At 6-6, 230 pounds, or so it's listed, Humberto Sanchez strikes an imposing figure on the mound. Even more so when his 94 m.p.h. fastball comes bearing in on hitters.
Or his 90 m.p.h. slider.
He is no less impressive off the mound. Thoughtful, articulate, Sanchez is just the latest in a formidable line of hurlers hatched in the Detroit Tiger hothouse.
The names of Verlander (FAB50 Baseball 2005 No. 19), Grilli, Maroth, Ledezma, and Miner, all come to mind.
Sanchez might already be toiling in Tigertown, if the Striped Kitties weren't already running away with the American League Central.
That gives Sanchez, 22, born in the Dominican and reared in the Bronx, more time to work on his fastball/curve/slider/changeup reportoire in Toledo.
According to Mud Hens catcher Mike Rabelo, who has risen with Sanchez through the Tiger system, Sanchez’ pitch selection is virtually big-league-ready right now.
"He's gotten a lot better [over the years]," said Rabelo. "He's fun to catch and fun to watch. He throws three major league caliber pitches, and when he's on, he can throw anyone of them, anytime. That's three options I have to put down when I'm catching, so that's fun."
Said Sanchez, ""I've been developing a slider, and that's helping a lot. I've got (different pitches) I can throw up there, now. It helps to keep them guessing more.
Sanchez arrived in the Bronx at age 10 to live with his mother, and he brought his baseball sensibilities with him.
He was scouted heavily in high school, and was drafted by the Dodgers, but went the junior college route instead.
A sub .500 pitcher in his first four years as a pro, this season has been one of accelerated development, first at Double-A Erie, where he went 5-3 with a glittering 1.76 ERA.
Then, after his battlefield promotion to Toledo in June, Sanchez roared out to a 5-1 record, before hitting his first spate of adversity, two subpar outings following by two weeks on the shelf with elbow soreness.
To Sanchez, that, too is just part of the educational curve.
"You can always learn," he said, "from the good and the bad. If (those things) are the worst things to happen to me in my career, I'll take it."
His time in Toledo is helping him to learn to bear down in pressure situations.
"I take a lot of pride in stepping up my game" he said, "and doing what I have to do to put a zero up there."
Whether Sanchez makes it to Detroit or not will depend on him performing at this level into Spring. We expect to see him get a good shot in camp in 2007.
- Dan HICKLING
