like, yeah, so that is, there's some serious truth to the nail length being very important. That's that's interesting. A lot of knuckle ballers that I've seen carry a foul with them and shaping the nails. That's that's super interesting. Matt, we'll let you go, man. We know you got to get your day started. Appreciate you coming on, continued success as we move forward in the season. And thanks for giving us some of your time. Thanks, Matt. Yeah, absolutely. Thank you for having me. Good luck. Matt Waldra continues. Hadre's knuckle baller. Want a natural way to produce fine lines and wrinkles? Derma Claire has got you. 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