The Jacob Westfall Story

[fluharty]

Starting Rotation
---------------------
RHP Dennis Stark 29
RHP Jason Jennings 25
RHP Ryan Cameron 26
RHP Brian Meadows 28
RHP Aaron Cook 28

Middle Relief
----------------
LHP Denny Neagle 35
LHP Ron Mahay 32
me!

Setup
-------
RHP Scott Elarton 26
LHP Brian Fuentes 28

Closer
--------
RHP Todd Jones 36


Starting Lineup
-------------------
CF Choo Freeman 24
2B Orlando Hudson 26
1B Todd Helton 30
RF Larry Walker 37
LF Brian Hawpe 24/Raul Gonzalez 30
C J.D. CLosser 24
SS Jose Hernandez 34
3B Carlos Baerga 35

Bench
----------
C Charles Johnson 32
1B Chris Richard 29
2B Pablo Ozuna 29
SS Louis Lopez 33
CF Rene Reyes 26

DL
-----
SP Chin-Hui Tsao


Chin-Hui Tsao is on the DL. Otherwise, he be starting. I knew that kid was something special when he was with me in AA. He sure didn't spend long in the minors. Hopefully, this injury will not set him back too much.

[fluharty]

Aag!

Its 5/27 and I am back in AAA already!

I never even got to throw a pitch! What the heck was that all about? They didn't even give me an explanation, just told me "pack up, we're sending you back to Colorado Springs".



Man, I'm in a bad mood!

Of course, they want me start today!

Mike Esposito was promoted in my place. Good luck to him- I hope he gets a chance to pitch!

[fluharty]

<pre><font face=courier>
Date OPP IP H R ER BB K PI Dec
5/27 SFN 5.0 10 5 3 2 6 102 Loss
</pre></font>

Man did I ever blow that game! My first AAA Loss. I was so upset I went out and got drunk and ended up kicking the crap out of the Fresno left fielder. He seemed like he was a nice enough fellow, in retrospect, but I picked a fight with him anyway. Gads, my head hurts!

[fluharty]

Oh, baby! I came within one out of my first complete game and one out short of a one hit shutout!

After one out in the ninth McCall reached on an infield single to deep short. I got a bit agitated and eneded up walkng Moss. I walked off the mound at that point and tried to settle meself down, trying to remember some of the stuff I'd read in those books about calming yourself. It worked. I relaxed a little and got Olsen to pop out to first. Then, Casey droped a seeing-eye double on the third base line and drove in a pair!

Thats when the manager yanked me. I was pretty upset with that double and didn't see the rest of the game. Casey endeded up scoring, but I got the win!

<pre><font face=courier>
Date OPP IP H R ER BB K PI Dec
6/02 ARI 8.2 3 3 3 2 9 101 Win!
</pre></font>

[fluharty]

The rest of June went well. I got the decision in every game, which was kind of cool. I've been working hard to improve my endurance and have been going a liite deeper into games this season.
<pre><font face=courier>
Date OPP IP H R ER BB K PI Dec
6/08 CLE 7.0 6 0 0 3 10 109 Win!
6/14 KCA 5.2 4 1 1 5 7 104 Loss
6/20 KCA 7.2 6 3 3 1 9 99 Loss
6/26 PIT 6.1 5 1 1 1 6 107 Win!
</font></pre>
I'm still on the 300K contract so I was able to buy a book on the splitter. Adding the sinker helped, so I figure adding the splitter might do me some good too.

Some other changes that took place in June. Uribe was recalled and Raul Gonzalez was sent to AAA. Major league vet Bill Mueller was signed to a minor league contract and added to our roster. 1B Chris Richard was optioned from the majors. Joey Barrera, who was a teammate of mine last season in AA, was added from AA and Barmes sent to AA. Garrett Gentry was promoted from AA, pushing Tuten into the backup role and Coello down to AA. Karl Roberts was sent to AA and Major league vet Jeremy Burnitz has been signed to take over in RF. Brent Butler was recalled to the majors.

[fluharty]

6/29 Back to the bigs!


Hopefully, this time I will get in a game and maybe even start! Its only been a month but the rotation has undergone some changes. Ryan Cameron went on the DL today and Jason Jennings was traded, along with a minor league RF, to Baltimore for CF Gary Matthews, Jr.

RHP Chin-Hui Tsao 23
RHP Dennis Stark 29
RHP Aaron Cook 28
RHP Brian Meadows 28
RHP Mike Esposito 22

LHP Denny Neagle 35
LHP Ron Mahay 32
RHP Scott Elarton 26
LHP Brian Fuentes 28

RHP Todd Jones 36

-----

CF Gary Matthews, Jr 29
3B Carlos Baerga 35
1B Todd Helton 30
RF Larry Walker 37
LF Brian Hawpe 24
C J.D. CLosser 24
SS Jose Hernandez 34
2B Pablo Ozuna 29

C Charles Johnson 32
2B Brett Butler
SS Juan Uribe 24
SS Louis Lopez 33
CF Rene Reyes 26
RF Darren Bragg 34

2B Orlando Hudson is on the DL.
RHSP Ryan Cameron is on the DL.

[fluharty]

7/4 My first major league start! I am starting in place of my friend Mike Esposito against the Cards. Oh man I am sooooooo nervous! I will be going against Brad Penny, who is 3-10 with an 8.08 ERA in 17 starts.

[fluharty]

<pre><font face=courier>
Date OPP IP H R ER BB K PI Dec
7/4 SLN 4.1 6 7 7 3 5 87 Loss
</font></pre>

OMG what a horrible first start! I need to get drunk! I gave up a three-run jack to Pujols and a solo shot to Edmunds. I left in the 5th with the bases loaded after walking two.

They brought Esposito in and he let all of them score!! Darn it! I was really hoping he could pull my butt out of the fire! My ERA is revolting 14.54!

I must have done someting to impress someone. They dropped me into the #4 starter slot, put Esposito back in 5, and put Brian Meadows as the swing man in the pen.

I'll do better next time out!

[fluharty]

<pre><font face=courier>
Date OPP IP H R ER BB K PI Dec
7/8 LAN 5.1 3 0 0 3 3 78 -
</font></pre>

Not sure why I was pulled after one out in the 6th with the bases empty, but I left feeling good- this was a much better outing. Elarton gave up three in the 8th so we ended up losing, but I feel a lot better. I kept LA off the board and my ERA is down to 6.52!

[fluharty]

<pre><font face=courier>
Date OPP IP H R ER BB K PI Dec
7/13 SFN 5.1 7 3 2 3 4 94 Win!
</font></pre>

Got my first major league win and brought my ERA down to 5.4!

I dont feel like I did all that well, really, letting 10 guys get on base. I was fighting base runners all day.

But we won!

[fluharty]

<pre><font face=courier>
Date OPP IP H R ER BB K PI Dec
7/20 ARI 5.2 8 5 3 1 4 88 Win!
</font></pre>
Holy Cow, we won 26-6! What a game! I did ok, not great. Its tough at this level. My ERA is doen to 5.23. Its heading in the right direction!

I am finaly comfortable enough with the splitter to try and throw it. I've been pouring over that book and practicing that pitch for the last month! I may give it a try in todays game. Its a return match against Brad Penny and the Cards.

I'm going to beat him this time! He's 4-11 with an 8.05 ERA. I am better than that!

[fluharty]

<pre><font face=courier>
Date OPP IP H R ER BB K PI Dec
7/25 SLN 5.0 7 3 3 1 2 85 -
</font></pre>
We were behind 3-1 when I finshed the 5th, but we wound up winning the game, so I got the no decision. I need to go deeper into games! Pitching every 5th day instead of every 6th is a lot more tiring.

[fluharty]

<pre><font face=courier>
Date OPP IP H R ER BB K PI Dec
7/30 MIL 4.0 6 6 6 1 6 62 -
</font></pre>
Yuck! I was actually looking forward to facing the Brewers too! Man, they kicked my tail! I gave up a three run shot to Julius Hoyer in the 4th, which was the killing blow. I finished the inning, but did not start the 5th.

[fluharty]

<pre><font face=courier>Date OPP IP H R ER BB K PI Dec
8/03 PIT 3.2 5 3 3 4 5 77 - <- faced Ryan Vogelsong
8/08 PIT 6.0 11 4 4 2 3 104 Win! <- Ryan faced Vogelsong again
8/18 MON 0.2 5 7 7 2 0 35 Loss
8/23 PHI 4.0 3 2 2 1 4 51 -
</font></pre>August was terrible. Just when I was finaly having a good outing, I felt something pop in my back! OMG did it hurt!!

Herneated disk, out seven weeks! Thats probably the end of my season right there.