In affiliated minor league baseball there is only one rung below short-season Single-A ball, but by the luck of the schedule Dedham native Bobby Holmes found himself getting a taste of the big leagues in just 22 games.
Signed by the Florida Marlins as an undrafted free agent on June 17, Holmes was assigned to the Marlins’ New York-Penn League affiliate in Jamestown, N.Y. The team just happened to be scheduled to play the Red Sox’ affiliate in Lowell and with Saturday’s finale take part in the fifth annual Futures at Fenway, a doubleheader featuring two of the Red Sox minor league teams.
While he did not appear in the Jammers 7-2 win of a game called in the top of the sixth inning by rain, the experience is something he will remember.
“It was fun, second time I actually got to play there. I got to play there my freshman year at Holy Cross, it was a little different (Saturday) because there were 22,000 people there,” said Holmes, a 2006 Dedham High grad. “It was awesome because I got to go back home and everything, it was a good time up there. Glad I got to see everybody.”
While the 20-to-25 friends and family in attendance on Saturday did not get to see him pitch at Fenway, he did get to make an appearance on Friday at LeLacheur Park in Lowell, working a scoreless eighth inning in a 9-3 loss to the Spinners in which he walked two and recorded his first strikeout of the year.
The transition to professional baseball has not been easy. Holmes has struggled with his location, walking 12 batters in just 5 1/3 innings over five appearances. The bulk of the damage was done in a June 29 appearance against State College when he walked all six batters he faced and was tagged for four runs, contributing to an ERA to 6.75.
According to Jamestown pitching coach John Birtwell, who hails from Walpole and attended Harvard, Holmes’ problems are mechanical.
“His back leg is buckling a little bit. He’s a big kid, he’s not using his body, but he’s figuring it out slowly but surely,” said Birtwell. “Its a hard thing to walk right in and pick it up. I think for a lot of these college kids a couple of them had a couple of layoffs after their seasons ended and so for them to have that break and then all of a sudden be expected to turn it on 100 percent, I think that’s (hard). He’s starting to find his groove now.”
In affiliated minor league baseball there is only one rung below short-season Single-A ball, but by the luck of the schedule Dedham native Bobby Holmes found himself getting a taste of the big leagues in just 22 games.
Signed by the Florida Marlins as an undrafted free agent on June 17, Holmes was assigned to the Marlins’ New York-Penn League affiliate in Jamestown, N.Y. The team just happened to be scheduled to play the Red Sox’ affiliate in Lowell and with Saturday’s finale take part in the fifth annual Futures at Fenway, a doubleheader featuring two of the Red Sox minor league teams.
While he did not appear in the Jammers 7-2 win of a game called in the top of the sixth inning by rain, the experience is something he will remember.
“It was fun, second time I actually got to play there. I got to play there my freshman year at Holy Cross, it was a little different (Saturday) because there were 22,000 people there,” said Holmes, a 2006 Dedham High grad. “It was awesome because I got to go back home and everything, it was a good time up there. Glad I got to see everybody.”
While the 20-to-25 friends and family in attendance on Saturday did not get to see him pitch at Fenway, he did get to make an appearance on Friday at LeLacheur Park in Lowell, working a scoreless eighth inning in a 9-3 loss to the Spinners in which he walked two and recorded his first strikeout of the year.
The transition to professional baseball has not been easy. Holmes has struggled with his location, walking 12 batters in just 5 1/3 innings over five appearances. The bulk of the damage was done in a June 29 appearance against State College when he walked all six batters he faced and was tagged for four runs, contributing to an ERA to 6.75.
According to Jamestown pitching coach John Birtwell, who hails from Walpole and attended Harvard, Holmes’ problems are mechanical.
“His back leg is buckling a little bit. He’s a big kid, he’s not using his body, but he’s figuring it out slowly but surely,” said Birtwell. “Its a hard thing to walk right in and pick it up. I think for a lot of these college kids a couple of them had a couple of layoffs after their seasons ended and so for them to have that break and then all of a sudden be expected to turn it on 100 percent, I think that’s (hard). He’s starting to find his groove now.”
Having the 31-year-old Birtwell, a former Walpole High and Post 104 star, serve as a mentor has been a bit of a relief for Holmes, who didn’t think he would be signed by a professional club following a senior year in Worcester in which he had difficulty finding the strike zone.
“It all happened in a two-day span in which I tried out and got signed so it was pretty hectic, so to show up in Jamestown and see a familiar face,” said Holmes. “I had actually played with him for a game or two in the Park League a summer ago, just to keep fresh for the college season. He gave me pointers there and he’s giving me pointers now. It was a big relief to just know somebody.”
Getting a tryout was more of a case of who you know than being seen during the game as college teammate Ryan George saw to it that he be included in a workout for the Marlins.
“He had a family friend who is friend’s with a regional crosschecker for the Marlins and he originally called to get Ryan a tryout and Ryan pretty much asked if he could bring me down (to the workout) with him,” said Holmes. “It was pretty much Ryan who got me the opportunity and everything. It was pretty lucky for me.”
Holmes said the morning of the tryout he was getting ready to send his resume to Travelers Insurance, and planned on taking some time off from playing baseball.
Before making his professional debut on June 21 in Williamsport, Holmes had not pitched in a game of consequence since Holy Cross lost in the Patriot League finals to Bucknell on May 22.
While the 12 walks may be cause for alarm, Jamestown manager Dave Berg thinks he has done well considering he was signed just a couple days before the season started and hadn’t thrown in a game in nearly a month.
“Other than that one time, he’s thrown strikes, he’s thrown his breaking ball for strikes,” said Berg.
A few weeks into his professional career, things appear to finally be slowing down for Holmes. He’s had to adjust to the grind of bus trips like the recent 528-mile trek from Jamestown in Western New York to Lowell that takes 11 hours, or try to eat on a $25 per diem and go through the rigors of dealing with having baseball as a job where in the New York-Penn League, which has just four off-days in a 76-game schedule.
On the mound he is simply trying to think less and let his body do the work, something that he says has been successful since blowing up in his only appearance in front of the home crowd.
“I’m starting to feel a little bit more comfortable in my everyday throwing, I’m starting to think less and let my body do what it can,” said Holmes. “Hopefully, next time out I can keep improving.”
In Saturday’s win at Fenway Park, 19-year-old Jamestown right fielder Marcell Ozuna hit the only home run of the game, connecting for a solo shot to the back row of the Monster seats. Ozuna was a perfect 4-for-4 in the game with three RBI.
Birtwell made sure it would be a day he would remember as well, proposing to his girlfriend Loula Panagopoulos on the field after the fourth inning.
(Keith Pearson is Staff Writer for the Dedham Transcript. He can be reached at (781) 433-8371 or kpearson@cnc.com.)
