Last Sunday’s column led with Detroit Tigers infielder/outfielder Matt Vierling reflecting on his days as a two-way player in high school and at the University of Notre Dame. This week’s leads with a former two-way player whose career path took a different turn. A native of Saginaw, Michigan who played shortstop and served as a closer at the University of Nebraska, Spencer Schwellenbach is currently a member of the Atlanta Braves starting rotation.
His big-league debut came sooner than expected. The 24-year-old right-hander was drafted in 2021 — Atlanta selected him in the second round — but because of Tommy John surgery he didn’t take the mound until last year. At the time of his May 29 call-up, Schwellenbach had just 110 minor-league innings under his belt. Moreover, he hadn’t thrown a pitch above the Double-A level. His two-step call-up is something he’ll never forget.
“They actually told me I was going to Triple-A,” said Schwellenbach. “I showed up in Gwinnett, threw a bullpen, and after I got done they asked if I was all packed up to go to Virginia. I said, ‘Yeah, I’ve got all my stuff here.’ They were like, ‘Well, unpack your stuff, you’re throwing in Atlanta on Wednesday.’ I was so taken off guard that I didn’t know what to say. It was like, ‘holy crap.’ I called my parents, my fiancee, my brothers, my sister. It was awesome.”
Results-wise, his two MLB starts — one against the Washington Nationals and another against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park— have been somewhat less than awesome. While his attributes — composure paired with a 96-mph fastball and solid secondaries — were apparent in each outing, he nonetheless allowed nine runs over nine-and-two-thirds innings. Which brings us to how he is now on the mound, and not stationed on the infield dirt.
“I always said that I was a better position player, just because I wanted to be a shortstop,” Schwellenbach said of his days as a Michigan prep. “But I was probably a better pitcher. I loved doing both. And honestly, I worked so hard to be a position player — again, that’s what I wanted — but after I got to college I kind of realized that if I wanted to play as long as I can, I was probably going to have to be a pitcher.”
While that may be true,…
RANDOM HITTER-PITCHER MATCHUPS
George Kell went 30 for 75 against Alex Kellner. Chuck Klein went 20 for 48 against Ray Kremer. Ken Keltner went 10 for 19 against Harry Kelley. Charlie Keller went 10 for 23 against Vern Kennedy. High Pockets Kelly went 5 for 8 against Cactus Keck.
NEWS NOTES
Hank Allen, an outfielder who played for three teams — primarily the Washington Senators — from 1966-1973 died this past week at age 83. The brother of should-be Hall of Famer Dick Allen and Rod Allen, the Wampum, Pennsylvania native became a scout and a horse trainer after his playing days. Hank Foiles, a catcher who played for seven teams in a career that spanned the 1953-1964 seasons, died in late May at age 94. Primarily employed in a backup role — he logged just 353 hits — Foiles represented the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1957 All-Star Game.
The answer to the quiz is Cecil Fielder, with 51 home runs with the Detroit Tigers in 1990. Prince Fielder hit 50 for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2007.
Adley Rutschman and Bobby Witt Jr. were the top picks in the 2019 draft. You can have either one going forward. Which are you taking? I asked that question in a Twitter poll a few days ago, fully expecting a relatively close race. What I got instead was a landslide. Of the more than 1,400 votes cast, 89.2% went to the Kansas City Royals shortstop. The Baltimore Orioles catcher received a paltry 10.8%.
