In September, around the time Washington Nationals reliever Sean Doolittle announced his retirement, General Manager Mike Rizzo floated an idea to the now-former relief pitcher, proposing a way to keep him with the organization.
“As the offseason progressed and I continued to think about, it really seemed like the perfect fit for me,” Doolittle said Tuesday. “I’m just really, really excited about it. We had some really good meetings over the last couple weeks at Nats Park with Riz and some of the other members of the front office. I’m really happy it came together because I’m so excited to stay with the organization.”
Doolittle, who was part of the Nationals’ World Series run in 2019, will work with the entire pitching staff, not just the relievers. Some aspects of his new gig will be ironed out at spring training, such as whether he will be in the dugout or in the video room during games. But Doolittle appreciates that he can make this second act with the Nationals his own as he goes, helping in a variety of areas, from game-planning to working directly with pitchers on mechanical adjustments.
A significant part of his work will be as serving as a liaison between the pitching staff and the analytics department. Doolittle visited a training facility in Arizona after he struggled during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, and he grew fascinated with analytics. He took a deep dive into data and movement patterns as well as strength training.
The first thing that analytics taught Doolittle was why his fastball was so effective. Doolittle thinks that’s an important starting point for any pitcher looking at data — recognizing and understanding his strengths so he can maximize them. From there, members of the coaching staff can work backward to come up with a game plan.
“It’s a little bit like a puzzle where you’re figuring out how to connect maybe the way that a player’s body moves combined with what he’s doing in the weight room combined with his mentality,” Doolittle said. “There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, and I love that part of it. … It’s not just one person. I’m excited about creating a comprehensive approach to help guys.”
Doolittle’s desire to get into coaching increased during the final three years of his career. He often found himself as the veteran in the clubhouse — the guy whom younger players turned to for advice. And last season, as he was rehabbing in West Palm Beach, Fla., and with several minor league affiliates, he enjoyed helping out.
Doolittle isn’t sure he’ll be physically ready to play catch when the Nationals get to spring training next month. He strained the patellar tendon in his right knee in June and is getting his brace off next week. He doesn’t have any pain in the knee but is likely to have some early mornings in the weight room as he finishes his rehab.
So even though he can’t throw, his new position offers him a different way to help the Nationals’ pitching staff. He understands the dynamic of his relationship with his former teammates will change now that he’s a coach, but he hopes he can still be someone they can rely on.
“I do want the guys to see that I’m in the trenches with them working on things, and I’m doing my part to bring them good information, helpful information, and that I’m available,” Doolittle said. “I’m not just happy to be around the big league club. I really loved doing that kind of work when I was a player. And now that it’s my full-time job, I’m really excited to dive all the way in.”