Arlington left-hander impresses Devil Rays

Published 12:29 am Friday, June 22, 2007

Physical potential isn’t the only thing the Tampa Bay Devil Rays like about Joey Dettrich.

Tampa Bay selected Dettrich, a left-handed pitcher from Arlington High School, June 8 in the 18th round of the Major League Baseball amateur draft. Devil Rays scouting director R.J. Harrison explained Thursday in a phone interview what attracted his organization to Dettrich, who signed a professional contract with the club June 13, according to The St. Petersburg Times. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Harrison met Dettrich May 6 during a throwing session in Auburn. The lanky 6-foot-4, 175-pound lefty showed off an upper-80’s fastball and a hard-biting curveball, but what impressed Harrison most was the pitcher’s personality.

“What I liked about him is that he’s a young fella (but) he knew what he wanted to do,” Harrison said. “I thought he was very impressive character-wise.”

As a result, Tampa Bay picked Dettrich a month later. Now he’s in Princeton, W.V., as a member of the Princeton Devil Rays, a rookie-level squad that competes in the Appalachian League. Thursday was opening night for Princeton and Dettrich was unavailable for comment.

Dettrich’s high school coach said he can see why Tampa Bay likes the pitcher. The 18-year-old has a tall frame and should fill out considerably over the next several years.

“They’re counting on him to mature and they wanted to stick their hooks into him before anybody else did,” Arlington coach Doug Plucker said.

“We like to project in this business,” said Harrison. “We think if we get a young left-hander like that – he’s 6-4 and probably weighs 170 pounds – get him in the system and get him with the group of young guys, we can let them develop at their own pace.”

By signing with Tampa Bay, Dettrich passed up a partial baseball scholarship from the University of Washington. However, Dettrich’s contract includes money to pay for four years of college, Plucker said. After careful consideration, turning pro was the best option for the pitcher, said Plucker.

“I think it’s a good opportunity for him. I’m looking forward to watching him on the Internet over the summer,” Plucker said.

On the surface, Dettrich’s senior season didn’t seem like that of a future pro. His win-loss record was 0-3, although he had a solid earned-run average (2.57) and struck out 37 hitters in 34 innings pitched.

Illness had a major impact on Dettrich. He was diagnosed with mono, a viral infection, and missed three weeks, which equates to four or five pitching starts.

Dettrich eventually returned for Arlington’s final game. Making a relief appearance, he finished with three straight scoreless innings.

Despite enduring a medical setback, Dettrich was utterly determined to come back strong, Plucker said.

“He wanted to finish and he felt a certain amount of responsibility to his team as a leader and a kid who, at that time, was college-bound. He wanted to prove that he’s got the right stuff. And he did. He had a good outing.”

Harrison of the Devil Rays said he sees the same determination in Dettrich: “It’s really kind of rare now to find guys that have the resolve like he does.”

Plenty of young throwers surround Dettrich in Princeton. He is one of five straight-from-high school pitching prospects on the roster, and a sixth could join the team soon, said Harrison.

Dettrich and his peers have plenty of time to grow and improve, Harrison said. And they have the benefit of learning from Princeton pitching coach Marty DeMerritt, a veteran instructor who has taught at every pro level. DeMerritt was pitching coach for the San Francisco Giants in 1989 when they won the National League pennant and played Oakland in the World Series.

DeMerritt seems like an excellent person to tutor a young, enthusiastic pitcher like Dettrich.

DeMerritt “gives every kid on the staff some attention every day,” Harrison said. “These kids truly are gonna have a wonderful opportunity to break in with the right kind of guy.”

Note: To monitor the progress of Joey Dettrich, or any Minor League Baseball player, visit www.milb.com.