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How old were you when you first started throwing a curve ball and a slider and at what age do you think it is appropriate to start throwing either of those pitches?
BEACHY- My college roommate taught me the curveball. I only threw it with him jokingly during daily catch until my junior year our head coach saw and said I needed to try it out on the mound. I learned the slider my freshman year of college. It was more of a cutter and pretty awful. I know this is a hot topic and I don’t know what the right answer is. Do you keep kids from throwing it until they are 17 or 18? Yeah that might make sense for health purposes. But what percentage of those kids go pro or even to college. Some that could be helping their teams and therefore having more fun playing baseball at ages 12-16. I’d tell people if they think their kid can get a scholarship just do FB and CH until mid late teens, if not, learn to throw them properly and have fun!
Do you have any regrets from your playing career?
BEACHY- Yes, I do have regrets. My main regret is that I was so laser focused that I didn’t enjoy it enough while I had it. As an undrafted guy, I put the nose to the grindstone and it got me to the bigs. Once there, I kept that focus in order to make sure I stayed. By the time I felt like I actually belonged, the injuries set in and it was over, I just didn’t know it yet. Sitting here now I would’ve liked to have enjoyed it more, but also I don’t know what that would’ve looked like at the time.
What are you doing now and did your baseball career help that in any way?
BEACHY- As I mentioned before, I’m a franchise business owner in Nashville and a franchise consultant. I worked with Andy Luedecke on the front end, finding a business that fit what I wanted my life to look like. He brought me ideas that could make that possible with hard work and that’s what I’ve done. Now I work with Andy helping others find businesses that fit them and their dreams. I get a lot of fulfillment out of this type of work. Lots of people, like myself years ago, think of only fast food and think you need to be like Shaq and be able to buy 40 Papa John’s to make money. I enjoy being able to help educate people and open their eyes to possibilities and freedoms they were unaware of.
The qualities that got me to the big leagues have definitely translated to business ownership. Diving in and outworking the competition in the early stages led to success and then the ability to be a good teammate and leader has helped construct my team. Franchising is perfect for someone like me. The franchisor has a system and structure that I can apply those characteristics to that have led to great success.
Do you feel like throwing the slider was a primary reason for the elbow injuries (you had one helluva slider) or were the injuries more about general wear and tear regardless of the types of pitches thrown?
BEACHY- I don’t think it had anything to do with my slider. As I’ve mentioned in a few other questions I think not having enough miles on my arm growing up paired with some mechanical flaws and genetics was the cause for my elbow woes. Although, my last surgery was for thoracic outlet syndrome in 2017. Took them awhile to diagnose it because I didn’t have shoulder pain so no one thought to look. I had neurogenic and venous TOS and the specialist told me it was like I had thrown 100 pitches each morning when I woke up due to inability to recover. After that surgery my elbow felt great, but I was a few years removed and just couldn’t get back that last 5% that separates the big leaguers.
What are your thoughts on some of the current things that many pitchers are using for training like J bands, weighted balls, plyo balls etc...? Did you use any of these types of training tools and if not what did you typically do for arm strength and to maintain arm health?
BEACHY- I like all that stuff. When done right and with a purpose those things are great and I wish they were prominent while I was coming up. I think the common misconception is that weighted balls and what not are to increase velocity, but really doing it right helps train a healthy arm path. I did some bands but a lot of manual resistance exercises with medical and strength staffs.
Could Brandon have seen himself playing for the Savannah Bananas?
BEACHY- Haha I could not have seen myself doing that back then.
What was your most memorable game as a Brave? And why?
BEACHY- Probably my complete game shutout. Getting that deep into any game in those days when we had O’Flahery, Venters and Kimbrel waiting in the wings was no easy task. I remember feeling a sense of accomplishment and relief after that game, that I’d never felt before. I had gone all the way and put up zeros. I was really tough on myself and always striving to improve but in that one I couldn’t have done much more. Plus, I met President Carter after that game as he happened to be in attendance that night. Pretty neat having him call me by name.
Going to Braves fantasy camp in January. What’s something to use to get Medlens goat (assuming he will be there)
BEACHY-Good luck! Meds is too chill and doesn’t take himself serious enough to get his goat. One of the best guys, you’ll really enjoy being around him.
What is your favorite Tommy Hanson memory? And what do you take from his shocking death? Did anyone know he was into that?
BEACHY- I have so many. What a special guy. My favorite by far is Tommy showing me something at Wrigley. During the game he took me up to the clubhouse and into the kitchen where he filled a couple Styrofoam cups with blueberries. Might’ve changed now but the visiting clubhouse was a hike. Up a thousand stairs and it actually sits/sat above the main concourse. People didn’t notice it but the stairway is exposed to the concourse except for some heavy tarps that they drape down the sides. Well there was a certain spot you could pull the tarps back and we would try to drop berries into fans’ beers as they walked unknowingly below us. A splash down in someone’s beer or nacho cheese had us rolling and acting like kids. People never thought to look up either.
Life is precious and fleeting. Tommy was as kind a person as I’ve known. Going out of his way to make sure my brothers felt comfortable and welcomed when they visited and hung out with us. Totally caught us all off guard. We lost such a genuine and kind person
What are your thoughts on what seem to be ever changing strike zones depending on the umpire?
BEACHY- It’s part of the game. Gives some guys something to complain about, but the really good ones adjust. There’s an art to working an umpire that will be lost without them calling balls/strikes. Should it be that way? I don’t know. I just know the truly great ones overcome that just as any other obstacle.
How old were you when you first started throwing a curve ball and a slider and at what age do you think it is appropriate to start throwing either of those pitches?
BEACHY- My college roommate taught me the curveball. I only threw it with him jokingly during daily catch until my junior year our head coach saw and said I needed to try it out on the mound. I learned the slider my freshman year of college. It was more of a cutter and pretty awful. I know this is a hot topic and I don’t know what the right answer is. Do you keep kids from throwing it until they are 17 or 18? Yeah that might make sense for health purposes. But what percentage of those kids go pro or even to college. Some that could be helping their teams and therefore having more fun playing baseball at ages 12-16. I’d tell people if they think their kid can get a scholarship just do FB and CH until mid late teens, if not, learn to throw them properly and have fun!
Do you have any regrets from your playing career?
BEACHY- Yes, I do have regrets. My main regret is that I was so laser focused that I didn’t enjoy it enough while I had it. As an undrafted guy, I put the nose to the grindstone and it got me to the bigs. Once there, I kept that focus in order to make sure I stayed. By the time I felt like I actually belonged, the injuries set in and it was over, I just didn’t know it yet. Sitting here now I would’ve liked to have enjoyed it more, but also I don’t know what that would’ve looked like at the time.
What are you doing now and did your baseball career help that in any way?
BEACHY- As I mentioned before, I’m a franchise business owner in Nashville and a franchise consultant. I worked with Andy Luedecke on the front end, finding a business that fit what I wanted my life to look like. He brought me ideas that could make that possible with hard work and that’s what I’ve done. Now I work with Andy helping others find businesses that fit them and their dreams. I get a lot of fulfillment out of this type of work. Lots of people, like myself years ago, think of only fast food and think you need to be like Shaq and be able to buy 40 Papa John’s to make money. I enjoy being able to help educate people and open their eyes to possibilities and freedoms they were unaware of.
The qualities that got me to the big leagues have definitely translated to business ownership. Diving in and outworking the competition in the early stages led to success and then the ability to be a good teammate and leader has helped construct my team. Franchising is perfect for someone like me. The franchisor has a system and structure that I can apply those characteristics to that have led to great success.
Do you feel like throwing the slider was a primary reason for the elbow injuries (you had one helluva slider) or were the injuries more about general wear and tear regardless of the types of pitches thrown?
BEACHY- I don’t think it had anything to do with my slider. As I’ve mentioned in a few other questions I think not having enough miles on my arm growing up paired with some mechanical flaws and genetics was the cause for my elbow woes. Although, my last surgery was for thoracic outlet syndrome in 2017. Took them awhile to diagnose it because I didn’t have shoulder pain so no one thought to look. I had neurogenic and venous TOS and the specialist told me it was like I had thrown 100 pitches each morning when I woke up due to inability to recover. After that surgery my elbow felt great, but I was a few years removed and just couldn’t get back that last 5% that separates the big leaguers.
What are your thoughts on some of the current things that many pitchers are using for training like J bands, weighted balls, plyo balls etc...? Did you use any of these types of training tools and if not what did you typically do for arm strength and to maintain arm health?
BEACHY- I like all that stuff. When done right and with a purpose those things are great and I wish they were prominent while I was coming up. I think the common misconception is that weighted balls and what not are to increase velocity, but really doing it right helps train a healthy arm path. I did some bands but a lot of manual resistance exercises with medical and strength staffs.
Could Brandon have seen himself playing for the Savannah Bananas?
BEACHY- Haha I could not have seen myself doing that back then.
What was your most memorable game as a Brave? And why?
BEACHY- Probably my complete game shutout. Getting that deep into any game in those days when we had O’Flahery, Venters and Kimbrel waiting in the wings was no easy task. I remember feeling a sense of accomplishment and relief after that game, that I’d never felt before. I had gone all the way and put up zeros. I was really tough on myself and always striving to improve but in that one I couldn’t have done much more. Plus, I met President Carter after that game as he happened to be in attendance that night. Pretty neat having him call me by name.
Going to Braves fantasy camp in January. What’s something to use to get Medlens goat (assuming he will be there)
BEACHY-Good luck! Meds is too chill and doesn’t take himself serious enough to get his goat. One of the best guys, you’ll really enjoy being around him.
What is your favorite Tommy Hanson memory? And what do you take from his shocking death? Did anyone know he was into that?
BEACHY- I have so many. What a special guy. My favorite by far is Tommy showing me something at Wrigley. During the game he took me up to the clubhouse and into the kitchen where he filled a couple Styrofoam cups with blueberries. Might’ve changed now but the visiting clubhouse was a hike. Up a thousand stairs and it actually sits/sat above the main concourse. People didn’t notice it but the stairway is exposed to the concourse except for some heavy tarps that they drape down the sides. Well there was a certain spot you could pull the tarps back and we would try to drop berries into fans’ beers as they walked unknowingly below us. A splash down in someone’s beer or nacho cheese had us rolling and acting like kids. People never thought to look up either.
Life is precious and fleeting. Tommy was as kind a person as I’ve known. Going out of his way to make sure my brothers felt comfortable and welcomed when they visited and hung out with us. Totally caught us all off guard. We lost such a genuine and kind person
What are your thoughts on what seem to be ever changing strike zones depending on the umpire?
BEACHY- It’s part of the game. Gives some guys something to complain about, but the really good ones adjust. There’s an art to working an umpire that will be lost without them calling balls/strikes. Should it be that way? I don’t know. I just know the truly great ones overcome that just as any other obstacle.
