After the decimation of last season's staff, youngsters have Pirates off to a 10-3 start.
By GREG AUMAN
Published April 2, 2004
DADE CITY - The lingering concern at Pasco entering the season was a dangerous shortage of proven pitchers. Now the only real problem is deciding who to throw, as a half-dozen young arms have led the way to a 10-3 start.
You can appreciate the characters on the Pirates staff just by checking out their caps. The "P" on Sonny Glover's black cap is fresh-off-the-shelf white, and the brim is so superstitiously flat he could pass for a Mountie.
Reliever Jacob Wieland is at the other extreme, with a well-worn cap showing its share of infield clay and a rainbow of a bill that takes many innings to perfect. Kyle Hobbs' cap is ringed with salt from old sweat stains, and Mike Onyskin's is a mix of them all, not too curved, not too clean.
The last two pitchers stand out for more than their hats: Robbie Shields is the lights-out closer and Dominic Brown, the lone lefty, is hard to miss with his 6-foot-6 frame.
They've made coach Ricky Giles' biggest fear disappear, giving him flexibility and the luxury of never having to leave a pitcher in longer than he wants.
"My key thing was, could our pitching hold our opponents to two or three runs?" Giles said. "We have enough people that when one seems to tire a little bit, we can just add somebody else."
Last year, the Pirates relied heavily on seniors Matt Smith and Chris Nyman, who combined for 15 of Pasco's 18 wins. Pasco's No. 3 starter, Jimmy Hancock, transferred to Wesley Chapel, leaving the Pirates unsure exactly who would take charge..
"We knew we had to step up," said Glover, the only senior of the group, who rejoined the team last week. He had been unable to play until charges from a January arrest in Ybor City were dropped three weeks ago. Giles was pleased to see him return a mature, focused pitcher, and a strong debut against Wesley Chapel solidified his role as the ace.
The rest of the group isn't shabby. Onyskin, the team leader with three wins and 19 strikeouts, threw a five-inning no-hitter Friday against Wildwood, and relievers Wieland and Hobbs are undefeated in three spot starts.
"We've got three dominant pitchers and a closer you can call on anytime," Hobbs said. "It's good to have so many pitchers, but we just had to wait our time to get there."
Shields, tied for the county lead with three saves, has the county's second-lowest ERA (0.45) and masterful control, striking out 16 batters while walking none. Brown, an imposing presence, has beaten Land O'Lakes and took his only loss last weekend in a 1-0 game against Zephyrhills, outdueled by Bulldogs ace Joe Duffau.
"He's can be a legit No. 1, and he's only a sophomore," Giles said. "You get a kid 190 pounds, 6-foot-6, throwing from the left side, that can be a plus."
The depth could make a difference in the postseason, where the Pirates have suffered first-round losses in the past three years after dominating in the regular season. This spring, they're less likely to need to lean on tired, overworked arms in the playoffs.
"We rode Nyman and Smitty so much, I imagine their arms were like they carried a sack of potatoes all year," Giles said. "Now, we let everybody pitch, and everybody gets a little throwing in. All these juniors and sophomores, given time, are going to be quality guys."
The six pitchers also represent a large chunk of the Pirates' offense. Hobbs leads the team with four home runs, Onyskin with 11 RBIs, and Glover has five hits in his first seven at-bats. But if the Pirates are to going anywhere in the playoffs, they know they'll need reliable pitching, and that's much less of a concern than it might have been two months ago.
"It's like Coach said, "Everybody get on the 747, 'cause we're about to take off,"' Hobbs said.
