Apr 04 2011 05:50 AM
From: Akron, Ohio.
Born: March 15, 1988.
Birth date karma: None, but shares birthday with several famous Greek sportsmen and Bobby Bonds.
High School: Firestone.
College: Embry-Riddle (NAIA), Ohio Dominican.
Bats: Right, Throws: Right
Height: 6' 3", Weight: 220 lb.
Nickname: "Count John"
Girlie: Unknown
Real parents: Demetrios & Noula (married 31 years)
Speaks street: Greek and Spanish.
Describes himself as: "a power finesse pitcher".
Drafted: 19th round in 2010 (572nd overall); Drafted by the Indians in 2009 (42nd round (1,265th overall pick), but didn't sign.
Reaction when drafted: "I’m on cloud nine. In my mind it’s part of the American dream. It’s just a hell of a feeling to know that I can still go on after college and put on the cleats and go play. That’s the best feeling, knowing that I can keep on with my career.”
Mother's reaction when drafted: "My Baby Boy just got drafted by the New York Mets Yeah!!!"
On being drafted by the Mets: Not really surprised because he attended Mets draftee camp and "did really well there".
Professional role-model: John Smoltz. Modelled his delivery on him.
Growing up supported: The Injuns.
Social networking: None found.
CPF poster likely to provide the greatest indignation: Fman99.
The high school & college years:
Over his high school career Kountis gathered school records in both strikeouts and wins and was named to three Akron All-City and All-District first teams.
Kountis spent the 2007-08 seasons with the Ohio Dominican Panthers where he recorded an ERA of 1.49 as a freshman and an overall record of 20-9 where batters hit .204, .245, and .255 in 2007, 2008, and 2009 respectively.
In 88.0 innings of work during his 2010 season with the Eagles Kountis went 7-4 with 90 strikeouts and a meager 31 walks. Kountis faced off against 349 batters that year surrendering 32 earned runs to amass an ERA of 3.27. Ranked 4th by BA among peers.
2010 Stats:
| Team | Level | W | L | W-L% | ERA | G | GS | GF | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | IBB | SO | HBP | BK | WP | BF | WHIP | H/9 | HR/9 | BB/9 | SO/9 | SO/BB |
| Kingsport | Rookie | 0 | 1 | 0.000 | 4.35 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20.2 | 21 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 94 | 1.500 | 9.1 | 1.3 | 4.4 | 7.0 | 1.60 |
| Brooklyn | A- | 1 | 1 | 0.500 | 5.95 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19.2 | 23 | 14 | 13 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 95 | 1.881 | 10.5 | 0.9 | 6.4 | 10.5 | 1.64 |
The good: Solid delivery (modelled on John Smoltz case you missed it the first time). Fastball peaked in the mid-90's, and is consistently in the 92-93 mph range when he brings his A-game. Slider has the potential to be a dominant out-pitch. Whiff rate is fantastic.
The bad: Tends to struggle with command, and when behind in the pitch count lets up on fastball in an effort to throw strikes—and gets hit.
The ugly: Walkies (was never a problem at college where scouting reports say he was throwing harder.)
Best moment in 2010: 6-innings, 2-hit shutout in Verrazano-Narrows Bridge Series (aka Single A Subway series) after walking 3 out of the first 4 hitters faced, in a game the Cyclones ultimately lost.
Sounds like: the kinda pitcher the Omar administration went barmy over.
In 2011:
[list][*]Needs to find his command or else DePodesta's gonna toss him like a Greek salad. [/*:m]
[*]Need needs to work on his change-up which, by his own admission, is nearly indistinguishable from his slider (82-83 mph).[/*:m]
[*]Will probably start the season in Savannah. [/*:m][/list:u]
By the numbers: 23 (Kingsport), 22, 45 (Brooklyn), 42 (Embry).
Cheese:
