By Larry LaRue
The News Tribune
PEORIA, Ariz. – Grizzled veteran Ken Cloude – who turns 27 just before opening night – looked at the young faces in the Seattle Mariners clubhouse Friday.
“Some of these kids were in Class A when I was in the big leagues,” he said. “Some of them weren’t even drafted.”
It is a measure of how much Cloude loves the game that he is in uniform again this spring, trying to come back from two elbow surgeries and a torn achilles tendon.
“I haven’t thrown a pitch to a batter since June of 2000,” said Cloude, who before that had won 16 major league games in parts of three seasons with Seattle.
He first surgery rebuilt his right elbow in August of 2000. Last January, doing agility drills in Arizona, he tore the achilles tendon in his left leg. Last summer, he needed more elbow surgery.
“I’ve been throwing now since December, and I’ve worked in the bullpen seven times, throwing all my pitches,” Cloude said. “My goal this spring is simple: to make a team. Ultimately, I want to make the team.”
Until then, he must reacquaint himself with the mound, then with pitching to hitters.
“You don’t pitch for a few years, you kind of forget how to get guys out,” he said.
Cloude has used the time off to work on pitches, and consequently has developed a better grip on his changeup, a couple of different fastballs.
“Ever since that first surgery, I’ve thought about today, about being back in camp, back on a mound,” Cloude said. “To be able to participate again, I’m ecstatic.”
For those who don’t remember Cloude, he burst on the Mariners scene in 1997, making the jump to the majors from Class AA and going 4-2 in his first nine big-league starts.
If Randy Johnson hadn’t been able to start Game 4 of the American League Division Series against Baltimore that October, Cloude was going to get the chance.
“He had success, he had attitude and determination,” manager Lou Piniella said. “He’s worked hard to get back to this stage, and I’d love to see him get all the way back.”
Cloude and Piniella had a bit of a love-hate relationship, occasionally barking at one another during managerial visits to the mound. Cloude laughed at those stories Friday.
“Have you seen Lou this spring? He’s been working out – I’m not going to mess with him,” Cloude said. “I got to the big leagues five years ago. I haven’t been back in two years. I didn’t realize how close I was to being out of the game.
“Even now, you never know. But I’m probably closer now than I’ve been.”
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