TUCSON - Micah Owings was just going about his work, throwing his bullpen session on Saturday morning, so locked in that he didn't see his manager standing a few feet away. Bob Melvin had to say hello for Owings to notice him.
Melvin told the story on Monday, using it to illustrate what many in the Diamondbacks organization believe could be Owings' strong suit: his intangibles.
Owings doesn't dominate hitters. His fastball isn't off the charts. His secondary pitches may need some polish.
His stuff is pretty good, but in every category beyond his pure pitching repertoire, the right-hander earns the highest of marks from those doing the evaluating in the Diamondbacks organization.
They say he prepares as well as anyone, that he is focused and battles on the mound, never giving in, and that his attitude suggests he expects to win.
That's about all he did in 2006, his first full season as a professional, and it's why, at age 24, Owings will be in the mix to compete for the fifth starter's job this spring.
Listening to Owings, it's easy to see why others speak highly of him. He comes off as humble and respectful. "Blessed" is a favorite word.
He uses it to describe his natural ability. He uses it when discussing his 16-2 record between Double-A and Triple-A last year.
"There are certain guys you don't need to worry about, that they're going to do what they need to do to get ready, and he's one of those guys," said Mike Parrott, the pitching coach for Triple-A Tucson.
"He may not always have a good outing, but he's always going to give himself a chance to have a good outing."
Owings keeps with him a notebook, and after all of his starts he takes extensive notes on every at-bat, detailing his every pitch and the result.
"It just helps me keep track of guys I've faced," he said. "You can get a general scouting report, but it's kind of different if you've faced them and they may have done this or that against you."
Some say Owings still needs to show aptitude with three pitches. He has good command of a low-90s fastball, but his slider and change-up haven't been consistent. Owings began last season trying to refine his change-up then spent much of his time in Tucson working on his slider.
Parrott believes Owings has had enough success with each that he should have confidence in all of his pitches.
Having command of three pitches would go a long way toward settling the question of whether Owings is best suited toward starting or relieving. Two-pitch pitchers wind up in bullpens.
"He could do either," General Manager Josh Byrnes said. "It could be a bit of where he's best and where he's most needed."
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League average when you are paying league minimum is great value, League average when you are paying 10 million sucks.
Joined: 10 Aug 2006
Posts: 3523
Location: In front of my computer
Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2007 7:38 am Post subject:
By the way, reading the tea leaves here, I think the team is probably pretty set on Owings starting the year in Tucson to work on his slider and Change. It would seem like he is the type of guy that can handle getting roughed up while he works on these pitches.
There is no need to rush him to the majors. If he doesn't have above average stuff, he is not going to "get by" in the majors until he gains command of the Change and Slider.
And no way I'd move him to the bullpen until I was sure he couldn't be a major league starter.
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League average when you are paying league minimum is great value, League average when you are paying 10 million sucks.
Micah isn't on the 40 man roster, and even though there is one open spot on the roster right now, I don't think Byrnes is eager to give it to Micah just yet. Not to mention that the Dbacks have enough depth in the rotation and in the bullpen right now...
And I agree that Micah would be far more valuable as a starter...
Joined: 10 Aug 2006
Posts: 2532
Location: Gold Canyon
Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 10:37 am Post subject:
Bob Baum must be a fan of Nick Piecoro's column...
Bob Baum this morning wrote:
Owings eyes spot with Diamondbacks
TUCSON, Ariz. — Throughout the offseason, major league teams called the Arizona Diamondbacks asking about a trade for pitcher Micah Owings.
“We had to say no a lot,” General Manager Josh Byrnes said.
The New York Yankees wanted Owings as part of the deal that sent Randy Johnson back to the Diamondbacks. Again, the answer was no. The Yankees got another highly rated youngster, Ross Ohlendorf, instead.
Owings wasn’t going anywhere, except on a fast track to Phoenix.
After compiling a 16-2 record in his first full season in the minors a year ago, the 24-year-old right-hander is vying for a spot in the Diamondbacks’ starting rotation this spring.
If he isn’t there when the season opens, it won’t be long before he joins the many other young players who have advanced through the Diamondbacks’ system to the big-league club.
“For an organization that was more position-player rich, we’re starting to see some pitchers filter in here, too — guys that we’re pretty excited about,” manager Bob Melvin said, “and he’s certainly at the top of the list.”
Owings’ ultra-polite personality masks a tremendous competitive drive. A devout Christian, he sprinkles his answers with “yes sir” and “no sir,” a product, he said, of his upbringing in Gainesville, Ga.
“I have the best parents I could ask for,” he said.
Owings was drafted by Colorado out of high school, but decided instead to attend Georgia Tech, where his father Jim had played football. He later transferred to Tulane, and was chosen by the Diamondbacks in the third round of the 2005 draft.
He pitched 16 games out of the bullpen for Class A Lancaster that year, going 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA, then last season was switched to a starter, and went 6-2 with a 2.91 ERA at Double-A Tennessee, where he struck out 69 and walked 17.
After a promotion to Tucson, he went 10-0 with a 3.70 ERA to help the Sidewinders to the national Triple-A title.
“I’m not sure if surprised is the word,” Owings said of his dominating 2006 season. “I just feel real blessed and honored as far as the outcome. I work for things like that. I’m one of those guys who work as hard as I can and I go out and do the best I can. Once I have that behind me, I’m not surprised that it happened, but I do feel real blessed.”
The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Owings is a fastball pitcher who is working on a slider and change-up to expand his repertoire. The fastball is in the low- to mid-90s and “explodes” the last 10 feet or so before it reaches the plate, Melvin said.
The manager hasn’t seen much of Owings, so he’s relying on the observations of others, but he was immediately impressed simply watching the youngster throw off the mound.
“Sometimes you can see guys looking to see if you’re watching them and stuff like that,” Melvin said. “I went over and got pretty close to him the first day and actually stood right next to him. He never even knew I was there until I introduced myself.”
Melvin hasn’t ruled out placing Owings in the bullpen, but said he would be a starter if he begins the season in Tucson. The manager isn’t sure, though, that a return to the minors is necessary.
“He did very well in Triple-A,” Melvin said. “You’re always looking to do well in a classification to move up. What else he has to prove I don’t know. He’s still very young and inexperienced in professional baseball, but that hasn’t stopped him from performing wherever he’s been.”
Whether he ends up in Triple-A again or playing at Chase Field, Owings is simply appreciating the chance he’s getting.
“I’m just honored just to be in the mix and for the opportunity I have for even being here,” he said. “I just consider it an honor.”
He’s avoiding any concern about where his season will start.
“I try not to get caught up in that,” Owings said. “I’m just trying to do what I can each day when I come in and get my work in. When the games start, I’ll do the best I can and see what happens.”
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Sounds like Melvin will decide on whether Owings starts 2007 in Tucson or Phoenix based on ST.
I just don't see the point. At the very least, they should hold him back long enough to keep him from getting a full year of service time -> extra year before he is a free agent.
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