The Philadelphia Phillies are hard at work with their spring training, and there’s nothing strange about that; it’s what you would expect them to be doing at this time of year.
What is strange, however, is that outfielder Paco Figueroa has told his players to leave their bats and gloves in the locker room and got them to pick up paddles instead! Figueroa has come up with the novel concept of introducing pickleball into their training sessions!
“Do You Need Stretch After This?”
For example, second baseman Bryson Stott and right fielder Nick Castellanos have been playing against designated hitter Kyle Schwarber and utilityman Weston Wilson.
Castellanos berates Stott’s doubles. “If I was Trea [Turner], I’d be yelling at you!” he chirps.
Stott wins the next point, and they eventually beat their opponents
Castellanos congratulates Stott: “Good boy.” “F—,” Schwarber laments.
“Do you need stretch after this?” Castellanos pants.
His teammates consider Schwarber to be the weakest player – and Schwarber agrees! However, he finds that incredibly frustrating because he does play pickleball when not on duty and says he’s pretty good.
“I’m not very coordinated with my off-hand, which is a good thing to know,” he tells Sports Illustrated. It’s interesting to note that when the players swap to using their stronger hand, Schwarber becomes a different player.
“Pacoball”
Figueroa believes this modified version of pickleball — called Pacoball, a name invented by Matt Gelb of The Athletic — is not a gimmick but will help them in many different ways.
“It helps with a lot of things,” he says. “Moving different directions, agility, you gotta drop to get the ball, go in to hit it. I envision our three outfielders [doing] a lot of communicating—‘I got it, I got it’—and you’re switching positions. And a lot of it is competitiveness – the more you can compete, the better it is.”
The idea arose when Figueroa, who is a keen pickleballer in his spare time, noticed the similarities between baseball and his hobby.
When he arrived at camp this spring, he asked the grounds crew to designate a patch of grass where they could play without getting in the way. They then divided the area up into four squares of 30 feet by 30 feet.
“An Old Person’s Game”
He and his coaching staff then tested Figueroa’s slightly customized version of pickleball, which catcher Garrett Stubbs calls “a combination of foursquare, squash, and pickleball,” and introduced it to his outfielders.
“I’ve never played pickleball,” says corner outfielder Jake Cave. “And I was actually making fun of it a couple days ago, saying it was, like, an old person game because my dad lives in The Villages [the huge Florida retirement complex], and that’s the most popular game there.
“I was making fun of it. But then I went out there.” Cave says he is going to call his father and apologize.
Morning pickleball with the fellas pic.twitter.com/Krwcpn4LSO
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) February 23, 2024
Playing With Your Weaker Hand
The dynamics of the game shift under Figueroa’s direction. For example, he opted for a racquetball over a wiffleball, and they play without a net to up the intensity. Notably, players use their weaker hands not only to prevent any excessive force but also to refine their skills with the glove hand.
In a recent ruling, Figueroa introduced a strategic maneuver allowing players to lob the ball to their partner during challenging plays, who then redirects it towards the opponents, provided there’s clear communication.
Comprehensive Records
Looking ahead, Figueroa plans to establish comprehensive records, both at the individual and team levels. Remarkably, the players are already one step ahead; Cristian Pache, the center fielder, is diligently keeping track of statistics, coincidentally emerging as the most successful player based on these metrics.
While Pache garners considerable acclaim for his performance, teammates also laud Castellanos. Yet, amidst the debate over the top player, Castellanos remains uncertain: Who truly holds the title of the best player?
“Too early to tell,” he says.
Who’s the worst?
“Too early to tell.”
He’s keen to point out how the sport can throw up similar scenarios with baseball.
“I have moments where I make some really good plays,” he says. “But then I also have moments where I do some stupid plays, like forget to let it bounce the second time.” He grins and adds that, just like in baseball, “All my mistakes are stupid and losing focus. But sometimes I flash the paddle.”
