MESA, Ariz. — The efficiency and quickness that Matt Festa displayed while working a 1-2-3 bottom of the fifth inning vs. the Cubs would make you think he had a plane to catch after Wednesday’s game at Sloan Park.
Well, actually Festa does have a flight, but that’s Thursday morning. So there was no hurry to avoid running through the crowds of Skyharbor Airport.
No, this outing was typical of what kept him in the Mariners bullpen all of last season.
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Facing MLB players, Festa struck out Trey Mancini swinging, put a fastball on the hands of Edwin Rios for a weak one-bouncer to third for an out and then got Yan Gomes to chase a 1-2 slider down that resulted in a pop out to first baseman Mike Ford in foul territory.
Festa threw a total of nine pitches, seven of them for strikes. From his first pitch until Ford caught the ball over his shoulder with a nice grab, it took a total 2 minutes and 54 seconds.
“How about that?” Festa said in raspy baritone and heavy accent that leaves little doubt he grew up New York City.
Festa will spend the better part of his Thursday in a plane headed to live out one of his baseball dreams. He’ll make the long trip to Taiwan to join Team Italy and prepare for pool play in the first round of competition in the World Baseball Classic.
Italy will join Chinese Taipei, the Netherlands, Cuba and Panama in Pool A with 10 games being played over five days in the city of Taichung, starting March 7. The teams will play exhibition games against local Taiwanese teams March 5-6.
Minor league infielder Jose Caballero, who is on the roster for Panama, will be joining Festa on the trip. The Mariners have 10 players from the organization competing in the WBC with regulars like Julio Rodriguez, Teoscar Hernandez and Eugenio Suarez leaving Monday to report to their teams in Florida.
For Festa, this is an opportunity that started five years ago.
“It’s huge because I’ve definitely been dreaming of this since about 2018,” Festa said after his outing. “When I was back in Arkansas coming up in Double-A, I got the first invitation that kind of said: ‘Hey, we’re looking at you. We’d like you to play.’ And then with COVID and all this stuff that happened, it’s finally come down to, ‘Hey, we’re flying out tomorrow.’ I’m excited to represent the country and represent especially even where I’m from Staten Island, it’s just a very strong Italian area. I’m excited.”
How excited?
He’s been sporting a red, white and green headband of Italy’s flag all spring.
“I got the idea from [Sam] Haggerty,” Festa said. “But he decided to back out so I’m going to take it over.”
Haggerty and the Mariners decided it would be best for him not to play because of the nasty groin injury he sustained last season.
Festa’s excitement to play for Italy will certainly offset the drag of a day spent on an airplane. His itinerary includes an hourlong morning flight to Los Angeles followed by a quick layover at LAX. Then he’ll be on a plane for just over 15 straight hours on a direct flight to Taichung International Airport.
That’s a long time in an airplane no matter which class you are sitting in. What’s he planning to do to pass the time?
He could watch “The Godfather” trilogy three times.
“Only the first one,” he said.
You don’t like “Godfather II”?
“It’s pretty good,” he replied. “Nobody watches ‘Godfather III.’”
So what will be his choices?
“I’ve got a new book that I’m reading,” he said.
The book is called “See to Play: The Eyes of Elite Athletes” by Dr. Michael Peters.
“It has to do with the visual aspects of our brain and what that does to athletes,” he said. “I’m also going to catch up on some Netflix.”
Festa’s viewing choice will be “Full Swing” a documentary series on PGA golfers. He already watched the similar series on tennis called “Break Point.”
“I really liked the tennis one,” he said. “I’m suddenly super into tennis now. Because just the way they shoot it. They make the athletes seem more personal and you get to learn about them.”
While the focus will be on playing baseball, Festa won’t pass up the opportunity to do some exploring in a place he’s never been. He went overseas for the first time this past offseason and he can’t wait to experience new cultures — specifically the food.
“I have been researching Taiwan quite a bit,” he said. “There’s a couple museums and gardens that I’d like to see. I heard the weather is really great right now. It’s like 70 to 75 degrees out — much warmer than it is here. I’m excited to go over there and experience the cuisine. I’m a big eater, so I just keep asking anyone who’s ever been there what’s the food like.”
It’s a much different place for Festa than a year ago at this time when he was on a minor league contract and pitching in a minor league camp while MLB was in the midst of the lockout. A year and a half removed from Tommy John surgery and a unique rehab process during the height of the pandemic, he was trying to show the Mariners he was better than the pitcher that made his MLB debut in 2018.
While he impressed the Mariners with an improved slider and better command of his fastball, there didn’t seem to be an open spot for him in the bullpen. He was even optioned out of camp for about 24 hours. But when Ken Giles suffered an injury during spring training, Festa was brought back to camp, and he pitched his way on to the opening day roster. Elbow tendinitis landed him on the injured list from May 5-20, and he was optioned back to Tacoma on June 18 due to roster clog. He was recalled July 9 and finished the season as a reliable middle reliever.
In 43 appearances, he posted a 2-0 record with a 4.17 ERA. He struck out 64 batters with just 18 walks in 54 innings.
It changed him as a pitcher.
“I’m so different,” he said. “The key word is confidence. I have trust in the pitches. The stuff I heard about how good the slider was when it was developing brings confidence to just throw that thing in there. Trust your stuff and challenge hitters because this is an organization — we throw strikes, we don’t let the hitters get to an advantage count. Good things are gonna happen when you do that. I truly believe in that. I’m not afraid to just throw it in there. I am a completely different pitcher than when I first got called up.”