Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
TERRY JONESJoey Delgado, who made Jefferson High's starting rotation as a freshman, relies on much more than luck.
NORTH TAMPA - When he walks out to the pitching mound, Joey Delgado looks like a skinny little kid. But his control over the ball and the speed of his pitches are earning plenty of respect from batters.
Delgado, who turned 15 this week, is one of the few freshmen to ever make the starting pitching rotation at Jefferson High School. He did so last season, becoming part of a Jefferson Dragons team that won a district championship.
Emeterio "Pop" Cuesta, who has been Jefferson's baseball coach for 35 years, says Delgado has a lot to learn but that he more than earned his spot on the team. He went 6-0 for Jefferson, with a 1.26 ERA and 27 strikeouts.
Mike Diez, summer coach for Delgado, says more. He calls the youngster a natural.
Diez is an assistant coach at Jefferson and coaches the West Tampa American Legion Post 248's B team in the summer. Delgado finished the summer with a 5-1 record as a starter with the B team, which finished 20-4.
"I try not to tinker with him too much," Diez said recently. "He looks kind of frail, as many 14-year-olds do, but he has a lot of arm strength. He watches ball games on television and practices what he sees the pros do. The best I can do is help him with the mental part of the game. Everything else just comes naturally to him."
Delgado started his sport at age 5. He says he played every position and at 13 decided he wanted to be a pitcher.
He learned his basic skills playing in the Amateur Athletic Union, the Forrest Hills Little League and in Legion ball.
"I play baseball all year-round," Delgado said. "Winter ball, summer ball and now high school ball is my life."
From watching pros and other pitchers, followed by hours of practice and hard work, he has developed a fastball, curve, changeup and side-arm fastball. While most television watchers focus on the result of different pitches, Delgado watches the grip and tries to duplicate it.
"I haven't had any pitching lessons," he said. "Coach Mike gives me pointers once in awhile and that helps. I take any help I can get."
When school is in session, he spends more than two hours a day lifting weights and doing running drills.
Many high school baseball teams in Hillsborough County have produced one or more pro players, and Jefferson has had more than its share. Delgado wants to be part of that tradition.