First step is a success in Saunders' comeback

In his first pro start since breaking his arm, the Rays left-hander pitches two uneventful innings for Charleston.

By MARC TOPKIN

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 3, 2000

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Tony Saunders didn't save the ball from his first professional game, his first big-league start or his first playoff or World Series appearances. He kept only the one from his first major-league win because, he said, "I thought I was going to pitch forever."

Wednesday, he started again.

[Special to the Times - Todd Bennett] The Devil Rays' Tony Saunders delivers one of 27 pitches he threw in his first appearance in a professional game in 15 months.

After throwing the first of 27 pitches in the first game of the rest of his career, a called strike to Augusta centerfielder Lew Ford, Saunders tossed the ball out of play. Devil Rays public relations official Greg Landy hand delivered it to Saunders' wife, Joyce, and she stored it for temporary safekeeping in her son's diaper bag.

Soon, it will have a more cherished home.

"I'll put it right in front of anything," Saunders said. "Everything I have. And the one in the first big-league game back will go in front of that one. They'll always be with me."

Fifteen months after the horrifying moment when he broke the humerus bones in his left arm throwing a pitch at Tropicana Field, Saunders was back at work.

Sure, he was pitching for Class A Charleston, pitching before maybe a couple hundred fans in a small, sweltering Georgia town, pitching for less than 15 minutes.

But he was pitching.

He went two innings against Augusta, allowing one hit and one walk, striking out two. He threw 17 strikes and 10 balls, was clocked as high as 87 mph, mixed fastballs with curveballs, changeups and cut fastballs.

"Felt good," Saunders said.

Devil Rays farm director Tom Foley said Saunders did fine. The best thing he may have said was that nothing Saunders did stood out. "He threw the ball well," Foley said. "He threw all his pitches. And it's behind him."

GreenJacket Brady Williams, a Dunedin product, was impressed with the five pitches he saw during a second-inning walk. "His stuff looked pretty good to me," Williams said. "Guy deserves a lot of credit for coming back from a broken arm."

Saunders had good movement and location, Charleston catcher Chairon Isenia said, though his breaking ball wasn't as sharp as Isenia remembered from a 1999 preseason bullpen session.

"He was kind of nervous, I saw it in his eyes," Isenia said. "He was kind of scared. Just a little bit."

Saunders, though, said that he wasn't scared or nervous, that the butterflies were chased first by the threat of consecutive rainouts, then by the adrenaline surge when he strode up the mound for his first inning.

"I was out there warming up," Saunders said, "and I was like, all right. Here it is. It's finally here."

Because he is so focused on returning to the major leagues, Saunders had been downplaying the significance of the first minor-league outing. But he realized afterward how much it meant.

"This was a huge step for me; I ain't going to lie about it," he said. "But I don't think this is ultimately where I'm at. I'm trying to keep everything in perspective. I'm not quite there yet. I still have a long way to go. My ultimate goal is pitch again in the big leagues."

The Augusta sporting community didn't seem to know what to make of his return. Though the batboy apparently had Saunders sign so many balls that team officials had to round up more for the second game of the doubleheader, few fans, despite considerable media attention, seemed even to be aware they could be witnessing history. Tuesday's arenafootball2 playoff win over Carolina was bigger news.

Saunders figures to make another four or five minor-league starts and expects to be back in the big leagues next month. And when he gets there, he said the story will be complete, he'll no longer hear about what he can't do, he'll no longer be linked to the others, he'll no longer be treated any differently than anybody else.

"My goal is just to stay healthy and walk off the field every time. Any time I can do that, regardless of the outcome, I'm happy. Because last time I left the big-league field under different circumstances."

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.

Headlines

Americans Lose in 1st Round of Davis Cup

---