Baseball

Yankees shock Tampa prep star with callup

By MARC TOPKIN
Published July 9, 2004

NEW YORK - Tampa Jesuit product Sam Marsonek was hoping he'd make it to the big leagues by the end of the season.

Getting there before the All-Star break wasn't even a consideration.

"This was totally unexpected," Marsonek said sitting in front of his locker in the Yankees clubhouse, still looking somewhat stunned. "This came out of nowhere."

Marsonek, 25, was 1-5 with a 3.15 ERA and 17 saves for Triple-A Columbus and was brought up Thursday to bolster a sagging Yankees pitching staff.

A first-round draft pick by the Rangers in 1996, Marsonek battled injuries and inconsistency early in his career but has been rising steadily in the Yankees organization, having made the switch from starter to reliever last season.

"I've been off the map for a while," Marsonek said. "It's been a long road, and I've pretty much taken all the detours. It's very gratifying that I finally made it."

With the Yankees playing the Devil Rays this weekend, Marsonek could get to make his major-league debut with lots of friends and relatives watching on TV. His mom, dad, brother, sister and a half-dozen buddies are coming up from Lutz today to see him in person and to celebrate his 26th birthday.

[Last modified July 9, 2004, 01:09:11]