There are nearly 5,000 players making up the minor league baseball system, each guy with the same goal as the next: “Crack a Major League roster.” Easier said than done. It can be cruel, draining, and demanding. Dan Leatherman is a man on a mission and knows perseverance just as well as he knows his fastball.
Leatherman was originally signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2006 by the Minnesota Twins out of the University of West Virginia. He spent two seasons in the Twins farm system with the Gulf Coast League Twins and the Low-A Beloit Snappers, posting a combined 11-5 record with a 2.98 ERA in 70 games. Despite his solid numbers and progress, the Twins cut Leatherman in the 2008 off-season.
Leatherman, however, didn't dwell on the Twins' decision and quickly looked to catch on with another organization.
After impressing the Washington Nationals in four games of work with their extended Spring Training squad, Leatherman signed with the Nationals as a free agent and was sent to play for their single A affiliate—Hagerstown Suns—for the 2008 season.
The 24-year-old made his mark last season and became a staple in the Hagerstown bullpen. He made 26 relief appearances, 13 of which he finished out the game, going 1-2 with a 2.68 ERA. Leatherman was also a perfect 5-for-5 in save chances. His dominance started to shine through, as the right-handed pitcher struck out 62 batters in 50 1/3 innings, while only giving up 10 walks and holding batters to just a .222 average.
The Nationals organization began to take notice and promoted Leatherman to Advanced-A for the playoffs. In his debut for the Potomac Nationals, Leatherman was fantastic over four innings, striking out two and only giving up two hits, as he picked up his first win in his first playoff appearance. He would end up being instrumental in winning a championship with the Potomac Nationals, the first title since 1989.
Leatherman seemed poise to continue his ascension up the Minor League ranks with the Potomac Nationals for the 2009 season.
Unfortunately for Leatherman, spring training this year was different than any other year. It was dark… heavy… Leatherman’s dreams were put on hold as he was dealing with the passing of his closest friend—his father. This would be a difficult hurdle for Dan to clear, as he felt as though he had lost part of his baseball identity. His father had always been his coach and had been with him since day one. Now he had to find a way to get back on track without his biggest critic in the stands. With the support of teammates and coaches, Leatherman cleared his mind and worked on his game. With the same dedication and the same passion his father had instilled in him, he worked his way back to the mound.
Leatherman started the season with dual responsibilities for the High A Potomac Nationals, serving as both middle reliever and closer. Although the Frederick, MD native prefers closing games out and registered 5 saves, he also compiled a 6-1 record coming in as a middle reliever. Leatherman finished 20 out of the 41 games he appeared in, all while boasting a nearly 3:1 K/BB ratio and a respectable 3.23 ERA. He proved to be so reliable coming out of the P-Nats bullpen that he logged more innings than any other reliever on the team with a total of 69.2.
After our interview with Leatherman, he received the call that every Minor Leaguer longs for, but too often seems like light years away. You know, the one that says, “Pack your bags and report to the next level.”
Leatherman was called up to Double-A earlier this month and will play for the Harrisburg Senators for the remainder of the season. The dream is now within arms reach, and he has his eyes set on the horizon.
As Leatherman advances up the minor league ranks, he also has the added pressure of caring for his family. While withstanding the day-to-day grind of playing in the minor leagues can be tough, building a family at the same time is even tougher. This is something that the Leathermans have come to live with, but it's hard on the family. At the same time, he realizes that he may have a chance to aid his family financially for the rest of their lives.
Is it worth it? That is a question that can only be answered down the road.
Today in sports, a Dan Leatherman is rare. We often see professional athletes with egos the size of the stadiums in which they play in. Leatherman has none of that. None. He might be what you would call a “blue collar” athlete. He is thankful for both his career and his family, and promises that in the future he will give back to baseball, as it has afforded him so much joy and success. We also know that Dan Leatherman has made a bond with baseball and that’s where his heart will always be. Whether his dream of making a major league roster comes true or not, one thing is for certain—he’s no longer just pitching for himself, but for his late father, friend, and coach too.
To read more more about Leatherman's journey in the Minor Leagues, check out the Q&A below.
AA: How are you doing today, Dan?
DL: Good. Thank you for having me.
AA: I was looking at your stats over the last ten games, or month or so. You've been pitching pretty well in those games. What's the key to staying focused and pitching well as the season goes on?
DL: Mainly just pounding the strike zone, going in and not walking guys. That's one. Two, it seems like in July and going into August, guys start to kind of die off because the season is coming to an end. You've got to get in the weight room and keep lifting your weights and make sure you're doing all your work everyday so you can last for the rest of the season. Guys start to die off and give up. You have to be the one who rises above it, perseveres, and makes sure you get your work done so you end up coming up on top.
AA: As the season goes on, do you ever lose focus on mechanics or fundamentals?
DL: We work on fundamentals on our own and also with the team. We do them so much in spring training, it seems like it never leaves you.
AA: You've been utilized as both a middle reliever and a closer so far this season. Are you comfortable in both roles?
DL: Yes, more in the closer role. In the beginning of the year, I was more or less the long relief guy. I was going into a tie ball game, which I still do now. That's why I have been getting a lot of wins this year because I was going into tie ball games and was getting lucky enough that our team scored after I came in for an inning. They are also using me in the closer role and I really like that as well.
I'm the type of guy who likes to go in when we're up one run in the last inning and you go in and pound the strike zone. You get [a] strike pitch first. You're ahead. It's kind of a win-win situation. Both roles for me… I do like both roles. I'm one of those guys who likes the ball, so I don't care what the situation is.
AA: When you played ball in both high school and college, were you used as a starter or as a closer? What was your pitching preference?
DL: In high school and junior college, I was a starter. Then, when I went to West Virginia for a year, I started out as the closer. Then I became a starter a quarter of the way through the season. I've always been a starter, but I got transferred to reliever when I started playing pro baseball.
AA: Was it a difficult transition going from starter to mid relief, or was it easier?
DL: I think it's easier. You're not throwing as many pitches, but you're also throwing more often. To me, it was easier to go in for an inning or two and just blow it out, you know what I mean? You don't have to pace yourself for 6, 7 innings. You don't have to go out, say a pitcher has 4 pitches and he's got a fastball, change-up, curveball and slider, roughly... Hypothetically... You know a pitcher’s not going to go out and throw every single pitch in the first inning that he's got. He might go fastball/change up in the first inning or fastball/curveball [in the] first inning, second inning. He's switching it up.
A reliever can go out there for two innings, throw all of his stuff, and he's not going to get through the entire order. You don't have to worry about them seeing you two or three times. So, I think the transition from starter to reliever is a lot easier than from someone being transferred from a reliever to a starter. So, I didn't have a hard time transitioning whatsoever.
AA: Do you think the minor leagues are there to help players prepare for the majors, or are they there to help these players find their identity within the game? Is it both?
DL: I think it's there for both. It's there, for example, when you have a guy who has rehab. A guy who pitches a rehab start... they have minor leagues for that. That's one thing that's good about the minor leagues. Obviously, your lower levels—your rookie ball, your low A, and a little bit advanced high A—that's all developmental league. That’s more or less you're learning about the game. You're learning things you don't learn in college. You're picking up little things here and there. I wish I could go back to college and pitch with what I know now. I think almost anybody who has been in pro ball for 2 or 3 years, can say 'I could go back and just absolutely dominate college.' But, I do think the minor leagues are a good thing.
Do I think there are too many teams? Sometimes, because there are a lot of guys and a lot of guys to choose from, and I think it's good for them [teams] seeing guys and seeing what they can do. But I also think it's good if they [teams] have someone that’s rehabbing.
AA: You talked about the developmental leagues (e.g. Rookie, A, Advanced A). Do you think there is a lot of parity between the levels or do they seem the same?
DL: I haven't been in rookie ball for 3 years now, so, to me it almost seems like it's college baseball with wooden bats. Guys are just starting to get used to the wooden bat; they aren't too familiar with it. Then once you get to low A and high A, that's when the college guys are getting familiar with wooden bats and they’re getting a little bit better.
I haven't gotten to experience the Double-A part yet, but I think Double-A is when you're starting to knock on the door to the big leagues. They're not going to put a guy in Double-A unless they think they have a shot at making a big league team one day. So, I hope I am getting ready to be in that transition of going to Double-A and getting to experience that!
AA: Describe the process of getting called up in the minor leagues. Do you know when you'll be called up or does it come as a surprise?
DL: It's definitely a surprise. You never know when you're going to get called up. They don't let you know ahead of time; usually you get called into the coach's office after a game. They'll let you know that you have to go meet up with the team wherever they're at. It's never something that you really know you're going unless you're right down in Florida. For example, this year I had to go back down to extended for a week. I was down there for about a week when the director of the minor leagues called me on my cell phone and said, "Hey, you're going up tomorrow. You need to meet up with us in the morning.” You know, it was something like that—and I knew it was coming at any day. I already knew that I was going to make a team. I just had to get back down to Florida for something that had happened during spring training. But more than likely during the season, it's usually a surprise.
AA: The Washington Nationals play big brother to your Class A-Advanced Potomac Nationals. Do you follow them or the minor league levels above you? Or do you find yourself more focused with your team and what you have to do to win?
DL: You pretty much focus on what you need to do, and what you need to do to get up to that next level. We don't really watch what happens in the Double-A or Triple-A. We do watch the big league games and we watch the highlights, so we do know what goes on in the big leagues a lot. But, more or less if something happens in Double-A or Triple-A, everybody finds out about it. If someone gets promoted or demoted, everybody talks and knows about it. If somebody gets injured or doesn't pass a drug test, everybody knows about it.
AA: As a developing player, what is your relationship with the Nationals' manager and other coaches on the big league team?
DL: I really don't have much of a relationship with them at all. I don't really know them that well. I haven't had the opportunity to speak with them or to be around them yet because I am still new to the organization. I did get to talk to Manny Acta for a minute or two during spring training and Randy Knorr, who is now the bench coach in the bullpen in the big leagues. He was the manager for the Potomac Nationals last year and I got to spend about a week or two with him when I came up last year at the end of the season for the playoffs. So, he's the only coach that I know who is actually in the big leagues right now that's with the Nationals. So, I haven't really got to talk to him that much.
AA: Are you coached solely by lower level coaches during your spring training camp, or do any of the other coaches from different tiers come in, play a part and get involved?
DL: No, everybody gets involved. If one of the Triple-A coaches walks by and sees you doing something wrong, they're obviously going to stop and tell you the right way to do it. Sometimes the big league coaches will come over and they'll just watch from a distance. Sometimes they're even in street clothes—you don't even know that they're there. They'll come over and they’ll teach you something or they'll come over and talk to you.
When I was in Minnesota, for example, Ron Gardenhire would come over and he would talk to us every once in a while. They're around, and you also have older players who have already retired. When I was in Minnesota, we had Paul Molitor out there all the time, and Harmon Killebrew came out a couple times and talked to us. I mean, you've got guys all over the place.
AA: Is it hard trying to balance your goal of a career in the Major Leagues with trying to raise a family at the same time?
DL: It's tough. It's very tough to have a family and be away from them. Sometimes, you feel like you're watching your kids grow up in pictures. It's a hard thing, but you know it’s the best thing for your family, and that your baseball career one day could possibly take care of your family financially—for the rest of your lives. It's definitely a risk that guys take. You know, my family and I have talked about it and it's a risk that we're willing to take, but we're not going to let it go too far. We're going to give it a couple more years, see what happens, see where I’m at... Then make a decision on whether I keep playing or not.
AA: How important is your family's support for your game?
DL: Extremely Important. I've gotten a lot of support not just from my wife and my kids. My son loves coming out to the baseball field and my wife supports me in every decision I make. And my mom and my dad had always been there for me. This has been probably the toughest season for me because my dad just passed away in spring training this year.
He was always my coach growing up and I felt like I lost a part of myself when it came to the baseball aspect and my personality, because he is not around anymore. For a little bit there, it seemed like my dreams had come to a halt for a minute. Everything had come to a halt when my dad passed. Right now, I am kind of getting into the transition of moving on. And kind of seeing myself go up and I am able to answer the questions that I need to answer without him being there, you understand what I mean?
It was really hard though because he had always been my coach. Like, last year when I was in Hagerstown, I was close to home. I was 20 minutes away and my dad would come to all my games. After an outing, I would go talk to him and he would tell me what I was doing wrong, all those kinds of things. Now, I don't have that—somebody that I can talk to afterwards. So, it was kind of like everything got put on hold.
AA: Since the beginning of competitive sports, we've seen a lot of the Father/Son bond. How was that experience for you? Probably pretty neat to experience?
DL: Yeah, it was like Cal Ripken and his dad. I'm sure everything kind of went on hold a little bit when his dad passed away. I'm sure he went through the same thing that I went through, and it's a very tough thing to swallow. I'm getting out of it now and kind of moving on into the healing process. You know, I have had a lot of my coaches and teammates be there for me, and they have all taken me in and helped me out with whatever I needed. It's been a very big help and the Nationals organization was very, very sympathetic to what happened. You know, they've helped me to move on.
AA: What goals do you have for your baseball career?
DL: Obviously, I want to play as long as I possibly can. I mean, I like the fact that I am in the Nationals organization. The only other organization I would rather be in is Baltimore. I'll play for anybody, obviously. But I love the fact that I am hometown! It's nice being a hometown guy. It's nice having all the minor league teams pretty much close to my house. I want to play as long as I can. Possibly after the fact, I can come back and give back.
One thing I did take from my dad that he always taught me was that—you know what—you've gotten so far already that you need to also give back. And I know that I'll definitely be giving back when my career is over and while my career is going as well.
AA: What advice would you give to an aspiring baseball player who has hopes of going through the same journey you have so far?
DL: Stay with it! Go to as many tryouts as you can when you're in college, or wherever you're at in your baseball career—if you're in high school, college, whatever it is. Just keep working hard and don't let anybody tell you that you can't do something, because nothing is impossible.
I mean, a lot of people have told me that my story is a great story about how I went through a tryout camp and signed with the Minnesota Twins, and then I got released, and all these things. You know, I've never given up. Even when my dad passed away, I didn't give up. I found out my dad passed away on a Thursday night at 1:45 in the morning, and I went out and pitched the next day at 7 o’clock, 8 o’clock in the morning. I was at the baseball field. I wasn't going to let that stop me. So, you can't let anything stop you—you have to go out and play everyday like it's your last because it very well could be!
Zach Aaronson, VP of Marketing for Access Athletes, LLC, was a contributing author.
On behalf of Access Athletes, we would like to thank Dan Leatherman for taking time out of his busy schedule to do an interview with The Real Athlete Blog and congratulate him on his recent promotion to Double-A Harrisburg Senators earlier this month.
