Tom Keegan: Ex-Lion pitcher major talent

Garrett Cleavinger, Oregon

Long ago, before a bunch of nerds who were picked last on the playground, forever embittered because the prettiest girls in the class tended to like the jocks better, attempted to kidnap baseball with their calculators, the backs of baseball cards made for great reading.

Simple stats, ones quoted by tobacco-spitting, cuss-word-stringing, grumpy managers told interesting stories on the backs of baseball cards.

They still do.

Reading Royals closer Wade Davis’ numbers isn’t as fun as watching him dominate hitters with pitches shaped as if right out of video games. It doesn’t exactly qualify as dull reading, either.

Since the start of the 2014 season, Davis is 18-3 with a 1.01 ERA and has pitched 170 innings, allowed 89 hits and has walked 55 and struck out 216.

Phenomenal.

As for local pitchers from Lawrence, nobody’s are as mind-blowing as those of former Lawrence High left-hander Garrett Cleavinger, a native of Baldwin City.

A high school football star as well, Cleavinger, 22, stands 6-foot-1, weighs 210 pounds and does nothing but pile up W’s out of the bullpen.

He pitched for three seasons for the University of Oregon and was drafted in the third round by the Baltimore Orioles in June, 2015. After he signed, they assigned him to Aberdeen, a short-season Class A affiliate. He began this year at full-season Class A Delmarva of the South Atlantic League, made the all-star team and was moved up to advanced A ball, where he now pitches for Frederick.

Combine the statistics he compiled wearing his four post-LHS uniforms and what you get is dominance: 30-6, 1.87 ERA. In 1962?3 innings, he has allowed 119 hits and 95 walks and has 276 strikeouts.

It takes more than good numbers to keep moving up. It takes quality pitches that project well to the next level, which in Cleavinger’s case would be Double A.

I asked Cleavinger’s high school coach, Brad Stoll, to put his scouting cap on to evaluate the former Lion lefty and do his best to pretend he does not know him personally.

Stoll coached him for two summers in the Cape Cod League while Cleavinger was in college.

“Just on pure velocity alone, a left-hander pitching in the mid-’90s is going to help him go a long way,” Stoll said by phone from Cape Cod, Mass. “And the ability to throw the slider, that’s always been a really good pitch for him.

“Watching him compete in the Cape as our closer for two summers, his second summer he was facing really, really good hitters and the left-handed hitters stood no chance with that slider. Power guy with two pitches, back end of the bullpen, that’s a pretty good recipe.”

Cleavinger hasn’t encountered any arm problems, and according to his old coach, the lefty, “takes tremendous care of it, very well-conditioned, takes the weight room seriously.”

Stoll said he has known Cleavinger since he was born, so if asked about him by anybody, naturally, he wouldn’t stop at breaking down his pitches.

“He’s been raised to be tough, and he’s been raised to be respectful,” Stoll said. “He’s a wonderful, caring person. When it comes to being a teammate, he’ll be a great clubhouse guy because he cares and wants other guys to succeed. He’s not going to make mistakes and do anything to embarrass his organization or his family.”

If all goes well for Cleavinger, he could make his major-league debut as soon as 2018.

“Relief pitching is the fastest track to the big leagues,” Stoll said. “I’m so excited for him.”

Sure, everyone’s excited for him, but let’s be honest: We’re excited for ourselves.

How cool would it be to turn on the TV and see a pitcher who it seems like just yesterday was winning football and baseball games for the Lions?