kar120c
11-01-2008, 02:25 PM
I saw this story linked on another site (www.mccoveychronicles.com). I do not see it on this site, so I though I would add it.
It seems that while we knew of two pitchers in the Giants Organization that won MiLBY Pitcher of the Year awards - Madison Bumgarner (SAL) and Tim Alderson (CAL), there is a third. His name is Kyle Nicholson. He received the MiLBY for Best Short-Season Starter after going 6-1 with a 1.15 ERA in 11 appearances for the Rookie-level Giants of the Arizona League (AZL).
Seems he was a 7th round 2007 draft choice of the Giants, from Texas A&M.
I am familiar with many of the Giants prospects, but this is the first I have heard of Kyle Nicholson. I read the MLB article, and offer three observations on it, for whatever they are worth…
1) FTA “In 62 1/3 innings over the summer, Nicholson struck out 54 while walking only three. " Good to see a young pitcher that knows how to pitch. I have always remembered something the great Satchel Paige once said, when he was asked for the secret to his success: "Home plate don’t move, man. Throw strikes”.
2) It seems that he needed Tommy John surgery shortly after turning pro (I estimate somewhere early/mid 2007. There was another fellow like that who the Giants took a chance on. He was the second banana to the great arm that everyone noticed on the great LSU team in 2003. His name was Brian Wilson. Wilson threw hard, but was a bit wild. The Giants drafted him anyway (in the 24th round). And, like Nicholson, Wilson had TJ surgery before turning pro as well. It did take WIlson some time to recover, and then develop, but after what he did in 2008, I imagine the Giants are happy that they were more patient with him than they were with Joe Nathan. By the way, the top banana on that 2003 LSU team – Billy Sadler – was was also drafted by the Giants (6th Round).
3) FTA “The 23-year-old right-hander cemented the honor by not allowing an earned run over his last four starts and yielding only one run over his final seven outings. During that span, he went 6-0 with an 0.19 ERA, yielding 19 hits while striking out 45.” I do not know about the caliber of hitters in the AZL, and I realize he is a 23 year old college player in a league that may have quite a few younger players, but those are dominant numbers. If he does this while still recovering form TJ surgery, and his arm strength improves to the point where he again can throw in the low to mid 90’s (as he was rumored to be able to do in college), the Giants may really have something here.
The complete articles is here: http://giants.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081028&content_id=3651564&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb
It seems that while we knew of two pitchers in the Giants Organization that won MiLBY Pitcher of the Year awards - Madison Bumgarner (SAL) and Tim Alderson (CAL), there is a third. His name is Kyle Nicholson. He received the MiLBY for Best Short-Season Starter after going 6-1 with a 1.15 ERA in 11 appearances for the Rookie-level Giants of the Arizona League (AZL).
Seems he was a 7th round 2007 draft choice of the Giants, from Texas A&M.
I am familiar with many of the Giants prospects, but this is the first I have heard of Kyle Nicholson. I read the MLB article, and offer three observations on it, for whatever they are worth…
1) FTA “In 62 1/3 innings over the summer, Nicholson struck out 54 while walking only three. " Good to see a young pitcher that knows how to pitch. I have always remembered something the great Satchel Paige once said, when he was asked for the secret to his success: "Home plate don’t move, man. Throw strikes”.
2) It seems that he needed Tommy John surgery shortly after turning pro (I estimate somewhere early/mid 2007. There was another fellow like that who the Giants took a chance on. He was the second banana to the great arm that everyone noticed on the great LSU team in 2003. His name was Brian Wilson. Wilson threw hard, but was a bit wild. The Giants drafted him anyway (in the 24th round). And, like Nicholson, Wilson had TJ surgery before turning pro as well. It did take WIlson some time to recover, and then develop, but after what he did in 2008, I imagine the Giants are happy that they were more patient with him than they were with Joe Nathan. By the way, the top banana on that 2003 LSU team – Billy Sadler – was was also drafted by the Giants (6th Round).
3) FTA “The 23-year-old right-hander cemented the honor by not allowing an earned run over his last four starts and yielding only one run over his final seven outings. During that span, he went 6-0 with an 0.19 ERA, yielding 19 hits while striking out 45.” I do not know about the caliber of hitters in the AZL, and I realize he is a 23 year old college player in a league that may have quite a few younger players, but those are dominant numbers. If he does this while still recovering form TJ surgery, and his arm strength improves to the point where he again can throw in the low to mid 90’s (as he was rumored to be able to do in college), the Giants may really have something here.
The complete articles is here: http://giants.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081028&content_id=3651564&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb