P Marty Popham: Still working in Arizona
by Chuck Murr of IndiansInk.net, September 24, 2009 at 12:37pm ET
Marty Popham Profile
Marty Popham, who had a fine season at Mahoning Valley this summer, is working on his game in the Arizona Instructional League.
Popham started and went four innings in a 7-4 loss to a club comprised of Texas Rangers prospects. The big right-hander allowed six hits and three runs, walking one and striking out two. He threw first-pitch strikes to 10 of the 18 batters he faced, averaging 89 mph on his 64 total pitches.
Popham was a key reason why Mahoning Valley won its division and came within one game of claiming the New York-Penn League championship this summer. In 14 starts, he went 6-1 with a 2.76 ERA. The 6-foot-6, 235-pounder struck out 83 in 75 innings, walking only 10.
Popham has had two successful seasons since being a 20th-round draft choice by the Indians out of Union (Ky.) College in 2008. He went 1-1 with one save and a sparkling 0.78 ERA in 14 relief appearances for the Gulf Coast League Indians a year ago. In 23 innings then, he walked only five and fanned 23.
Popham is an example of the Tribe's scouting philosophy on pitchers to get a big guy from a small college program and try to teach him better mechanics. They've done it with pitchers such as Jason Davis, Jim Deters, Brad Hinkle, Frank Herrmann, Erik Stiller, Bryan Hinkle, and several others the past few years with good success.
It hasn't paid off with a consistent pitcher at the big-league level yet, though Davis certainly had some outstanding moments during his inconsistent years in Cleveland a few seasons ago. Deters and Hinkle are no longer in the organization, but Herrmann, Stiller and now Popham continue to make significant strides.
|
