How Rays’ Pete Fairbanks shifts from a ‘bit nerdy’ to ‘savage’ on mound

PORT CHARLOTTE — Colin Poche enjoys watching the transformation Pete Fairbanks undergoes as he gets ready to close out a game for the Rays.

Most of the day, he is the attentive husband and father of two who likes to build elaborate Lego sets, seek out and peruse old Marvel and Batman comic books, pride himself on dropping big words into conversations, collect Pokeman cards, enjoy crossword puzzles and good coffee, discuss movies and read National Geographic books about lizards with his kids.

“He’s a little bit nerdy,” reliever Garrett Cleavinger said.

But in the late innings with the score close, Fairbanks becomes intense and ferocious with the game on the line and the ball blazing out of his right hand. Teammates rave about his success but struggle for polite words to describe how he gets there.

“It’s a little bit of a Jekyll and Hyde thing,” said Poche. “When he’s off the mound, he’s pretty easy-going, he likes to joke around, keep it light, stuff like that. Then when the switch flips, I just try to stay out of his way. I think that’s the best way to do it. He’s in the zone, he’s locked in, and it’s just best to kind of be out of dodge in that sense.

“Once the situation gets to his area (for a potential save), the phone call doesn’t have to be made for him. You can see him really turn the switch and lock it in. And from that point on, it’s really fun to watch, because he turns into something different.”

Exactly what, and how best to explain Game Pete, is not necessarily easy.

Pitching coach Kyle Snyder: “I’m a pretty intense person, too, but Pete just kind of takes it to a whole another level when it’s game time. It’s a lot of fun to watch. He’s as competitive as anybody out there. But whatever that stirs inside of him when it comes out on game days, it’s different than anything else I’ve seen.”

Cleavinger: “It’s almost like an alter ego for him that when he steps out there, he’s kind of a different guy. … When he crosses that line, it’s like, OK, here we go.”

Starter Zach Eflin: “Colorful. Competitive. … You could just throw an adjective out there, and it would describe Pete. … He has that switch, and it’s fun to watch him compete. It’s almost terrifying watching him compete.”

Reliever Jason Adam: “He’s passionate about winning. He’s like a lunatic in the best way on the mound. … He’s a savage.”

Fairbanks’ Rays mates have different points of reference.

Rightfielder Josh Lowe usually bumps fists with Fairbanks when he heads to the bullpen typically around the fourth inning, and takes notice when it’s a close game. “You can tell he’s getting ready, getting locked in, getting to his zone,” Lowe said.

Poche said it’s usually the eyes — which have earned their own place on the Internet; google “Fairbanks crazy eyes” — that are his first tip-off.

“You can see he’s got that look,” Poche said, “that look of determination.”

Bullpen coach Jorge Moncada sees the strict focus as Fairbanks starts to loosen, often before manager Kevin Cash calls down to tell him to do so.

“I could talk to him — he likes to know little things about the hitters — but it’s more him getting ready,” Moncada said. “He wants to go out there and destroy batters.”

First baseman Yandy Diaz enjoys the show when Fairbanks is on the mound and the feedback from opponents who occasionally reach base after what is often an uncomfortable at-bat.

“I love it,” Diaz said, via team interpreter Manny Navarro. “I love it when he’s like that. It feels like he enjoys the moment when he’s like that. A lot of guys say something. They may not like the way he pitches, but if they don’t like it, then they shouldn’t play.”

Josh Lowe can relate.

“Thinking about playing against him — the crazy eyes, or whatever you want to call it — it’s not somebody that you necessarily want to get up there and stare at when he’s getting ready to throw the ball,” Lowe said. “But it’s just who he is, and it’s part of the reason why he’s so successful. The energy, the intensity that he brings, it’s a mound presence. We talk about that, that it’s different. You don’t know if he’s going to throw one at your head or dot three fastballs down and away from you.”

On most nights, Fairbanks, who converted 25 of 29 saves last year in throwing a 99 mph fastball (and 59 that clocked 100) and a slider that averages 87 mph, is the right man for the job.

“It’s a perfect personality to have to be a closer with the stuff that he has,” veteran second baseman Brandon Lowe said. “If he didn’t have that personality, I don’t know that he is the pitcher that he is. It’s just who Pete Fairbanks is — he’s high-energy, high-intensity, high-velocity and always wants to be in high-leverage situations. All that kind of thing.”

Fairbanks, 30, said the switch flip is all just part of who he is.

“You’re not supposed to be cognizant of when it happens,” he said. “There are differences. I don’t know, it’s just kind of how I’ve always been.”

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