|
Shark Tales
After a tough stretch of 14 starts, no wins and a brief demotion to the Daytona Cubs bullpen, former Irish pitcher Jeff Samardzija seems to finally be adapting to his new profession with two straight wins in consecutive starts for the Daytona Cubs.
A long list of reasons were offered for Samaradzija’s slow start, ranging from the caliber of hitters in the High-A Florida State League, to the tough adjustment pitchers face between the college and professional ranks.
Whatever the reason, it was certainly a rough go around until the last couple of weeks.
“Once he gets through these struggles – and he will – with some success, he'll be a better pitcher,” Daytona Cubs pitching coach Rich Bombard told the Daytona Beach News-Journal. “Basically, he's still a raw pitcher. He didn't pitch in high school. He barely pitched at Notre Dame, and last year he had (seven pro starts). Then, he had to go back to football. He's still learning. When his command improves, he'll be fine.”
Bombard said Jeff Samardzija has had difficulties with his control and command, which has led to numerous walks, and typically, favorable pitching counts for opposing hitters.
Through July 6, Jeff Samardzija had allowed 28 walks and 102 hits in 80 innings, not exactly Greg Maddux-type numbers. The velocity has remained consistent and impressive, with his fastball usually clocked in the 94 to 97 mph range. But when Jeff Samardzija started the season 0-5, with a 5.22 ERA and a .330 batting average against him, he was briefly moved out of the rotation and into the bullpen.
“All I'm really worried about is getting better, improving and getting solid out there all the time," Jeff Samardzija told the News-Journal. “I need to get more consistent. It's just baseball. Things happen.”
Jeff Samardzija made a couple of appearances out of the bullpen and has returned to the starting lineup a much more effective pitcher. In his two starts on June 30 and July 5, Jeff Samardzija pitched 11 innings, scattering nine hits and allowing only two earned runs in two wins. His ERA dipped to 4.72.
Someday Jeff Samardzija hopes to be able to look back on this rough start and realize that he learned something from it. It’s clear the organization will be plenty patient after signing the former Irish pitcher and wide receiver to a five-year, $10 million contract earlier this year.
“I don't really get too frustrated,” Jeff Samardzija said. “If I get frustrated now, I've got a long career ahead of me. It's about having fun and figuring things out. You just need to make some adjustments.”
See more at www.blueandgold.com
|
