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Former MLB pitcher McClellan giving back to baseball through Demand Command
Zach McClellan began his professional baseball career at age 21.
Through hills and valleys, the right-handed pitcher persisted and persevered until he finally stood on a major league mound at 28 and its those kind of lessons he passes along to the next generation with his baseball/softball business — Demand Command.
McClellan, who stands 6-foot-5, earned three letters at Indiana University (1998, 1999 and 2000). He pitched in 41 games, starting 22 with five complete games and one save. In 159 1/3 innings, he posted 111 strikeouts and a 4.58 earned run average while playing for Hoosiers head coach Bob Morgan — a man he credits as much for what he did in stressing education as what he did between the white lines.
Selected in the fifth round of the 2000 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Kansas City Royals, McClellan logged 192 appearances (87 starts) and 606 1/3 innings and played at Spokane, Wash., Burlington, Iowa, Wilmington, Del., Tulsa, Okla., and Colorado Springs, Colo., finally made his MLB debut in 2007 with the Colorado Rockies.
McClellan relieved in 12 games with Colorado that season, going 1-0 with 13 strikeouts in 14 innings. The Rockies went to the World Series in 2007.
He got to be around diamond leaders like Indiana native LaTroy Hawkins as well as Todd Helton.
His playing career concluded in 2010 with the independent Gary (Ind.) SouthShore RailCats.
His managers included Tom Poquette, Joe Szekely, Jeff Garber in the Royals minor league system, Tom Runnells, Marv Foley, Fred Ocasio and Stu Cole in the Rockies minor league chain with Clint Hurdle at the MLB level with the Rockies and Greg Tagert with the RailCats.
Long before that McClellan started giving back. He started the Zach McClellan School of Pitching in Bloomington, Ind., in 2002.
Zach and future wife Sarah met at IU. She is from nearby Ellettsville, Ind., and a graduate of Edgewood High School.
During his pro off-seasons, Zach was a student teacher during the day and gave lessons at night during his off-season.
With the growth of the business, McClellan began looking for a new name and a suggestion came from one of his pupils who noted how he was constantly telling them, "Don't just accept control, demand command."
McClellan says the difference between control and command is that with control you can throw to a general area and command is being able to execute your pitches to the catcher.
The two main aspects of pitching as McClellan sees them are how hard you throw and can you locate it. In other words: Velocity and command.
"I try to marry those two things," says McClellan, who notes that location becomes very important when it comes to getting good hitters out.
Believing that training should be fun and challenging, McClellan began getting his young pitchers to play H-O-R-S-E baseball style.
While in the basketball version, a player has to replicate a made shot or take a letter, McClellan's baseball variation requires one pitcher to execute a pitch — say a fastball to the outside corner — and have the next one up replicate that or take a letter.
The first Demand Command T-shirts McClellan ever had made asked: "Can you play H-O-R-S-E on the mound?"
"It was an inside joke between the instructed kids, myself and their parents," says McClellan. "People would ask the question about what it meant.
"We were doing something kind of unique and kids were actually executing pitches. What I've noticed through the years is that if they have to call the pitch, it's even better. Now they're not just throwing a ball in the generally vicinity."
McClellan never wants training to be drudgery for his players.
"If you don't enjoy what you're doing it becomes more of a job," says McClellan. "It's not a job, it's an opportunity. It's fun. If you're going to come to me it's not going to feel like work.
"You have to make sure that the kids are enjoying what they're doing, but learning at the same time."
Since he began offering instruction, McClellan has preferred small-group lessons of three of four players.
"I say make sure kids aren't just doing solo private lessons," says McClellan. "A lot of parents want their kids to work one-on-one with a coach, but when they go on a field they have eight other teammates.
"At the end of the day there's nobody behind the mound holding your hand and telling you how to correct yourself in a game. You have to have a feel on the adjustments you're making."
Every now and then, McClellan likes to match 17-year-old prospect with an 8-year-old learning how to pitch.
"The 17-year-old learns how to teach," says McClellan. "The more you learn how to teach the better you get at your craft.
"(The teen is) learning how other people receive the information which makes them more receptive of the information."
Now that he has been at it this long, another McClellan goal is coming to fruition.
"I've always wanted to create a community of baseball players that became future leaders," says McClellan. "Kids that played for me or took lessons from me are now coming back to be coaches for me."
Demand Command now trains baseball and softball players in southern Indiana (through partnerships with Owen Valley Sports Complex in Spencer and Maximum Velocity Performance in Columbus) and in Zach's native Toledo, Ohio, where brother Matt McClellan is the Demand Command Toledo owner.
Matt McClellan played at Oakland University in Auburn Hills, Mich., and pitched in the Toronto Blue Jays organization (Toronto selected the right-hander in the seventh round of the 1997 MLB Draft) and for the independent Newark (N.J.) Bears and Kansas City (Kan.) T-Bones.
Between Indiana and Ohio, Demand Command typically fields around 40 travel squads ages 7U to 18U through Pastime Tournaments and USSSA (United States Specialty Sports Association).
The DC website states the mission: "Demand Command was built on the principles that baseball and softball are teaching mechanisms for more than just the games.
Baseball and Softball have many life lessons within the games. Some examples are leadership, hard work, determination, discipline, working together with many types of people, dealing with success and failure and good character.
"The goal is to teach people the value of Demand Command life principles through baseball and softball. Demand Command stands for much more than commanding pitches or at bats. Demand Command is a way of life."
Numerous DC alums have gone on to college and pro baseball. Among them is Dylan Stutsman, who pitched at the University of Indianapolis and then pitched for the independent Schaumburg (Ill.) Boomers.
Former Texas Rangers draft pick Renton Poole is now a senior pitcher at Indiana University Kokomo.
Zach and Sarah McClellan live in Columbus and have three athletic daughters — Mia (14), Miley (12) and Emery (10).
The McClellan brothers — Jeff (46), Matt (44) and Zach (42 on Nov. 25) — are the offspring of former college athletes.
Father Dave a basketball player at the University of Michigan and Mother Diane a track and field athlete at Bowling Green (Ohio) State University.
Jeff played baseball at Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio.
Zach's nephew, Sebastian McClellan, is a freshman basketball guard at Lawrence Technical University in Southfield, Mich. Niece Mallory McClellan recently signed a letter of intent to play softball at Fordham University in New York.
Demand Command is a baseball/softball training and travel organization founded by Zach McClellan.
Zach McClellan, a native of Toledo, Ohio, who pitched at Indiana University 1998-2000, made his Major League Baseball debut in 2007 with the Colorado Rockies. He began giving pitching lessons in 2002. (Colorado Rockies Photo)
Former Colorado Rockies pitcher and Demand Command founder Zach McClellan signs autographs for youth baseball players.
Zach McClellan runs the Indiana portion of Demand Command baseball and softball out of facilities in Spencer and Columbus in southern Indiana. He played at Indiana University and pitched in the big leagues. (Demand Command Photo)
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Baseball coaching career now has Western grad Reida rolling with Alabama Crimson Tide
September 18, 2018 stvkrh905 1 Comment
Indiana native Matt Reida has landed back in SEC territory.
This time as an volunteer assistant baseball coach at the University of Alabama.
The 2010 graduate of Western High School in Russiaville, Ind., played four baseball seasons at the University of Kentucky — a Southeastern Conference member — concluding in 2014.
Lefty-swinging infielder Reida (pronounced Ray-da) was selected in the 47th round of the 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Chicago White Sox. He did not sign and went to college.
The MLB came calling again in 2014. Reida signed as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Rays and played 42 games for the Gulf Coast League Rays after one contest with the independent River City Rascals.
With the help of then-UK assistant and current Alabama head coach Brad Bohannon, Reida began his coaching career in 2016 on the Indiana University staff then led by Chris Lemonis (who is now head coach at SEC member Mississippi State University).
"I love Coach Bo," says Reida, 26. "I have the utmost respect for what he does.
"He's been a mentor for me for years."
What is Reida doing with the Crimson Tide?
"A little bit of everything," says Reida. "I'm now helping with the infielders and helping Coach (Jerry) Zulli with hitters. We have coaches (Bohannon, Zulli, Jason Jackson) that have done things at a high level. We all have our hands in a lot of different areas.
"Coach Bohannon is great at empowering his coaches. I'll help with recruiting."
While at UK, Bohannon was honored as the 2015 American Baseball Coaches Association/Baseball America National Assistant Coach of the Year.
Lemonis won the same award in 2013 while at the University of Louisville where he served for six seasons (2009-14) then spent four campaigns in charge at Indiana (2015-18).
Reida reflects on his two seasons (2016-17) with Lemonis at IU.
"It was my first experience in college coaching," says Reida. "I didn't realize what all went into the job.
"(Lemonis) has the reputation as a recruiter. I saw the see the hours he would spend and his level of commitment, how he would build relationships."
In 2018, Reida was an assistant at Xavier University. His boss is Cincinnati was former IU player Billy O'Conner, who was in his first season as Musketeers head coach.
"Billy was great because he gave all of his coaches complete freedom," says Reida. "There was a level of trust.
"He's going to do a phenomenal job at Xavier. He gets more out of what he has around him."
O'Conner, who at 31 is one of the younger coaches in NCAA Division baseball, leads from the front.
"He's out their working on the field. He takes his turn to do laundry. Nothing is beneath him. As the head coach, he jumps in and makes things happen."
Reida played at Kentucky for Gary Henderson, who led Mississippi State to the College World Series and was named National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Coach of the Year in 2018.
Teaching the mental side of baseball was a strength Reida saw in Henderson.
"He really thought the game at a different level," says Reida. "He talked about routine a ton and the thought process. He talked about how to handle emotion and adversity and play the game one pitch at a time.
"I also learned from Hendu about personal responsibility. If it is to be, it's up to me. Ownership was definitely a cornerstone of his program."
Reida was a teammate of Terre Haute's A.J. Reed when he won the Golden Spikes Award as D-I baseball's top player in 2014.
"He's an extraordinary person and a player," says Reida of Reed. "I watched him grow for three years. It was neat to be a part of. He was someone that was driven."
Read has played 48 games in the big leagues with the Houston Astros and slugged 123 home runs in the minors.
Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer Ty Calloway was Reida's coach at Western.
Calloway finished his 36-year coaching career with a 663-310 record with 18 seasons of 20 or more victories and an IHSAA Class 3A state title in 2012.
"I learned a ton from Coach Calloway," says Reida. "One thing that stuck out with me was his level of commitment to the game and level of preparation.
"You could tell how much baseball meant to him and how passionate he was."
Born in Kokomo, Reida grew up in nearby Russiaville and winning the city title with his Russiaville Youth Baseball League team against Kokomo area squad at 12 is still one of his baseball highlights.
Among the talented ballplayers of that era were future collegians Nolan Sanburn (Arkansas), Colton Summers (Indiana Purdue-Fort Wayne), Seth Vautaw (Ball State) and T.J. Weir (Ball State).
"It's great area for baseball," says Reida. "It really is."
Travel ball included the Central Indiana Kings (a Kokomo area team organized by Matt's father Chad Reida and Tim Weir), Indiana Bulls and Midland (Ohio) Redskins. T.J. Weir, Tim's son, pitches in the San Diego Padres organization.
Midland won two Connie Mack World Series championships with Matt Reida on the roster. Along the way, the Redskins had to best teams featuring Manny Machado, Archie Bradley, Dylan Bundy and Mark Appel.
Chad and Shelly Reida have two other children — Tad and Tiffany.
Tad Reida, who is six years older than Matt, played at Western, Wichita State University (2004-05) and Indiana University (2006) and coached at West Virginia University (2009-10) and Air Force Academy (2011). He now is attached to a travel ball organization — CageRat Baseball — in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Tiffany Reida played basketball at Indiana State University.
Matt Reida holds a communications degree from Kentucky, where he graduated Cum Laude in 2014 with a 3.69 grade-point average.
Matt Reida, a graduate of Western High School in Russiaville, Ind., and the University of Indiana, is now a volunteer assistant baseball coach at the University of Alabama. (University of Alabama Photo)
A.J. ReedAir Force AcademyAmerican Baseball Coaches AssociationArchie BradleyBilly O'ConnerBrad BohannonCageRat BaseballCentral Indiana KingsChad ReidaChicago White SoxChris LemonisCollege World SeriesColorado SpringsColton SummersConnie Mack World SeriesCrimson TideDylan BundyGary HendersonGolden Spikes AwardGulf Coast League RaysHoosiersHouston AstrosIHSBCA Hall of FameIndiana BullsIndiana High School Baseball Coaches AssociationIndiana UniversityJason JacksonJerry ZulliKokomoManny MachadoMark AppelMatt ReidaMexicoMidland RedskinsMississippi State UniversityMLB DraftMusketeersNolan SanburnRiver City RascalsRussiavilleRussiaville Youth Baseball LeagueSan Diego PadresSeth VautawShelly ReidaSoutheastern ConferenceState championsT.J. WeirTad ReidaTampa Bay RaysTiffany ReidaTim WeirTy CallowayUniversity of AlabamaUniversity of KentuckyUniversity of LouisvilleWest Virginia UniversityWestern High SchoolWichita State UniversityWildcatsXavier University