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Aces Wild
Bolstered By Brilliant Starters And Radiant Relievers, Chatham’s Superb Pitching Staff Has The A’s Primed For A Championship Run 

 21 Jul, 2005


 


CHATHAM — It’s no secret that pitching, whether in the majors, minors or in the Cape League, wins games. And thus far, the Chatham A’s have been blessed with a bevy of brilliant arms, a crowning reason why they’re the East Division wild card leader and legitimate contenders for the Cape League championship.


The Chatham A's Aces

“Every guy we’ve thrown out there has done great things, and every guy has lived up to the expectations I had of him,” Chatham Field Manager John Schiffner said of the cast he assembled. “What’s impressed me about these guys is their ability to throw strikes and locate as well as they have.”

Since the start of the Cape League season, the A’s have boasted the top-ranked pitching, and continue to do so, entering the week with a league-best 2.23 team ERA.

Chatham’s pitchers have struck out 233 batters – the fourth lowest total in the 10-team league – but have demonstrated tremendous control, walking just 66 stickmen, the fewest of any franchise and well below the 92 base on balls league average. 

The basis for the A’s superlative pitching has been the exceptional play of starters Jared Hughes, Andrew Miller, and Robert Woodard, set-up man Brooks Brown and closer Derrick Lutz, each of whom has put up all-star quality stats and simultaneously increased their status as a major league prospect. 

Hughes, a six-foot-seven righty, got off to a rocky start during his first outing in Bourne, hitting the first two batters he faced before walking the third. But the Long Beach State ace benefited from a double play and never looked back, allowing just one run and striking out five over six innings to notch the first of his now five wins. 

The Cape League’s player of the week June 26, Hughes trumped his performance in Bourne with a dazzling one in Falmouth the following week, flirting with a no-hitter as he struck out 12 Commodores in a complete game two-hit effort. 

The Laguna Beach, Calif., native has been just as sharp in his other starts, recording seven strikeouts in six innings against Hyannis, posting seven K’s in as many innings against Y-D, and allowing just one run against Wareham on Monday. 

Matching power with accuracy, Hughes has fooled opposing batters with his fastball/change-up/slider combination, throwing each pitch with major league caliber movement and velocity, according to his coaches. His highlights have come in spades, but Hughes says his performance against the Braves is the one that truly stands out. 

“I was particularly proud of the game against Bourne, just because I was able to come back and keep our team in the game,” said Hughes, relying as much on his brain as his brawn by constantly charting pitches and making scout reports.

“I may not be the best guy in the world to decide how a batter swings and where I should pitch him, but I figure I have to learn sooner or later,” said Hughes. “Some guys can get by just on talent, but if I want to be the best pitcher I can be, I have to have a game plan.”

That student-of-the-game approach has paid dividends, as Hughes is tied for the league lead in wins (5), ranks second in the league with a 0.77 ERA, and leads the A’s with 37 strikeouts (in 30 innings). 

“I knew if I came out and threw strikes and threw low in the zone with the stuff I had, I could be productive and a good pitcher in this league,” said Hughes. “My whole mentality is to take one pitch at a time, because the next pitch is always the one that matters, never the one before.”

For Miller, who was 2-0 (in seven games) with a 2.03 ERA and was named the Cape League’s top prospect by Baseball American last year, there probably seemed little reason to return. But the six-foot-six UNC southpaw saw otherwise, and has actually outdone himself, recording 33 strikeouts in four sterling performances so far.

“I just liked it here so much, I liked the coaches, the organization, and my host family that I couldn’t imagine anyplace better to play than in Chatham,” said Miller, who hails from Gainesville, Fla. “I was happy to come back and glad they wanted me back.”

The feeling among the Chatham Athletic Association is no doubt mutual. A month into his sophomore Cape League season, Miller is 4-0 with a 1.24 ERA, and has been a model of consistency and longevity, giving Chatham nothing less than seven innings and averaging over eight strikeouts each outing.

Miller fanned eight against Hyannis, six against Harwich, another eight against Brewster, and punctuated his play with an 11-strikeout masterpiece at Harwich last week.

“Andrew is still throwing his 95-97 MPH fastball and 87 MPH slider, but he’s a lot more confident and lot more mature this year,” Schiffner said. “Last year he was a thrower, and a successful thrower, but his pitch count was high (over 100) by the fourth and fifth inning. This year, he’s extending himself by allowing hitters to get themselves out instead of trying to get them out himself, and that’s helped our team out tremendously.” 

Miller’s candescent play has made him a prime candidate for several post-season accolades, but Woodard, his Tar Heel counterpart, is also making a case for himself with an electrifying second season atop the mound for the A’s. 

Currently 4-0 with a 1.74 ERA, Woodard has picked up where he left off last summer, when he struck out six Orleans batters over the final five innings to deny the Cardinals a post-season berth in the regular season finale. 

“Robert is a true pitcher in that he uses all of his pitches effectively, has a deceptive motion, relies on his location and relies his defense behind him to make plays,” Schiffner said. “It’s a dream to watch the way he carves up hitters, but the best thing about Robert might be his enthusiasm and the way he pumps his teammates up during a game.”

The Cape League’s pitcher of the week July 2, Woodard shut down Hyannis when he struck out five over eight innings in his first start, and was just as dominant against Brewster in his second appearance, surrendering just two hits in seven innings. 

His other wins have come against Cotuit and Wareham, and though the Charlotte native may not be as overpowering as some, he’s got the complete package, according to Chatham pitching coach Tyler Kincaid. 

“Robert just does everything right. He controls the running game, and he throws his pitches (fastball, hard and soft slider, change-up) for strikes, so no one can adjust to him,” Kincaid said. “He doesn’t throw as hard as the other guys, but he’s got great movement on all of his pitches, so batters never know what they’re going to see.” 

Identifiable by his trademark grimace as he throws, Woodard said his whole concentration has been location. 

“Nine out of 10 hitters, I don’t know who’s in the box,” said Woodard, who’s proven his pinpoint precision by walking just one batter in 31 innings. “I try to leave the scouting reports up to the coaches and do my best to execute each pitch, cutting off the top half of the hitter and just focusing on the mit.” 

Woodard arrived for the second half of the season last summer, and said his second year in A’s pinstripes has been just as memorable as his first.

“I love Chatham, and the fans, the townspeople, the coaching staff and my teammates have all made it great. I couldn’t imagine being in a better place. It’s unbelievable.” 

Thunder and Lightning 

During the 1999 and 2000 season, Chatham reliever David Bush and closer Zane Carlson made such a formidable one-two punch, Schiffner branded them with the nickname “Thunder and Lightning.” Now, the A’s have a second coming of that moniker in Brown and Lutz, who’ve been so effective securing victories for Chatham they’ve earned the stormy sobriquet.

As the team’s unheralded but supremely valued set-up man, Brown has registered a 1.08 ERA, struck out 21 batters in 16-and-one-third innings. He’s ravaged rivals with a fireball fastball and acute accuracy, scattering just nine hits and walking only one of the 59 batters he’s faced.

“Brooks Brown throws hard,” said Kincaid, emphasizing each word. “He flat out throws hard, and isn’t afraid to attack hitters, which is what every pitcher needs to do against wooden bat hitters in this league.”

Brown knows his job as a late inning reliever warrants little fame, but has nonetheless embraced the role, which has allowed him to adequately demonstrate his prowess in a dozen appearances this summer.

“There aren’t many highlights being a set-up guy, but it’s definitely not about the wins and losses,” said Brown, a native of Portal, Ga. “I came up here to get experience and get some good innings and that’s enough for me.” 

Schiffner, most of all, has appreciated Brown’s team-first attitude.

“Brooks has incredible stuff and has been a warrior for us,” said Schiffner. “He’s got a live fastball (97 MPH) like you wouldn’t believe, a power breaking pitch, and adds a good change-up. I’m sure he wanted to be a starter up here, but the flip side is that we’ve given him a lot of exposure. A lot of scouts have seen him pitch, and seen him pitch well.”

No one has appreciated Brown’s ability to hold leads more than Lutz, a leading contender for the Russ Ford Award for most outstanding relief pitcher. 

As the team’s indomitable closer, Lutz sports an astonishing 0.00 ERA, walked just one of the 52 batters he’s faced, allowed just eight hits, and struck out 24 in 14 innings. He also claims all six of Chatham’s saves, racking up two of those by striking out the side against Bourne and Brewster.

“Derrick is another reason why we’ve been as successful as we have,” Schiffner said. “He was born to close, and has the perfect make-up, mentality and approach for that position. He’s got tremendous location with his fastball (88-91 MPH), a great change (79-81 MPH) and a devastating slider. It doesn’t matter if we ask him to finish out three innings or finish off one guy. He always wants the ball.”

A native of Grantville, Penn., Lutz set the single season record for most saves (12) as a freshman at George Washington University. He started for the school this spring, but has relished his role as the guy Chatham turns to in order to shut the door on teams.

“I love closing because you’re always available and get to pitch almost everyday,” said Lutz, the Cape League’s pitcher of the week July 9. “I feel more a part of the team that way, as opposed to taking the field every fifth or sixth day. The only thing I’m thinking when I take the mound is that my team needs me. You have to feel no one’s going to score on you, you have to be like that for the team’s sake.”

A few other A’s moundsmen making a decisive impact include: Chris Cody (1-2, 3.75 ERA), Steve Richard (2-2, 3.67 ERA), David Huff (0-1, 1.93 ERA), Matt Danford (0-1, 2.35 ERA), and Josh Santere (0-1, 2.79 ERA).

The A’s last finished with the best pitching in 2000 when they sported a league-best 2.77 team ERA. But how this current group of hill toppers stacks up to that squad, and other accomplished A’s staffs, can only be determined based on how well they do at the next level, Schiffner said.

“It’s difficult to compare this staff to the others I’ve had,” said Schiffner. “But the ’96 and ’98 A’s championship teams had five players who went on to pitch in the major league, and this team certainly has the talent to get to that level. I’ll say this, it’s as deep a pitching staff as there is in the Cape League, and one of the deepest I’ve ever coached.”

In the meantime, Chatham’s pitchers continue to tie opposing batters in knots, and if sports oldest axiom – defense wins championships – holds true, Chatham could be celebrating its sixth CCBL title by summer’s end.

by Eric Adler
Eric Adler 


 


 

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