PEORIA, Ariz. — Fourteen years after his professional baseball journey began in Everett, Mike Myers says the secret to becoming a veteran in this game is no real secret.
"Getting to the big leagues was easier than staying here," he said. "You get to the big leagues with a lot with raw talent and a little bit of dedication. To stay here, it takes a lot of dedication and a little bit of raw talent."
Dedication, talent and, in Myers’ case, a niche.
Now 34, he has literally tailored himself into a relief pitching specialist, a lefty who has re-designed his throwing motion to get left-handed hitters out.
He throws sidearm — a rarity for a left-hander at this level — and for that reason is an intriguing possibility for the Seattle Mariners, who are desperate to break spring training with a lefty specialist in their bullpen.
"How many specialists are there who are really good at what they do? Mike has built a history," Mariners pitching coach Bryan Price said.
Myers today is a dramatic departure from the kid who pitched for the Everett Giants in 1990. He threw overhand then, when he began his pro career as a starter and put together a respectable 4-5 record and a 3.90 ERA.
He pitched five years in the San Francisco Giants’ system, then experienced the best and worst of times in 1995, a year that changed him forever.
Myers reached the major leagues with the Florida Marlins, went back to the minor leagues after just two appearances the first month of the ‘95 season, then was traded to the Detroit Tigers. He went 1-5, 9.95 with Detroit and knew something had to change.
Little did he realize how much it would until Tigers legend Al Kaline made a suggestion.
"I pitched five games and three of them I really stunk," Myers said. "Al was doing radio and TV and he said, ‘Why don’t you start pitching sidearm? Your pitches are around the plate.’ He said I just needed some kind of funk to go at left-handed hitters. I took it and used it, and the next 600 games I threw underhand."
Along with his arm angle, Myers’ ERA dropped.
He signed with the Brewers in 1998 and finished with a 2.70 ERA. He led the National League that year with 23 holds and pitched a 22-game stretch without allowing an earned run.
Myers pitched the 2000 and 2001 seasons with the Colorado Rockies and truly found his niche there. He compiled a career-low 1.99 ERA in 2000 and finished second in the National League by stranding 55 of the 64 runners he inherited.
"I found out what to do in Detroit and perfected it a little more every year," Myers said. "Every year I learn a little more about what I’m supposed to do and where I’m supposed to put the ball. I think Colorado may have been the spot where it clicked."
Myers came into pro ball wanting to be a starting pitcher but has learned to love the lefty specialist role.
"It’s a fun role to be in," he said. "When you’re growing up, you don’t go around saying , ‘I want to face Barry Bonds every day.’ I fell into that role with Detroit and I loved it."
He didn’t find that love with the Arizona Diamondbacks last year, when he made a career-low 64 appearances, had a 5.70 ERA and rarely was used in the role he prefers to pitch.
"I’m used to pitching four days a week, and the three days I’m not pitching, two of those days I’ll be getting up in the bullpen warming up to get ready to go into the game," he said. "That didn’t happen for me last year."
The Mariners have a definite need for kind of work Myers likes to do, although he has plenty of competition in spring training.
Terry Mulholland, another former Everett Giant, is trying to win a job at age 41; Ron Villone has had more success against right-handed hitters and is working on a new arm angle himself against lefties; and there are several young left-handers who are suited more as starters than relievers.
Price says Myers simply needs to pitch well, not lights-out, to prove he can provide what they Mariners have been missing since Norm Charlton was healthy in 2001.
"I don’t mean he necessarily has to have any type of ERA or hits-per-innings-pitched, but when you see the crispness of his quality and the pitch location, then we have to evaluate if we feel comfortable that’s going to get hitters out in the American League," Price said. "I think he’s an excellent sign. I don’t think it’s a high risk. It could be a low-risk, high-reward type situation."
Myers, who signed a minor-league contract with the Mariners, must know five days before the end of spring training if the team will put him on the roster. If not, he becomes a free agent.
If it works out, everyone can thank Al Kaline and his sidearm suggestion.
"I owe a lot to him for recognizing it because I don’t think I ever would have done it on my own," Myers said. "There were no other left-handers at the time doing it. Every time I see Al, I say, ‘Thank-you.’
"I got to the big leagues throwing overhand and I might have stayed there doing it," he said. "But I think the effectiveness against left-handers (by throwing sidearm) and nobody doing it, it’s been my little niche and it’s worked out well."
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