Thursday 5th August 2004 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL UPDATE
The Pitch is compiled by Elizabeth Cage (MLB).
MLB.COM THE PLACE TO FOLLOW THE PENNANT RACES
Don’t forget to visit MLB.com to keep track of all your favourite Major League teams and players. As the pennant races heat up there’s no better way to follow all the Major League action than with regular visits to MLB.com.
HUBER TRADED TO KANSAS CITY ROYALS
In the flury of transactions as the trade deadline approached at the end of July, top catching prospect Justin Huber (Emerald, VIC) was traded from the New York Mets to the Kansas City Royals. Justin was recently promoted to Triple-A and has reported to the Royals Pacific Coast League affiliate the Omaha (Nebraska) Royals. He’s expected to get some playing time in the next few days before leaving to join the Australian Olympic squad.
DURRINGTON RECALLED TO MAJOR LEAGUES
Adam McCalvy, MLB.com – 3 Aug 04
Trent Durrington, recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis over the weekend, started at third base on Tuesday in Yost's right-handed heavy lineup against Mets left-hander Al Leiter.
The third Australian to wear a Brewers uniform, Durrington is back for his second stint with the team this season. He entered Tuesday's game batting .188 with a solo home run but singled with one out in the first inning.
He was happy to be back in the big leagues.
'When I got sent down I struggled,' said Durrington, who batted .230 in 41 games at Triple-A Indianapolis. 'I felt like I was in the 'Twilight Zone.' It was a rough schedule, the team was losing down there and I struggled myself. I was fighting myself.'
Durrington said he identified a mechanical flaw in his swing. He was tapping his lead foot as the pitcher delivered and it threw off the timing of his swing.
'Coming back here now, it feels normal,' he said. 'When I left, the team was four or five games up [over .500] and somebody asked me if the feeling in the clubhouse is different now. It's not. It's still tight.'
SEND IN THE KIDS: MARINERS’ NEWBIES ADJUST TO LIFE IN THE BIGS BLACKLEY BACK TO TRIPLE-A
Bob Finnigan, Seattle Times – 2 Aug 04
ANAHEIM, Calif. — As manager Bob Melvin put it, not exaggerating a bit, 'another day, another move.'
Yesterday, it was Clint Nageotte in, Travis Blackley out, the Mariners' fifth promotion from Tacoma in three days.
Hopelessly out of contention this year, the Seattle organization has been burning up the I-5 roadbed, not to mention burning through a goodly sum in travel money, in hopes of finding future fixtures.
General Motors should have an assembly line so busy. Since the beginning of July, the Mariners have brought up 10 newbies.
In all, the Mariners have brought up 14 players from the Class AAA Tacoma Rainiers, and while one was veteran catcher Pat Borders, there are nine callups/callbacks on the roster, including a half dozen pitchers.
'You want to get a look at the kids before September,' general manager Bill Bavasi said. 'And when the kids come back a second time, you weight their performances a bit more with the first-time unfamiliarity and nerves out of the way.'
Seattle's shift has been so profound that Bavasi took the unusual move yesterday of gathering the first-year players for a 15-minute meeting.
'He told us not to just hang out with the other Tacoma guys,' one of the young players said. 'We need to talk to the veterans and ask questions and listen to them, to learn all we can.'
Blackley had an individual meeting with Bavasi and Melvin, in which he was told that while he had made progress he had to improve his control — of his pitches and himself.
In Oakland last week, the feisty left-hander got in trouble with plate umpire Charlie Reliford for reacting on the mound to what he saw as being squeezed by a small strike zone.
Saturday, Blackley was knocked out of a second straight game in the fifth inning, but this time was working ahead and throwing strikes and walked only two Angels instead of the nine he had against the Oakland Athletics.
But while he apparently remained calm on the mound, he got upset off the field at leaving the game in the fifth with the bases loaded, while he still had a three-run lead that was once 5-0.
'A couple of veteran guys had a chat with him,' said Melvin, who apparently was unaware the youngster was upset after leaving the field. 'He's 21 years old, and that's something we lose sight of here. He's just a baby in the big leagues.'
Five years ago, Gil Meche was the baby in the bigs, a year younger than Blackley.
'I had to learn it's the same game. I was 20, and I was nervous ... No, it was more jittery,' he said. 'I couldn't quite relax. I thought the hitters here would hit every pitch. I overthrew. I think I threw more balls than strikes. I know I had more walks (57) than strikeouts (47).'
But while two years of arm miseries took their toll on Meche and he has struggled this year, he learned the basics.
'If you make good pitches, you get people out, just like you always did,' Meche said. 'Sure, there are good hitters here, some great hitters. But there are big guys who can hurt you in the minors, too. You just have to believe in yourself.'
While Bavasi suggested learning from veterans, Blackley has already been schooling with Jamie Moyer.
'I've learned a lot of little things, especially from Jamie, since my style is similar to his,' he said.
'I may have messed up my own mind by thinking it's a whole lot better here. It is better, yes. But I have to work on being myself. And not just trying to please people. I have to pitch my game.'
Having been through the routine of establishing oneself is still familiar to Moyer. Before he stayed in 1993 and became a veteran of a dozen years in the majors, he had six years of bouncing up and down with five different organizations.
'We've all gone through what the young guys are going through this year,' the 41-year old lefty said. 'It's so standard it's almost taken on ritual status. It's frustrating and you get shaken up and question a lot of things. But in the end those that make it will tell you this process made them better.'
Blackley saw irony in his frustration because his game is to create frustration on the other side with opposing hitters.
'They can't believe I get them out with my stuff,' he said, sounding like a young Moyer.
Melvin agreed, but noted Blackley's game is pitching ahead in the count.
Which sounds much like the lesson Nageotte said he applied since he was with the big club from May 28 to July 1.
'The lesson I took from the first time was to trust what got me here, to work on my changeup and to locate my fastball. You can't peck with it,' said the right-hander, who was 2-3 with a 4.18 earned-run average in five starts in his last month with the Rainiers. 'I'm feeling pretty good right now. I'm ready to go out and pitch.'
At this point, Nageotte will work out of the bullpen, although Melvin said that could be re-evaluated after the off day in Baltimore today. Eventually, he or Bobby Madritsch will be in the rotation in Blackley's spot.
'We needed to get a fresh arm in here. As we told Blackley, we can't keep going to the bullpen for four (or more) innings every time,' Melvin said. 'Right now, even with 12 pitchers we're really taxed out there.'
Nageotte is where Blackley expects to be when he returns.
'I know this time what I'm getting into,' Nageotte said. 'I'm not going to have culture shock like I did the first time. I feel more comfortable. There are a lot of familiar faces, this is a little different. Plus, I know the older guys now. I know I can talk to them, and they'll try to help me.'
In Tacoma, even at age 23, Nageotte was the one fielding questions.
'I got a lot of questions, all of them 'How is it?' ' he said. 'I told them it's great. I'll do all I can to get back there. This is the dream. This is what you're playing the game for.'
Or Blackley's read from the down escalator: 'I'm disappointed, but I'm young and I'll work hard and get back up here. I know I can pitch here. Now I have to prove it.'
LUNDGEN PROMOTED
Wayne Lundgren (Baulkham Hills, NSW) in his first season with the St. Louis Cardinals organisation has been promoted to Advanced Single-A Palm Beach in the Florida State League. He was 2-2 with a 3.94 ERA in 33 appearances with the Low A Midwest League Peoria Chiefs – he had 43 strike outs in 45 2/3 innings.
MLB Television Schedule 5 - 18 Aug
v Oakland @ NY Yankees
Thurs 5 Aug – 9:00 a.m. (ESPN Live)
v Philadelphia @ San Diego
Thurs 5 Aug – 8:00 p.m. (ESPN Delay)
v Atlanta @ Houston
Fri 6 Aug – Midday (Fox Delay)
v Chicago Cubs @ San Francisco
Sun 8 Aug – 6:00 a.m. (Fox Live)
v Baseball Tonight
Mon 9 Aug – 9:00 a.m. (ESPN)
v Chicago Cubs @ San Francisco
Mon 9 Aug – 10:00 a.m. (ESPN Live)
Mon 9 Aug – 10:00 p.m. (ESPN Replay)
v Colorado @ Philadelphia
Tue 10 Aug – Midday (Fox Delay)
v Teams to be Determined
Thurs 12 Aug – 9:00 a.m. (ESPN Live)
v Teams to be Determined
Thurs 12 Aug – 8:00 p.m. (ESPN)
v Teams to be Determined
Fri 13 Aug – 1:30 a.m. (ESPN)
v NY Yankees @ Texas
Fri 13 Aug – 2:30 a.m. (Fox Delay)
v St. Louis @ Florida
Fri 13 Aug – Midday (Fox Delay)
v This Week in Baseball
Sun 15 Aug – Midday (ESPN)
v Baseball Tonight
Mon 16 Aug – 9:00 a.m. (ESPN Live)
v St. Louis @ Atlanta
Mon 16 Aug – 10:00 a.m. (ESPN Live)
Mon 16 Aug – 10:00 p.m. (ESPN Replay)
v Cincinnati @ St. Louis
Tue 17 Aug – Midday (Fox Delay)
