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Stafford native John Maine throws a pitch during the Orioles' 2004 spring camp. |
John Maine was watching TV at a friend's house last month when the news broke that the Baltimore Orioles had acquired Sammy Sosa from the Chicago Cubs.
The elation of the chance to be the teammate of two of baseball's all-time home run leaders (Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro) quickly turned to uncertainty. The Orioles were giving the Cubs second baseman Jerry Hairston and two minor-leaguers, and Maine thought he might be one of them.
"I thought, 'Oh [no], is that me?'" Maine said.
It turned out Maine, a promising 23-year-old right-hander from Stafford County, wasn't included in the deal. The departing minor-leaguers were Mike Fontenot (an infielder) and David Crouthers (a pitcher).
Maine had legitimate reason for concern, though; according to published reports, he was part of the Orioles' earlier offer to Oakland for veteran pitcher Tim Hudson, who eventually was traded to the Atlanta Braves.
Last week, Orioles executive vice president Jim Beattie declined to discuss specifics of any negotiations. But he did say: "It's fair to say that John is a good young pitching prospect, and that the Orioles aren't the only club that values him."
Added Maine: "I try not to think about about it. It doesn't matter, I don't think the Orioles were trying to get rid of me. It's a business."
So Maine will head to spring training in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Thursday, trying to earn a spot in the Orioles' unsettled starting rotation.
He's a dark-horse candidate, and he'll likely begin the 2005 season where he ended 2004: at Triple-A Ottawa.
Still, he stands a better chance of wearing a big-league uniform sooner in Camden Yards than at Wrigley Field. While the Orioles don't have a consistent No. 1 starter, the Cubs boast one of baseball's best staffs, including Kerry Wood, Mark Prior, Carlos Zambrano and Gregg Maddux.
"It would have been a tougher rotation to crack [with the Cubs]," Maine said. " But if I pitched well, there's no reason they couldn't make room."
There have been few times in his 2-year pro career that Maine hasn't pitched well. He shot up through the Orioles' minor-league system, earning an emergency spot start last July against the eventual American League Central champion Minnesota Twins.
He lost 7-3 in a steady drizzle, but posted a 3.30 earned-run average in eight starts after returning to Triple-A Ottawa.
For the season, he was 5-7 with a 3.91 ERA at Ottawa--the only real speed bump in a career that has seen the 2001 sixth-round draft pick dominate batters at every previous pro level.
"We like him a whole bunch," Beattie said. "He progressed very quickly. He's had very solid minor-league years.
"Last year was probably the first year that he was readily challenged, and he responded after the first half. He figured it out and had a really strong second half."
Still, that wasn't enough to earn Maine a promotion after the big-league rosters expanded from 25 to 40 players after Sept. 1.
"That bothered me a little bit, not to get a September call-up," Maine said. "That's what you play for, and I was a little upset. They told me I had pitched a lot of innings, but I wouldn't have pitched that much [more].
"It didn't sit well. It left a bad taste in my mouth. I know those guy are good, but I can pitch better. I want to prove that [big-league start] was a fluke."
Maine's other regret was that he forgot to take his debut game jersey home; the only souvenirs he kept were a couple of Orioles caps, which he gave to his brother.
So he's determined to get back to the big leagues--quickly. That's why he began throwing before dawn last week at his alma mater, North Stafford High School. After a winter of diligent weight and flexibility training, he has added nearly 20 pounds to his lanky 6-foot-4 frame. He now weighs 210.
That may not help his fastball, which tops out in the low 90s, but it may improve his endurance. Most of his minor-league starts have lasted six innings.
Last February, Maine earned a non-roster invitation to the Orioles' big-league training camp--a reward for his stellar 2003 season, in which he was named Baltimore's minor-league pitcher of the year. His ticket already was punched for Double-A Bowie, and he was invited to Fort Lauderdale solely to soak up the big-league experience.
This year, he's a member of the 40-man roster, and if he turns enough heads, he could find himself in the rotation. The Orioles did nothing to upgrade their largely untested starting staff during the off-season.
Despite his legal problems in Aruba, Sidney Ponson (11-15, 5.10 ERA in 2004) enters spring training as Baltimore's probable No. 1 starter. Right-handers Rodrigo Lopez (14-9, 3.59) and Daniel Cabrera (12-8, 5.00) and lefty Erik Bedard (6-10, 4.59) are also leading contenders for starting spots.
That leaves Maine battling with lefties Kurt Ainsworth (0-1, 9.78), Eric DuBose (4-6, 6.39), Bruce Chen (2-1, 3.02) and Matt Riley (3-4, 5.63) for the fifth job. Ainsworth, DuBose and Riley are all coming off recent arm injuries.
To make the big-league roster, "I need to be lights out, throwing 95 [mph] and striking out everybody," Maine said. "It would take a combination of me pitching well and other guys doing badly. But I don't wish anyone bad; those guys are my friends."
Maine actually would get more work as the No. 1 or 2 starter in Triple-A than as the last man in the big-league rotation. Because the early-season schedule features several off-days, a team's No. 5 starter often gets only a couple of turns in April.
Beattie understands that, but said: "If you ask any player, he'd rather be in the big leagues. Having been in that situation myself, I'd rather be there. For the longer term, it's better for him to pitch every fifth day and continue to improve. He'll be pitching someplace every fifth day."
Added Maine: "There's nothing wrong with pitching 25 or 30 innings in the minors.
"I've got a pretty good feeling that I will be at Triple-A, and that's fine. There are three or four guys competing for spots, and two of the guys ahead of me have big-league experience. I can start in Triple-A, and who knows? After a month or two, if I pitch well enough, I could be right back up there."
To reach STEVE DeSHAZO: 540/374-5443 sdeshazo@freelancestar.com
