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September 27, 2006

Future Shock

Feature: Brad Ziegler

by Kevin Goldstein

In 2005, he led the Oakland organization in pitching strikeouts. This year he had the second-best ERA in the Texas League. If anything, however, Athletics righthander Brad Ziegler is a realist. "I'm just a generic overhand righty," he jokes. But the A's see something in the minor league veteran who turns 27 years old next month, and Ziegler has come around to the idea as well. Oakland still remembers how valuable Chad Bradford was in the A's bullpen for four years; while other teams stay away from unconventional pitchers like the plague, and while many minor leaguers are preparing for the offseason or winter ball, Ziegler is back in the instructional leagues, working on a submarine delivery.

Despite his relatively advanced age, Ziegler really hasn't been a professional for that long. Oakland drafted him in 2002 in the 31^st round, but Ziegler, already a fourth-year junior, opted to return to Southwest Missouri State for his senior year, a move he has no regrets about, as he went 12-2 as a senior and helped pitch the Bears into the College World Series. He even moved up into the first day of the draft in 2003, as the Phillies selected him in the 20^th round.

His tenure with Philadelphia was short-lived. Suffering from biceps tendonitis after signing, Ziegler pitched just six innings for Batavia in the New York-Penn League before going home to work out and get ready for spring training. Four weeks into his first professional camp, Ziegler had a busy day.

"I was walking into the complex and the pitching coordinator directed me into [player development director Mike] Arbuckle's office," recalled Ziegler. "They told me I wasn't ready for Low A and at my age they didn't want to send me back to Batavia, so I was getting cut loose. I went to the secretary's office, she asked me where I was going, and they bought me a plane ticket home."

Ziegler had less than three hours to pack his stuff in the Florida apartment he was sharing with good friend and former college teammate Ryan Howard. His journey home to Springfield, Missouri included a pair of layovers, but the entire day wasn't a loss. "I thought my career was over without ever getting a legitimate chance," said Ziegler. "But by the time I got home late that afternoon, my agent already had my Indy League deal done."