Movin' on up: Samardzija bringing relief

Print

Movin' on up: Samardzija bringing relief
08/01/2008 10:00 AM ET
By Lisa Winston / MLB.com

The ultimate goal for every Minor Leaguer is to reach the Major Leagues. Every Friday, MiLB.com's new series, Movin' On Up, will take a look at prospects who have reached that goal and made their big-league debut during the week.

The Chicago Cubs may have found a new future closer in the most unlikely of places: one of their most heralded Minor League starters.
Local legend Jeff Samardzija was recalled from Triple-A Iowa on July 25 when closer Kerry Wood went on the DL with another blister and made his big league debut that night, allowing one run on two hits in two innings as the second of three pitchers in a 3-2 loss to Florida. He struck out two without walking a batter.
In the six days since his call-up, the 6-foot-5 right-hander has pitched in three games for the Cubs, all in late innings, collecting his first professional save in a two-inning stint July 27. Overall he's combined for a 3.60 ERA scattering three hits over five innings, giving up two runs and walking one while fanning six, limiting the big league hitters he's faced to a .167 average in that span.
Samardzija was a familiar (if hard to spell) name to most sports fans in the Midwest when the Cubs took a chance on him in the fifth-round of the 2006 draft. An outstanding college pitcher at the University of Notre Dame, he was also that school's star wide receiver with a potential NFL career ahead of him. He made no promises when he signed, and in fact left Class A Peoria early in the summer of '06 to return to football practice. But after that fall he committed fully to baseball and was rewarded the following January with a big league contract and 40-man roster spot. Now, two years later, he's in the big leagues.
Samardzija (it's pronounced "saMARzha" in case you were wondering) has been used almost exclusively as a starter since first stepping on the mound as a pro at short-season Boise in 2006. This season he started the summer at Double-A Tennessee, going 3-5 with a 4.86 ERA in 16 games, limiting Southern League hitters to a .252 average in 76 innings before moving up to Iowa. There he was 4-1 with a 3.13 ERA and fanned 40 in 37 1/3 innings of work.
Samardzija became the first member of the '06 Cubs draft class to make it to the Majors. He'd been getting better with each start at Iowa, and had a 2.37 in his last three outings for the I-Cubs before the callup. His repertoire consists of a fastball, slider and splitter with the latter two coming along quickly.
Despite the football history at Notre Dame, Samardzija's image is more easy-going and laidback long-haired surfer guy. And, not surprisingly, something of an XBOX fan.
In fact, back in 2006, his then-Peoria teammate, relief pitcher Jon Mueller, told MLB.com's Ryan Crawford that he'd learned the secret of beating his roommate in the computerized college football game.
Mueller would choose University of Michigan while Samardzija opted for, no surprise, Notre Dame.
"It was pretty easy," Mueller said. "He throws to himself every time so you just double cover him and you'll pick everything off."
It won't be quite as easy for opposing hitters to have the same success.
Scott Richmond, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays

CALLED UP: Contract purchased from Triple-A Syracuse July 28 when P Brian Tallet went on DL.
DEBUT: The starting pitcher in a 3-2 loss to Tampa Bay July 30, he took the loss, allowing all three runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings, striking out four without walking a batter.
NOTES: If Jeff Samardzija's debut was one that had been anticipated and expected for weeks, months, even years since his 2006 signing, then Scott Richmond's debut was one that no one could have seen coming. Probably not even Richmond. The Vancouver native, who will turn 29 in August, is a former shipyards worker who spent three years pitching independent league ball before signing with the lone Canadian Major League organization and working his way to the bigs in a matter of months. He started the season at Double-A New Hampshire, going 5-8 with a 4.92 ERA in 16 starts and then moved up to Syracuse, with a 2.53 ERA in five starts, walking six and striking out 31 in 32 innings there. In the meantime, he was also named to the pitching staff for Team Canada which will head to Beijing for the 2008 Summer Olympics. However, if he's not in the Minors by August 1, he will no longer be eligible for that slot and Team Canada will have to sign another pitcher. Coincidentally, that squad was introduced to the crowd at Rogers Centre Wednesday night but when Richmond was introduced, it was as the home team's starter. He is the 14th Canadian-born player and sixth pitcher to play for the Blue Jays.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.