Behind the Baysox: Jim Dandy of a pitcher on Baysox mound By Tim Sparks
Besides being known as a talented right-handed pitcher, Baysox hurler Jim Miller is also identified by teammates, coaches and acquaintances as being - well - not exactly the shy and quiet type. When Miller is in the clubhouse, he doesn't necessarily have to be seen in order for his presence to be felt.
"Yeah, I'm a pretty loud guy," Miller said with a grin. "It's basically just a clubhouse thing. On the field, I just try to lead by example, really. I don't really get guys fired up in the bullpen or in the dugout … I'll talk a lot in the bullpen, but once I get in the game and stuff, whether we're up or down, I really don't say a lot. When I'm in the game, that's what I'm focused on."
Acquired by the Baltimore Orioles with Jason Burch from the Colorado Rockies for Rodrigo Lopez last year, Miller, who turned 26 Monday, may not have made a splash in the big leagues yet, but his performance in the minors since 2005 would suggest that an eventual promotion is inevitable. An oblique injury in '06 disrupted the momentum he had gained the season before, when he tied for second among all minor league relievers with 34 saves, held opposing batters to a .187 average and retired 12.5 batters per 9.0 innings pitched. For his efforts with Class-A Modesto and Class-AA Tulsa, Miller was named the Rockies' Pitcher of the Year. He also received the Doug Million Award, which is given to the organization's most outstanding minor league performer.
Miller certainly had a terrific 2005 season. But was it a breakout year?
"I hope not," said Miller, who was born in New Jersey and spent much of his childhood in Florida. "But '05 was definitely a special year for me. Everything just seemed to click that year."
Miller's production three seasons ago clearly did nothing to diminish the Orioles' interest in him. He recalls a brief conversation with an Orioles' scout during his final season at Louisiana-Monroe, but Miller's first real connection with the Birds wasn't established until after the trade, which caught Miller by complete surprise.
"I didn't see it coming at all," said Miller. "At first it was kind of weird, almost like you're in a dream. I kept expecting to wake up the next morning and realize that I'm still playing for the Rockies. Then you show up to spring training, not really knowing anybody. That was something different. It was like going to your first spring training all over again. But once you get into your routine, you settle in and realize that you're in a different organization now."
And with a different organization comes a different group of scouts and other talent evaluators. That would seem like quite an adjustment for someone who had begun to settle in with the organization that drafted him. But Miller's anxiety was lessened by the confidence the team showed in him. The trade itself was all the proof Miller needed that the Orioles were serious about turning his talent into a piece of the organization's puzzle.
"You just have to take a step back and realize that they traded for you for a reason," Miller said. "There was something they liked that you have, so you don't have to try to do anything more than what's (within your capabilities). They traded for you because of what you have, not what they think you can do. Once I got past that first awe of it, that first nervousness, I settled in and just started doing my thing. Eventually you just get focused on baseball. You want to show them what they got for trading for you."
What they got was a guy with a splitter, a curve ball and a fastball that occasionally touches 94 mph. Since the trade, those three pitches have made Miller a valuable player for his new organization. He displayed a knack for using those pitches to baffle opponents last season, when he spent 30 games with the Baysox and 22 games with Class-AAA Norfolk. He had 79 strikeouts in those 52 games, and held opposing batters to a .208 average for the year.
This season Miller is trying to recapture the success that has helped him steadily rise through the ranks of the organization. He cautions that, despite the team's slow start to the season, there is nothing to panic about. Miller knows that with this group of players, it's only a matter of time before losing streaks turn into winning streaks.
"I think we're fine," Miller said confidently of the Baysox, who returned from a seven-game road trip with an 11-12 record after beginning the season with five consecutive losses. "We've got guys that can hit, we've got guys that can pitch … we're a good team. Once we settle into our own, we'll be fine."
