LAKELAND, Fla — Austin Bergner stands on the pitcher's mound in the TigerTown bullpens. The 24-year-old right-hander is throwing his brand-new slider to catcher Cooper Johnson.
Positioned behind Bergner is Detroit Tigers' minor-league pitching director Gabe Ribas, a 42-year-old who spent the past four seasons as a pitching coordinator with the Los Angeles Dodgers.