Brewers reflect on successful season, change

BY CLIFF PFENNING - Independent Record - 09/11/08

Summer in the minors proves to be a real eye-opener for Odorizzi
He went 1-2 with a 3.48 ERA in rookie ball
BY NORM SANDERS
News-Democrat

One of the first adjustments former Highland High star Jake Odorizzi had to make in the minor leagues was losing.

After all, Odorizzi won his final 25 decisions in high school and helped lead the Bulldogs to the 2008 Class 3A state championship.

He was 14-0 this spring with a 0.08 ERA and nine shutouts. Odorizzi allowed only three runs all season, just one of them earned. His last loss before this summer was on May 22, 2006, to Marion during his sophomore season.

The 2008 USA Today National High School Player of the Year and Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year finally found someone who could catch up to his fastballs and handle his array of breaking pitches and changeups.

"It was just the ability of the players you're playing against," said Odorizzi, taken 32nd overall by the Milwaukee Brewers in the first round of the 2008 Major League Draft. "I was getting hit and giving up runs again, so that took a while to get used to."

For the 18-year-old right-hander, just giving up runs was something new.

"I gave up my first home run in about three years on an inside fastball that almost nobody could hit in high school," he said. "He turned on it and hit it about 400 feet."

Pitching for Milwaukee's team in the Arizona Rookie League, Odorizzi was 1-2 in 11 games with a 3.48 ERA. Working on a pitch count of 35 to 40 because of his high prep baseball workload, he allowed 18 hits in 20 2/3 innings, striking out 24 and walking nine.

Those aren't great numbers for a first-round draft pick, but Brewers assistant player development director Tony Diggs said not to worry.

"You're coming from a situation where you're probably the highest cream of the crop in high school, then you're dealing with a lot of the cream of the crop in pro ball," Diggs said. "Things are going to happen that have never, ever happened to him."

Odorizzi admitted that trying to blow fastballs by professional hitters was a lot different than dominating at the high school level.

"You can't throw too many pitches by people unless you locate the ball where you want it," he said. "If you throw it down the middle, they're going to hit it nine times out 10."

Diggs also will be Odorizzi's manager when he joins the Brewers' team in the Arizona Instructional League later this month.

Diggs said the Brewers are very high on Odorizzi's potential.

"He's more than just a high-school kid," Diggs said. "His maturity level is pretty good -- and his understanding of what he's trying to do is pretty advanced over a regular high school kid coming in.

"He has a great feel for his pitches and what he's trying to do out there."

Diggs said Odorizzi's ability to locate different pitches with accuracy show how advanced he is for an 18-year-old prospect.

Diggs also said Odorizzi's athleticism was immediately evident; he watched him make what he felt was an almost unbelievable play to throw out a hitter on a bunt.

"You can project that he's going to grow a little more and fill out a bit better," Diggs said. "There was a good distinction between his curveball and his slider, and very few young pitchers can make that distinction."

Another tough adjustment for Odorizzi was not getting any opportunities to hit. Highland's all-time home run leader who turned down a scholarship to Louisville -- where he would pitch and play shortstop -- Odorizzi won't swing a bat with the Brewers until he reaches the Class AA level.

The Brewers want all of his focus on pitching.

"I didn't touch a bat the whole time I was down there," he said. "It was difficult sitting there and having to watch, but I had to get used to it. I wanted to quite a few times, but all the coaches said no."

The Brewers drafted Odorizzi for his arm, not his hitting talent.

"We told him just wait to you get to Double-A, then you can start doing that again," Diggs said.

Odorizzi said plenty of family and friends made the trip to the Phoenix area to watch him pitch this summer. Included in the group were former Highland teammates Wes DeGroot, Gary Kharibian, Travis Becherer and Brent Kuper.

But while the majority of his friends are still in high school or away at college, Odorizzi has plenty of money --thanks to his $1.06 million signing bonus -- and waiting to continue his baseball job again.

"Now I'm just sitting at home," he said, "and it seems kind of weird."