The Giants introduced Curt Young as their new pitching coach on Nov. 6. Young, 57, replaced Dave Righetti, whose 18-year tenure in the position established a franchise record. Young also knows something about longevity, having served two stints totaling 13 seasons as Oakland's pitching coach spanning 2004-17. To get to know Young a little better, MLB.com recently caught up with him for a mostly light 10-question interview. His answers follow:
Growing up in Saginaw, Mich., when you did, did you happen to see Magic Johnson play high school basketball?
I did. My junior year I did not play basketball; I decided to get myself ready for baseball season. I played only football and baseball that year. But that year, Arthur Hill, where I went to high school, played them (Everett HS in Lansing, Mich.) in a winter tournament. He was a senior when I was a junior. It's something that the guys who played against him will never forget. Magic Johnson was head and shoulders above everyboy.
What would you say is the first rule of being a pitching coach?
I'd say knowing the personalities of your pitchers. Everybody works a different way and everybody has different thoughts about different outcomes. Knowing a guy's true personality is so important as to how he reacts and how he's going to bounce back from an outing.
Who were your biggest baseball influences?
Well, my father, Jack, for one. He enjoyed watching us play as kids. As I got into college (Central Michigan), my college coach, Dave Keilitz. Then at the professional level, my Triple-A pitching coach, Dave Heaverlo, and Dave Duncan for basically the whole time I was in the big leagues with Oakland (1983-91).
Do you have a favorite baseball book?
It's one I recently read, The Arm (by Jeff Passan). It has a story or two about guys who went through Tommy John surgery, about how kids come up in Japan and about throwing a baseball in general.
What's your favorite non-baseball book?
Night Fall by Nelson DeMille. Easy reading.
And do you have a favorite movie?
Forrest Gump.
What are some of the things you've come to appreciate about the Bay Area?
Well, the food and the weather. Mornings in the Bay Area are about as pretty as it gets.
What do you remember about your first Major League win?
It was against the Kansas City Royals (June 26, 1984). I pitched 6 2/3 innings. Waiting for the final outs of that game and knowing that you're getting that win is something that's very exciting.
What dugout snack do you prefer, seeds or gum?
Gum.
Do you still shag flies in batting practice with a catcher's glove?
Yes. Once you put on a catcher's glove, you'll never go back to the kind you used to use.