The Sporkball Journals

Lady’s Choice: Player Pick for July

August 1st, 2008

• UPDATE •

August 20, 2008 — Brent Asay was kind enough to share a couple of photos from the big leagues. Shane looks good in red and white, don’t you think?

Photo credit | Brent Asay©2008 Used with permission

Photo credit | Brent Asay©2008 Used with permission

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• UPDATE •

August 05, 2008 — Shane got his first appearance as a Los Angeles Angel in the 8th inning of tonight’s game against Baltimore. Wearing #68, he faced 7 batters in 2.0 IP. His final numbers:

2.0 IP | 1 BB | 5 GBO | 1 FBO | 0 ER | ERA=0.00

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BB• UPDATE •

August 05, 2008 — Seems as though the Salt Lake record books are going to have to wait their turn. Shane had his contract purchased by the Los Angeles Angels. Most likely he will be pitching out of the bullpen. Go get ‘em #29!

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August 01, 2008 — When I started doing this Lady’s Choice feature, I didn’t realize how tough it would be to pick one standout guy from a 24-man roster every month. On the other hand, it’s fun having an excuse to give a little love to “our guys.”

This month’s pick is Shane Loux, currently part of the starting rotation for our Salt Lake Bees. He came to us via a rather unconventional journey worth noting. Originally drafted during the 2nd round (53rd pick) by the Detroit Tigers in 1997, Shane was selected ahead of some notable hurler-peers, including Randy Wolf (54th pick), Scott Linebrink (56th), Jeff Weaver (62nd), Aaron Cook (70th), Rick Ankiel (72nd). He climbed steadily through the minors, seemingly poised to make good on his potential. He struggled in a double-handful of major league appearances, although he bounced back nicely during each return to the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens.

Shane sat out 2005 while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. In 2006, he pitched 56 innings from the bullpen for the Triple-A Omaha Royals (Kansas City organization). Then things took a turn for the weird. Shane was ready to start the 2007 season in the Seattle Mariners organization when they suddenly voided the contract, stating concerns over a surgical procedure to improve the circulation in his legs.

In less time than Derryl Cousins might declare, “You’re outta here!” the one-time prospect found himself coaching high school and playing recreational softball. Then, through a series of fortuitous events, he got a fall tryout with the Angels, was invited to spring training, signed in March and assigned to the 2008 Opening Day roster for the Salt Lake Bees.

Cool, yes?

And thus we arrive at the here and now, during which the Comeback Kid has pitched like a man on a mission. He was a critical component of Salt Lake’s Amazing April during which the team racked up 23 wins and only 2 losses. In the midst of this charge into the Minor League record books, Shane had the media buzzing with his 2.05 ERA through 30.2 IP (innings pitched). Doubters at the time could have justifiably argued that this was nothing more than the early-season flash of a well-rested arm.

Except, . . .it’s now well past the All-Star break and that soon-to-be-29-year-old arm seems to be holding up just fine as we head into the last 30 games of the season. As of July 31st, Shane led the PCL in most innings pitched (138 IP). He’s averaged nearly 6-1/3 IP per game in 22 starts—11 of those being quality starts (at least 6 IP, fewer than 3 earned runs). This kind of reliability from a starting pitcher is invaluable for keeping the bullpen fresh through the grind of a 144-game season.

Photo credit | Brent Asay©2008 Used with permissio

In order to understand where his success comes from, it’s worth taking a non-traditional look at his results thus far. Shane’s strikeout percentage of 12.9 K% (77 SO/595 batters faced) is near the bottom of all PCL pitchers. By comparison, Tony Armas with his PCL-leading 2.54 ERA has a strikeout rate 9.1 percentage points higher. In fact, only one PCL pitcher has a lower ERA and lower strikeout percentage than Shane.

So how does he pull off a 3.98 ERA, 7th lowest in the PCL, without throwing 5-6 strikeouts per start? To begin with, it certainly helps that he doesn’t walk many batters. His 6.7 BB% (40 BB/595 batters faced) walk rate is 14th lowest in the PCL. Instead of going for the mano a mano strikeout duel that makes for sexy headlines in next morning’s game recap, Shane relies on a team approach to manufacture outs. He throws what are sometimes referred to as “heavy” fastballs—pitches that batters have trouble lofting up and deep into the outfield. As such, the pitcher’s job is to generate hits that stay close to the ground and preferably head in the direction of an eagerly awaiting infielder. And Shane does his job; his ground-ball productivity is 53 GB%, tied for 3rd in the league. According to Bees broadcaster Steve Klauke (0:36:10) by July 20th Shane was 2nd in the PCL in getting batters to hit into double-plays with 18. Of course, it should be noted that the inherent risk of this technique is one’s ERA rises or falls on the defense of your teammates.

Photo credit | Brent Asay©2008 Used with permission

At this level of athletic excellence, physical tools alone are not enough to guarantee success. On the other hand, mental attitude can make or break a major-league bid. In an April 28th interview (0:04:15), Shane describes how his sudden and involuntary time off provided new insights into why he plays and more importantly, for whom. He learned the value of teamwork from coaching high schoolers. He rediscovered his passion for the game from his rec-ball teammates. As he talks about not letting bad outings get him down, it reveals the blossoming of an enlightened expectation for his second tenure in organized baseball.

For devoted bush-league fans such as yours truly, it is rewarding to note when athletes seem to be playing for something more than a contractual performance clause. Which brings me to what I really like about our born-again ballplayer with the ever-ready smile. He thinks like a winner, he performs like a winner. At the same time, he has discovered that athletic success comes from a collective effort by the entire roster and not just one guy’s golden arm.

Photo credit Rick R Dykhuizen AAA Photos Used with permission.

Manager Bobby Mitchell summed it up best, “He’s been great. In my opinion, he should have been an All-Star.”

On July 14 in Salt Lake, Shane gave up a miserly 1 ER and 2 BB in a 7-inning start (1:17:00), while racking up 4 SO along the way.* Watching Shane battle to keep his teammates within striking distance, it was easy to see why the Bees skipper rates his performance as all-star caliber.

*Unfortunately, his teammates couldn’t reward him with a win—allowing an unearned run on a fielding error, giving up a 2-run homer in the 9th and leaving 11 men on base. Arrrggg. . .

If not all-star, then how about All-Time? At 12-6, Shane is one win away from tying the Salt Lake franchise record for most wins by a starting pitcher in a single season, originally set by Dustin Moseley in 2006. Seems appropriate for #29 to be chasing a record that requires a collective team effort, don’t you think? Bye for now!

Entry Filed under: Minor Leagues, Salt Lake Bees