azdad1978
Championship!!!!
By Jack Magruder, Tribune
TUCSON - Shawn Estes seems a perfect fit in the National League West.
He has beaten San Diego 12 times in his career and Colorado eight, his two most frequent conquests.
He had two victories — and two singles — against Randy Johnson last season.
After seven years with San Francisco and another in Colorado, Estes may know more about his division than he does about his new Diamondbacks teammates, but he is adapting, a process he has learned to embrace in his 11-year major league career.
The D-Backs are his sixth team in five seasons, but that is a trifle compared to the changes the left-hander has made on the mound.
"He doesn’t throw 97 miles an hour any more, so he has had to make some adjustments and do some different things,’’ D-Backs manager Bob Melvin said.
"Before in his career, he was more of a fly ball/strikeout guy. Now he’s got a sinker that he can induce double plays with.’’
Estes smiled when he heard 97 — "It gets faster every year,’’ he said — but has adapted since a shoulder injury in 1998 robbed him of some of his velocity.
He opted to rehab a small rotator cuff tear rather than undergo surgery that season, a year after going 19-5 with 181 strikeouts in 201 innings.
"What I used to do, I used to rely on good stuff to have success,’’ said Estes, 32, a Valley resident.
"I’ve learned over the years you can have success without your best. You have to pitch. Compete. Rely on movement. Location.’’
And there is always that secret weapon — a sinking fastball that he can locate on the outer half.
"I have a strong belief that I can get a ground-ball double play whenever I need to. I never get psyched out about giving up a single or walking a guy. It doesn’t bother me,’’ Estes said.
Like Brandon Webb, Estes stands to benefit from a retooled defense that includes Royce Clayton at shortstop and Craig Counsell at second.
With Clayton behind him in Colorado, Estes induced 33 double plays last season, the highest in the NL and the third highest in the major leagues. No pitcher in the majors has averaged more double plays since 1997.
"He proved himself in a very tough place to pitch,’’ Clayton said. "He’s just a gritty guy.’’
"I’ve never consciously tried to pitch different. I’ve just gone out that given day and done what my arm has allowed me to do physically,’’ Estes said.
Estes won 15 games with San Francisco in 2000 before being traded to the Mets after the 2001 season. Since then, he has been with Cincinnati, the Cubs and Colorado before signing with the D-Backs as a free agent Jan. 12.
He might have done some of his best work at high altitude last season, when he was 15-8 with a Coors Field-inflated 5.83 ERA.
"From what everybody who saw him last year said, he was trusting his stuff and was out there making his pitches,’’ general manager Joe Garagiola Jr. said. "Going right after hitters, being aggressive.’’
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=37463
TUCSON - Shawn Estes seems a perfect fit in the National League West.
He has beaten San Diego 12 times in his career and Colorado eight, his two most frequent conquests.
He had two victories — and two singles — against Randy Johnson last season.
After seven years with San Francisco and another in Colorado, Estes may know more about his division than he does about his new Diamondbacks teammates, but he is adapting, a process he has learned to embrace in his 11-year major league career.
The D-Backs are his sixth team in five seasons, but that is a trifle compared to the changes the left-hander has made on the mound.
"He doesn’t throw 97 miles an hour any more, so he has had to make some adjustments and do some different things,’’ D-Backs manager Bob Melvin said.
"Before in his career, he was more of a fly ball/strikeout guy. Now he’s got a sinker that he can induce double plays with.’’
Estes smiled when he heard 97 — "It gets faster every year,’’ he said — but has adapted since a shoulder injury in 1998 robbed him of some of his velocity.
He opted to rehab a small rotator cuff tear rather than undergo surgery that season, a year after going 19-5 with 181 strikeouts in 201 innings.
"What I used to do, I used to rely on good stuff to have success,’’ said Estes, 32, a Valley resident.
"I’ve learned over the years you can have success without your best. You have to pitch. Compete. Rely on movement. Location.’’
And there is always that secret weapon — a sinking fastball that he can locate on the outer half.
"I have a strong belief that I can get a ground-ball double play whenever I need to. I never get psyched out about giving up a single or walking a guy. It doesn’t bother me,’’ Estes said.
Like Brandon Webb, Estes stands to benefit from a retooled defense that includes Royce Clayton at shortstop and Craig Counsell at second.
With Clayton behind him in Colorado, Estes induced 33 double plays last season, the highest in the NL and the third highest in the major leagues. No pitcher in the majors has averaged more double plays since 1997.
"He proved himself in a very tough place to pitch,’’ Clayton said. "He’s just a gritty guy.’’
"I’ve never consciously tried to pitch different. I’ve just gone out that given day and done what my arm has allowed me to do physically,’’ Estes said.
Estes won 15 games with San Francisco in 2000 before being traded to the Mets after the 2001 season. Since then, he has been with Cincinnati, the Cubs and Colorado before signing with the D-Backs as a free agent Jan. 12.
He might have done some of his best work at high altitude last season, when he was 15-8 with a Coors Field-inflated 5.83 ERA.
"From what everybody who saw him last year said, he was trusting his stuff and was out there making his pitches,’’ general manager Joe Garagiola Jr. said. "Going right after hitters, being aggressive.’’
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=37463
