“I really like Ryan Rowland-Smith,” Wakamatsu said Saturday as the grin slowly returned. “I like his intensity. I like how he competes. I think he’s going to have a big year for us.”
Many fans figured last year would be a big year for Rowland-Smith. At the end of the 2008 season, the 6-foot-3 left-hander showed hints of starting potential, getting 10 starts and going 3-2 with a 3.41 ERA while pitching at least six innings all 10 starts.
It seemed like he was on his way last season. He sacrificed a chance to pitch in the World Baseball Classic for his native Australia in order to get to know Wakamatsu and pitching coach Rick Adair, who were in the first year with the Mariners, and compete for a spot in the rotation.
After a decent spring training, Rowland-Smith was named the Mariners’ fifth starter.
But things went steadily downhill from there.
In his first start of the season, he lasted 3 innings, allowing two runs on four hits with four walks. Five days later he was placed on the disabled list with triceps tendinitis.
When he finally got back on the mound, he pitched well enough during his rehab stints to appear to be headed back to the rotation. Wakamatsu even had him scheduled for a start in Baltimore in June. But in what was supposed to be his final rehab start for the Tacoma Rainiers, he had a disastrous performance.
Rowland-Smith gave up 12 runs and 14 hits in 42/3 innings, while walking three hitters, hitting another and failing to strike out a batter. After the game, he called it the “worst outing of my professional career.”
That outing helped delay Rowland-Smith’s return to the Mariners when Wakamatsu decided to have him continue the rehab starts. Once his rehab stint expired, much to his disappointment, he was sent down to Tacoma.
“Last year I went though a lot of ups and downs personally,” Rowland-Smith said from Mariners FanFest.
There were a few ups and mostly downs for Rowland-Smith, and he was left to find his way out of the downs.
“You go through a situation where it’s sort of like you are left telling yourself, ‘I have to pitch my way out of the situation,’ ” he said. “It wasn’t because of this or because of that. It was because of nothing. I have to pitch my way out of this situation. On the mental side of it, it really helped me. It makes you more aware. You have to perform and you have to show (you are) able to perform at this level.”
He started becoming more efficient and increasing the use of his offspeed pitches, and success followed.
He was called up back up at the end of July and remained in the rotation for the rest of the season, starting 14 games and posting an 8-6 record with a 3.87 ERA. More importantly, he pitched at least seven innings in 11 of those starts, including eight innings in four of them.
“Last year was a good learning experience for him,” Wakamatsu said. “I think it was necessary for him to go back and find himself. Every player has these aspirations of coming and being a starter and poof! Your career is off and running.
“Well sometimes, you have to go backwards to go forward. I think he did that last year.”
Rowland-Smith tries to keep a sagely view of 2009, using the ups and downs to learn. He watches DVDs of the losses just as often as the wins.
“The emotional side and mental side, I learned a lot about myself,” Rowland-Smith said. “I had that sort of nothing-to-lose mentality. I’m just going to go out and pitch and that’s all that really matters.”
Wakamatsu can point to specific physical reasons for Rowland-Smith’s improvement, along with the mental growth.
“I think he got a better feel for his offspeed pitches,” Wakamatsu said. “I thought he pitched with better angle and he learned some things about pitching deeper in ballgames. It might not have been his ideal last year, but I thought it was a great development year to set up for this year.”
Rowland-Smith isn’t the first pitcher to be sent down to find his way. His new teammate and former Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee had a similar experience in 2007. Rowland-Smith is eager to meet Lee and pick his brain about pitching and success.
“He’s not a guy that goes out and throws 100 (mph),” Rowland-Smith said. “He’s been through tough times before, been sent down to minor leagues before. He’s had success.”
Other than Lee and Felix Hernandez, Rowland-Smith might be the only person with a spot locked up in the starting rotation. Not that he’s going to take it for granted.
“You never stop competing and trying to win a job or any of that kind of stuff, especially going into spring training,” he said.
His goals are simple.
“I’m really trying to simplify everything,” he said. “Instead of saying I have to go this many innings, or allow this many runs. I’m just trying to go as deep as possible in every game and not worry about anything else.”
Ryan Divish: 253-597-8483
ryan.divish@thenewstribune.com
blog.thenewstribune.com/mariners
Mariners FanFest
When: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. today
Where: Safeco Field, Seattle
What: 12th annual event allows fans to tour the Mariners’ clubhouse, run the bases and shag flies.
Admission: $10 for adults (15 and older), $5 for children (ages 6-14), free for children 5 and younger. Parking at the Safeco Field garage is $10. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster, Mariners team stores or the Safeco Field ticket office.
Online: www.mariners.com/fanfest
TODAY’S SCHEDULE
11:10 a.m.: Q&A with Mariners players Chone Figgins, Mark Lowe and Casey Kotchman
11:30 a.m.: Autograph signings by Figgins, Lowe, Kotchman and former Mariners catcher Dan Wilson; Q&A with pitching coach Rick Adair
Noon: Q&A with Mariners assistant GM Jeff Kingston and special assistant to the GM Tony Blengino
12:30 p.m.: Q&A with Mariners players David Aardsma, Rob Johnson and Matt Tuiasosopo
1 p.m.: Q&A with ex-Mariner and TV analyst Dave Valle
1:30 p.m.: Autograph signings by retired Mariners Edgar Martinez and Valle, and current Mariner Aardsma, Johnson and Tuiasosopo; Q&A with Wilson
2 p.m.: Q&A with Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu
2:30 p.m.: Q&A with Mariners director of pro scouting Carmen Fusco and director of amateur scouting Tom McNamara
