NORWICH, Conn. - Kevin Ziomek is still getting used to the idea that results don't count - or at least, they are not the bottom line.
"People here tell me to just keep getting better,'' said Ziomek, the left-hander from Amherst Regional and Vanderbilt University who has begun his pro career with the Connecticut Tigers of the New York-Penn League.
The short-season Class A team in Norwich gives Ziomek's family a chance to see him pitch. He never pitches for long - in his first four games, Ziomek logged a total of eight innings with an 0-1 record and a 4.50 ERA.
Two-inning assignments are the norm, and they will be for the rest of this season. His statistics are irrelevant now in comparison to how well he adapts to an entirely different baseball world.
"They tend not to talk about results as much here,'' the 21-year-old Ziomek said.
"Physically, there is definitely a big difference from college. I'm still settling in to pro ball.''
As with nearly all young pitchers, Ziomek must hone his consistency level, but the future is bright.
"We treat all of our pitchers the same, but obviously, Kevin was a second-round draft pick for a reason,'' said Connecticut manager Andrew Graham, who is keeping the Detroit organization up to date on the 58th overall pick of the 2013 draft.
"Even on days he is not pitching, he still has to do side sessions or bullpen work,'' Connecticut pitching coach Mark Johnson said.
In fact, minor league pitchers throw almost every day. It contradicts the popular myth of prized prospects transitioning from roles as college workhorses to coddled young pros.
"In pro ball, there is more stress on the arm. The throwing load is different,'' Ziomek said.
"In college, we always got a week before starts.''
The Detroit Tigers see a high upside for Ziomek, who pitched Amherst Regional to the 2010 state baseball title. They signed him as a second-round draft pick, after which Ziomek decided to forego his final year of college eligibility.
"I loved Vanderbilt, but I wouldn't necessarily call it a difficult decision,'' he said.
"Playing major league baseball has been the goal of my lifetime. It's good to make the start toward fulfilling that goal.''
Other than a stint in the Cape Cod League, this is the firsr time Ziomek has pitched in New England since high school. The Tigers gave him a $956,600 signing bonus.
He had been drafted by Arizona out of high school, but chose college. It proved to be the right decision when he went 19-9 with a 3.03 ERA over three years at Vanderbilt, with an 11-3 record and 2.12 ERA as a junior in 2012.
Joining the Tigers' NYPL team extends a season that began in winter. That helps explain the need to count innings and pitch counts very carefully.
Ziomek says he does not always know in advance when he will pitch. He is not instructed of his pitch count, though he know he will be limited.
However inconsequential his numbers might be to the Tigers' staff, they do reflect Ziomek's learning curve. He has five walks and two hit batsmen in eight innings.
Part of that can be attributed to the nerves associated with his first pro starts. The Norwich staff is completely unworried, in part because Ziomek does not rely solely on his 94-mile an hour fastball.
He lists Jon Lester as his favorite athlete, and there are similarities in their styles.
"Kevin has shown he can throw all of his pitches for strikes. That's a plus,'' Graham said.
"He has a curve and a slider, and he keeps the ball down low in the zone.''
Even in this different environment, Ziomek's goal is to get batters out. But the organization will not judge him by New York-Penn League statistics, and he is learning not to do so himself.
"It's almost like a classroom situation,'' he said.
"I'm trying to learn something every day. That's what they tell you here, to just keep on working to get better.''
Source: http://www.masslive.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/07/amhersts_kevin_ziomek_finds_mi.html
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