Marvel appreciates hockey, too
MILWAUKEE — Growing up in Cheshire, Conn., about 15 miles north of New Haven, James Marvel remembers playing in weekend hockey tournaments in Lake Placid, N.Y., site of the Miracle on Ice. Marvel said his team would play two games a day at 1980 Herb Brooks Arena, then find a frozen pond somewhere for pickup games at night.
The Mighty Ducks trilogy helped Marvel become a fan of the Anaheim-based NHL franchise, and the Pirates pitcher grew up idolizing Hall of Famer Paul Kariya.
“I love the toughness of those guys,” Marvel said, talking about hockey players. “There’s nothing like playoff hockey, Stanley Cup hockey, sitting there on the edge of your seat. It’s such an awesome sport.”
While it’s unlikely Marvel will find anyone in Pittsburgh who disagrees with his stance on hockey, it’s also weirdly connected to his current situation. For as much as Marvel loved watching the Ducks growing up, he’s also a huge fan of the Penguins and Sidney Crosby.
“We’re really spoiled to watch guys like him play,” said Marvel, who would spend hours alone in his garage, perfecting his shot.
When former Pirates pitcher Gerrit Cole had himself a time at a 2016 Penguins playoff game — on the glass, screaming, pounder in hand — Marvel was actually at home watching the whole thing on TV, fantasizing about one day that moment belonging to him.
“Especially with Pittsburgh sports, seeing how the teams support each other, I think that’s so cool,” Marvel said.
Let’s pause that thought there. After all, Marvel will make just his third MLB start Saturday at Miller Park, and he’ll take the mound with an 0-2 record and a 9.00 ERA — not exactly numbers that’ll net you front-row seats.
Marvel also isn’t dumb. Or lazy. With two starts left this season, he’s keenly aware of the opportunity he has to make an impression heading into the offseason and potentially earn a spot in the Pirates 2020 starting rotation.
“I’m happy to be here, but I’m not just happy to be here, if that makes sense,” Marvel said. “I’ve got two starts left. First and foremost I have to figure out how to get guys out and try and put our team in position to get wins here in September. It would be nice to get some wins and play spoiler a little bit.
“Then whatever happens, hopefully I’m putting myself in a good position to impact this club next year.”
Marvel’s first MLB start was a good one — two earned runs allowed over five innings in a 2-0 loss Sept. 8 to the Cardinals. Although Marvel lost, he looked very much like the guy who was named the Pirates minor league pitcher of the year after going 16-5 with a 2.94 ERA and 136 strikeouts in 28 starts between Class AA Altoona and Class AAA Indianapolis.
The right-hander’s most recent outing, though, went decidedly worse. He left too many pitches out over the plate and wound up allowing seven earned runs over four innings a 14-1 loss to the Cubs last week in Chicago.
Improving upon that previous start has been a focal point for Marvel over the past week. During games he’s been standing with assistant pitching coach Justin Meccage and battering him with questions about pitch-sequencing and why certain things were called.
He’s also been watching Trevor Williams and Joe Musgrove, two of the veterans on staff, to see how they prepare, with Marvel (smartly) trying to do anything and everything to accelerate the learning process.
“I’m just trying to learn as much as I can from the guys who do this at the highest level,” the 26-year-old Marvel said.
That sort of mindset is not new. Nor is it unrelated to Marvel’s hockey background.
As a kid, Marvel loved digging up old clips of Greg Maddux, taking note of how velocity can become less important if a pitcher does everything else right. Marvel — who maxes out at about 91 mph — also would watch a lot of Roy Halladay for how he moved the baseball around like he was holding a remote control.
On the ice, Marvel was the same way. He played center for those youth teams, until his family moved to California, and he stopped playing hockey as much. In the middle of the ice, Marvel was never the fastest or the most offensively skilled, but he relied on his vision and ability to read plays to get results.
“It was about being able to put the puck where I wanted it, being able to put a puck on a guy’s stick when I know that he’s going to be at a certain point,” Marvel said, sounding very much like Crosby or Nick Bjugstad. “When I’m pitching and I’m locked in, throwing well and with that type of execution, it feels the same to me.”
The ultimate goal for Marvel will be how it feels in April or May, if he’s able to make an impression both now and in spring training, win a job and attend a Penguins playoff game or two as a member of the Pirates starting rotation.