Commentary | Tampa Bay Rays pitching coach Jim Hickey is All-Star in own right
Joe Maddon got the glory as manager, and Andrew Friedman was known as the genius as general manager. But the guy who has greased the wheels for the Tampa Bay Rays for nearly a decade is Jim Hickey.
He is the fixer.
His imprint was all over the All-Star Game. Not bad for a guy who never played in a Major League Baseball game.
Hickey is more than just an image maker. He brings the dead back to life.
If you are good, the Tampa Bay Rays pitching coach for the last nine years can make you great. If you are bad, he can cover up your weaknesses so well your mom and dad wouldn't even recognize you.
Hickey is not perfect. He is a poker player who knows how to win, but he still has to get the right cards. He had some who didn't live up to expectations, but more than not, Hickey can reinvent a guy with a talented arm who just needs some guidance.
In his eight previous seasons with the Rays, Tampa Bay leads the American League in strikeouts, opponents' batting average and is second in ERA. Last year, one poll ranked him the best pitching coach in baseball.
All-Stars Chris Archer, Brad Boxberger, David Price and Wade Davis fell under the tutelage of Hickey during their careers.
He is the bread and butter for the Rays who need pitching to compensate for an offense that is limited because of dollar restraints.
The Rays know pitching is their strength, which is the reason they are reportedly about to employ technology used to help predict potential injuries that might result because of the changes in a pitcher's delivery.
Since the Rays pitching staff qualifies for Red Cross assistance this year, it's a good investment.
But in Hickey, the team has the best antidote. If someone goes down, he has the magic to resurrect another arm.
Hickey's strength is his wisdom. But to be a successful coach, you need personality.
Hickey is the CTP man. He exudes Communication, Trust and Patience.
Former Cy Young Award winner Orel Hershiser paid Hickey the ultimate compliment when he placed him on top of his three-tier description of what makes a good pitching coach.
Calling him the master, Hershiser cited Hickey's ability to give a pitcher one tweak that fixes five things.
Archer is a prime example. Hickey saw flaws in the youngster, but waited to offer a solution.
He added two or three inches to Archer's stride in the summer of 2013, and a new hurler evolved, leading him to his first All-Star Game selection this season. Also making his inaugural All-Star Game roster, the Rays' Boxberger has saved 23 games, which is 21 more than in any previous season.
Despite his success in the minor leagues, Hickey had to wait too long to become a major-league pitching coach because he never pitched in the big leagues. Once he got his shot with the Astros, that standard was thrown out the window.
"He lets us learn from our mistakes," Rays pitcher Alex Cobb said.
"What's special about Hick is his ability to communicate," said Price, who won the Cy Young Award in 2012 with the Rays.
Hickey turned Fernando Rodney into a Hall of Fame pitcher for one season in 2012 with that 0.60 ERA following a five-year span when his best ERA was 4.24. He re-invented Joaquin Benoit.
The best thing for the Rays -- who can't keep high-priced talent -- is that in the last six years they've had six rookies with 10-plus wins, the most in the majors. They acquired some bargain-basement pitchers, who turned in million-dollar seasons.
Hickey helped make a lot of money for a lot of people, but his value to the Rays is immeasurable.
Alan Dell, Herald sports writer, can be reached at 941-745-7056. Follow him on Twitter @ADellSports.
This story was originally published July 15, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Commentary | Tampa Bay Rays pitching coach Jim Hickey is All-Star in own right ."