Baseball BeatMarch 06, 2004
Taking the Fifth
By Rich Lederer

All-American Jered Weaver won his fifth start of the year last night vs. Brigham Young University in another dominating performance. Dream Weaver struck out the first 10 batters for the second time this season en route to a new career-high total of 15 as the seventh-ranked Long Beach State 49ers (11-3) defeated visiting BYU (4-15), 3-1.

The tall righthander retired the first 17 Cougars before allowing a base runner on a fluke single that 99 times out of 100 would have resulted in an out. BYU second baseman Wade Vest hit a high pop fly 20 feet down the first base line. The ball landed about a foot in foul territory untouched by three 49ers, then trickled fair for what was ruled as a base hit.

Weaver proceeded to hurl 7 2/3 innings, giving up one run on two hits and one walk. The only other hit the junior allowed was a double in the eighth inning to first baseman Tim Law, the grandson of former Pirate All-Star pitcher Vern Law and the son of the BYU coach and ex-major league infielder Vance Law. Weaver had double-digit strikeouts for the fourth-straight contest. He is now 5-0 on the season with a 1.01 ERA. (Box Score)

Season Totals:

           IP     H    R   ER   BB   K    ERA    W-L
Weaver     35.2   16   4   4    4    55   1.01   5-0

Weaver is the early favorite for The Roger Clemens Pitcher of the Year Award and among 18 players listed on Baseball America's College Player of the Year Watch List.

Logan White, scouting director for the Los Angeles Dodgers, was one of more than a dozen talent evaluators in attendance. White and area Dodger scout Bobby Darwin sat directly behind me. Darwin, who was signed by the Los Angeles Angels in 1962 as a "bonus baby" out of L.A. Jordan HS, pitched one game in the big leagues that season as a 19-year-old. He then bounced around the Angels, Orioles, and Dodgers farm systems for the remainder of the 1960s before the pitcher-turned-outfielder was traded to the Minnesota Twins, where he placed in the top seven in HR and RBI in 1972 and 1974.

The general consensus is rapidly coming to the conclusion that Weaver will be among the first players drafted this June. Based on last year's standings (and alternating from the worst record in the N.L. to the worst record in the A.L.), the top six draft picks belong to the San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers, New York Mets, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Milwaukee Brewers, and Cleveland Indians.

*************************

Bonus coverage

The following is a pitch-by-pitch recap of Weaver's performance.

Top of the first:

  • Leadoff hitter
    92 mph fastball, fouled back (0-1)
    90 mph fastball, called strike (0-2)
    93 mph fastball, ball inside (1-2)
    93 mph fastball, strike three swinging (one out)

  • Second hitter
    curveball, away (1-0)
    change, strike swinging (1-1)
    curve, down (2-1)
    92 mph fastball, swung on and missed (2-2)
    78 mph curve, strike three swinging (two outs)

  • Third hitter
    fouled back (0-1)
    curve, strike looking (0-2)
    93 mph fastball, strike three looking (three up, three down...all by strikeouts)

    12 pitches (9 strikes/3 balls)

    Top of the second:

  • Fourth hitter
    89 mph fastball, high (1-0)
    89 mph fastball, fouled off (1-1)
    fastball, called strike (1-2)
    76 mph off speed curve, strike three swinging (one out)

  • Fifth hitter
    88 mph fastball, away (1-0)
    88 mph fastball, called strike on the inside corner (1-1)
    fastball, inside (2-1)
    92 mph fastball, away (3-1)
    93 mph fastball, called strike (3-2)
    87 mph slider, strike three swinging (two outs)

  • Sixth hitter
    off speed breaking ball, called strike (0-1)
    91 mph fastball, away (1-1)
    76 mph off speed curve, ball (2-1)
    fastball, called strike (2-2)
    92 mph fastball, called strike three (three up, three down...all by strikeouts)

    15 pitches (9 strikes/6 balls)

    Top of the third:

  • Seventh hitter
    fastball, outside (1-0)
    fastball, low (2-0)
    89 mph high fastball, chased and missed (2-1)
    87 mph, away (3-1)
    90 mph fastball, strike swinging (3-2)
    91 mph, called strike three (one out)

  • Eighth hitter
    91 mph fastball, strike swinging (0-1)
    92 mph fastball, called strike on the outside corner (0-2)
    78 mph curve, strike three swinging (two outs)

  • Ninth hitter
    89 mph fastball, high (1-0)
    76 mph off speed curve, called strike (1-1)
    78 mph curve, low and away (2-1)
    fastball, called strike on the outside corner (2-2)
    73 mph slow curve, strike three swinging (three up, three down...all by strikeouts)

    14 pitches (9 strikes/5 balls)

    Nine up, nine down...all by strikeouts

    Top of the fourth:

  • Top of the order
    81 mph curve, fouled back (0-1)
    86 mph slider, strike swinging (0-2)
    84 mph slider, fouled off (still 0-2)
    92 mph fastball, high (1-2)
    breaking ball, low and inside (2-2)
    off speed, foul tipped and held, strike three (one out)

    Ten strikeouts in a row

  • Second hitter
    70 mph change, outside (1-0)
    change, called strike (1-1)
    75 mph off speed curve, fouled out to the catcher (two outs)

  • Third hitter
    91 mph fastball, down (1-0)
    91 mph fastball, swung and tipped (1-1)
    78 mph curve, called strike (1-2)
    fastball, fly out to right field (three up, three down)

    13 pitches (9 strikes/4 balls)

    Perfect game through four

    Top of the fifth:

  • Cleanup hitter
    (no access to radar gun)
    curve, called strike (0-1)
    fastball, strike swinging (0-2)
    fastball, just inside (1-2)
    fastball, fouled off (still 1-2)
    curve, line drive to the first baseman (one out)

  • Fifth hitter
    fastball, ball (1-0)
    off speed curve, strike swinging (1-1)
    fastball, fouled back (1-2)
    slider, fly out to right field--diving catch (two outs)

  • Sixth hitter
    off speed, called strike (0-1)
    fastball, swung and missed (0-2)
    fastball, called strike three (three up, three down)

    12 pitches (10 strikes/2 balls)

    Perfect game through five

    Top of the sixth:

  • Bottom of the order
    curve, called strike (0-1)
    fastball, away (1-1)
    change, swinging strike (1-2)
    slider, just inside (2-2)
    fastball, strike three swinging (one out)

  • Eighth hitter
    fastball, foul out to first baseman (two outs)

  • Ninth hitter
    curve, strike on the outside corner (0-1)
    slider, high popup that falls untouched along the first base line for a single

  • Leadoff hitter
    ball (1-0)
    strike swinging (1-1)...runner steals second
    off speed, strike swinging (1-2)
    fastball, fouled off to the left side (still 1-2)
    fastball, fly out to left field (side retired with one runner left on base)

    13 pitches (10 strikes/3 balls)

    One-hit shutout through six

    Top of the seventh:

  • Second hitter
    fastball, fouled off to the left side (0-1)
    89 mph fastball, inside (1-1)
    off speed, fly out to left field (one out)

  • Third hitter
    fastball, high (1-0)
    fastball, called strike (1-1)
    curve, called strike (1-2)
    slider in the dirt (2-2)
    curve, fouled weakly (still 2-2)
    outside (3-2)
    fastball, strike three swinging (two outs)

  • Fourth hitter
    fastball, pop out to shortstop (three up, three down)

    11 pitches (7 strikes/4 balls)

    One-hit shutout through seven

    Top of the eighth:

  • Fifth hitter
    ball (1-0)
    ball (2-0)
    fouled off (2-1)
    ball outside (3-1)
    fastball, just missed outside...base on balls

  • Sixth hitter
    changeup, called strike (0-1)
    pick-off attempt
    88 mph fastball, swinging strike (0-2)
    90 mph fastball, called strike three (one out)

  • Seventh hitter
    pick-off attempt
    pitchout (1-0)
    pick-off attempt
    fastball, strike (1-1)
    fastball, called strike (1-2)
    missed inside (2-2)
    pick-off attempt
    double to center field, scoring the runner from first (L.B. State 3, BYU 1)

  • Eighth hitter
    fastball, called strike (0-1)
    curve, called strike (0-2)
    sidearm fastball, away (1-2)
    fastball, strike three swinging (two outs)

    17 pitches (10 strikes, 7 balls)

    Neil Jamison relieved Weaver in the eighth with two outs and a runner on second. The Long Beach State bullpen ace retired the last four Cougars for his sixth save of the year.

    Weaver threw 108 total pitches (officially), including 74 strikes and 34 balls. Of the 23 outs, 15 were recorded via strikeouts, eight through the air, and none on the ground.

    *************************

    Next up for Weaver: The UCLA Bruins on Friday, March 12 @ 3:00 p.m. at Petco Park in San Diego State's Aztec Invitational. I will be there to bring you the coverage.

    • Comments

    excellent insight !
    do you still play APBA ?
    I moved to orange county 5 years ago from Phx where i left all my APBA buddies behind. I would love to start or join a league.
    Rob

    Posted by: Rob Mancebo at July 22, 2004 11:20 AM