Webb hoping changes lead to more gems in 2015

SARASOTA, Fla. - When I rule the world, the Oscar statue is going to look like Jack Klugman.

Orioles reliever Ryan Webb looks like a slimmed down version of himself. He reported to camp at 228 pounds, compared to 245 last spring. The right-hander says he ended the 2014 season at 236 pounds.

How did he do it?

"I ate better," he said, instantly losing me. (I kid.)

"I started eating healthy foods and trying to just cut down on breads and fats," he continued while I felt even worse about myself. "I started drinking the juices and stuff and I was working out."

Webb's offseason was interrupted by surgery in late October to tighten the capsule in his left shoulder. Now he can tighten his belt a few more notches.

"I had the surgery, so I took a couple weeks off and that actually helped because I didn't eat as much then," he said. "When I came back, I tried to portion better and I was doing my rehab and then I was going to Joe (Hogarty) at Camden Yards every day and working out hard over there and then coming back. So, really it's a balance of training every day, eating right and it just kind of took care of itself.

"I wasn't actually trying to slim down or anything like that. I was just trying to be healthier and it feels great. I showed up and I feel like I'm more lean and fit and able to go run around like I was younger. I'm getting older but I feel a little bit younger, which is nice."

Marriage agrees with Webb, who's expanded his support system.

"(Lauren) helps keep me on track for sure. Definitely," he said. "Getting married comes with a little more responsibility, too. You use that in the right way and it works out. As much as I've done trying to stay in shape and stuff, I've also applied that to a lot of things that Dom (Chiti) and Wally (Dave Wallace) were working on with me at the end of the year with mechanics and stuff and repeating what we were doing, which was shortening up my delivery and being quicker to the plate, and that feels really good, too."

Surgery on a non-pitching shoulder might not seem like a big deal, but Webb needed the procedure to feel like himself again on the mound and in the weight room.

"It affected the intensity that I could work out at," he said. "It affected trying to go for balls over my head and stuff like that. I wasn't able to do really fast arm circles. It didn't affect my pitching much. If it did, I didn't notice it. But now that it's fixed, it definitely just feels better to not worry about it and not have that pain when I'm working out or have the shoulder give out when I'm working out.

"The best thing about it is, having the surgery forced me to go back and do all those cuff exercises to get my left shoulder back in shape, but I also did it for my right, so this offseason was really just concentrating on cuff strength and shoulder strength and that kind of stuff. That helps you in the long run, too. So, I feel really prepared coming into spring training after doing all that."

Webb, 29, needs an edge as he competes for a spot in the bullpen. He's a pending free agent who's out of minor league options and who spent a month last season at Triple-A Norfolk.

The bullpen is overflowing with candidates, including Rule 5 right-handers Logan Verrett and Jason Garcia, and perhaps whichever starter is bumped from the rotation.

"Obviously, something has to happen," said Webb, who went 3-3 with a 3.83 ERA and 1.257 WHIP in 49 1/3 innings over 51 appearances in his first season with the Orioles.

"It's kind of been that way every single year I've played, though. You come into spring training and good organizations try to get a lot of good guys and that's a good problem for them to have. The interesting thing about this team and this group of guys is we all know it, but it's like we're also all friends, so it's like a friendly competition. I think everybody realizes that everybody's good enough to where, whatever happens, somebody's going to end up somewhere that's hopefully going to benefit somebody. That's the attitude that you have to have and it's good to have a little competition, a friendly competition. You all push each other and you all make each other better.

"You try not to think about what they're thinking and what's going to happen. Just do everything you can to put together a good spring and give yourself the best chance. If they don't see it here, if it doesn't work out here, maybe it works out somewhere else. Or you just be ready when it's your time. That's what they pay us to do. That's all we can do."

Webb was sent down after posting an 11.37 ERA in seven July appearances, with eight runs and 14 hits allowed in 6 1/3 innings. He registered ERAs of 1.76 in May and 1.50 in June while holding opponents to .189 and .190 averages, respectively.

The Orioles no longer have the same flexibility with Webb. He'd have to clear waivers and be outrighted.

"They love (options)," he said. "We don't like being able to be shipped back and forth, but we have quite a few guys who are out of options. If they could take 10 guys, I'm sure they would because everybody could pitch for this team and help in some way.

"For me, I'm just trying to come out and continue to improve on the things I've been improving on. I feel good where I'm at, confident that if games were to start right now that I'd be ready to go, so I'm excited."

Manager Buck Showalter has been hesitant to bring in Webb with runners on base because of his slow times to the plate. Those concerns may be put to rest this season due to Webb's sessions with Wallace and Chiti.

"We worked on my mechanics at the end of last year and basically all through the offseason I tried to get in front of a mirror and just get a feel for how it would feel to be quicker. And quite frankly, I'm struggling to try to do a leg kick right now if I had to," Webb said.

"I feel really quick to the plate. My arm action is good. I'm getting good tilt on the ball coming from a good angle. Got a couple new pitches in my pocket that I'm not going to talk about, but I'm ready to try those out in games. I think it's going to make a difference, so I'm excited to get out there and see what happens with that."

I asked Webb if one of those pitches is a knuckleball. He replied, "Maybe," but I'm pretty sure he's kidding.

Showalter is impressed by Webb's dedication to quickening his time to the plate, but he also knows that the true test come in games, not in side sessions with coaches.

"There's a lot of things that play right now," Showalter said. "A lot of guys, when there's a little hitch in the giddy-up, they have a way of going back to those things. A lot of things play out in the spring, but in the heat of battle, we'll see.

"Some guys lose weight and aren't in any better shape, but I think he's done both. He just wanted to trim up a little bit and be a little quicker. Last year, he got here and I remember kind of looking and going, 'Woo,' so he's worked hard at it. I think he knows what this year means for him individually if he can stay healthy. I think sometimes we don't realize how much that left shoulder might have affected him the second half of the season."