I recently had a chance to interview former Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Kris Medlen. He discussed several topics, including his journey to getting drafted, his thoughts on Spencer Strider's lack of an effective third pitch, and transitioning away from playing the game he loves.
Watch the interview on YouTube below or download the audio version here.
Kris Medlen holds a special place in the hearts of Atlanta Braves fans. He became a legend in 2012 and 2013. Medlen was a top reliever for the Braves in 2012, posting a 2.48 ERA before the Braves enlisted his services to fill a hole in the starting rotation. He made his first start at the end of July and the Braves won all 12 of his starts that season. He played a huge role in helping the team clinch a Wild Card spot in Chipper Jones' final season.
- Kris Medlen's journey to the Draft
- Kris Medlen's thoughts on Spencer Strider's lack of a third pitch
- Kris Medlen joins ownership group of Legacy Sports Complex
- Kris Medlen on life after baseball (as a player)
- Legacy Sports Complex is for everybody!
- More from House That Hank Built
Kris Medlen's journey to the Draft
Medlen was kind enough to take some time and talk baseball with me for a while. We started by touching on what it was like to dominate at the highest level in 2012 and 2013. "I've always been the guy that's like, give me the ball." Click here to listen to Medlen discuss his incredible run.
Medlen discussed the challenges of being an undersized player in high school and how being overlooked helped drive him to be the best. "I'm grateful for being overlooked." Click here to go straight to Medlen discussing his high school journey.
Kris Medlen's thoughts on Spencer Strider's lack of a third pitch
We stumbled onto a conversation about Spencer Strider's lack of a consistent third pitch. Kris Medlen had some interesting thoughts. "Yes, it's good to have a third pitch, but is it?" Medlen continued, "I don't know if media was getting in Spencer's ear, or coaching staff, or whatever it was. There were times he would almost force a change-up." Medlen pointed out that Strider has an elite fastball and an elite slider, which appears to be working well enough. Medlen explained why he thinks Strider had a couple of lulls in the middle of the season, as well.
Kris Medlen joins ownership group of Legacy Sports Complex
Kris Medlen has joined Jonny Venters as a part owner of Legacy Sports Complex. They currently have a thriving 15,000 sq. ft. location in Suwanee, GA. They are set to open a second location in Lawrenceville, GA in late January.
Medlen and Venters bring a high level of expertise and passion to the baseball program at Legacy Sports Complex, joining several other former professionals from all walks of pro sports. Former Atlanta Braves pitcher Jonny Venters worked with former MMA and Muay Thai fighter Dustin Chovanic to open the first location in December of last year. Medlen is the newest addition to the ownership group, which now includes several former Atlanta Falcons such as Mohamed Sanu, Christian Blake, Sean Weatherspoon, and Elijah Wilkinson.
Legacy Sports Complex offers everything from group training sessions to private training sessions. It's a place for people of all ages to improve their games and improve themselves. Medlen talked about his passion for helping people improve themselves. When asked about future expansion plans, he focused on offering a quality product and taking care of people. "If you think about the main mission, which is kids, athletes, and just looking to better people, the business side will take care of itself. Offer a quality product and you'll get some results."
Kris Medlen on life after baseball (as a player)
The conversation found its way to life after baseball for big-league players. Making it to Major League Baseball as a player is a childhood dream come true. Whether it's one day or a few years, it's usually a short amount of time. Players have to dedicate themselves 100% to the game. They often find themselves as young adults beginning to wonder about the next step in their lives. About beginning a new career. Medlen, 38, discussed the difficulty in leaving his playing days behind and how he has found opportunities to re-channel the competitive fire that drove him to the top of the game.
"Once you retire, everybody's different. I was more down on myself. I was like, 'damn, this is over with, what do I do?' and there is a big difficulty in that."Kris Medlen, Talkin' Tomahawk Podcast
Click here to hear Kris Medlen talk about the challenges in moving on to a second career after giving everything he had to achieve the dream of playing in the Major Leagues.
Legacy Sports Complex is for everybody!
I asked Medlen if they had anything for old washed-up guys like myself and he assured me that there is something for everybody. I tried to sell him some Amish furniture from DutchCrafters and he threatened to break one of my wooden baseball bats.
Check out Legacy Sports Complex if you are in the Suwanee or Lawrenceville areas! Learn more at Legacysportscomplex.com