Jul 11 2005 12:00 PM
| ]Reminiscent of Sid Mets prospect Petit sneaky fast, prompts images of Fernandez BY KEN DAVIDOFF STAFF CORRESPONDENT July 11, 2005 DETROIT -- Yusmeiro Petit threw just nine pitches yesterday, and the fastest registered at 91 mph on the Comerica Park radar gun. Yet the Mets' top pitching prospect cruised through his one inning of work, generating a trio of pop flies against three of his fellow highly regarded youngsters. It's that success, those fly balls and a noticeable gut that explain why Baseball America has referred to the 20-year-old as "a righthanded Sid Fernandez." "It's OK," the Venezuelan said of the comparison after the annual All-Star Futures Game in which the World team defeated the United States, 4-0. "No problem." It would be no problem for the Mets, either, given the success that Fernandez had in blue and orange. Although Fernandez's superiors often lamented that he didn't keep himself in better shape, they also marveled at how his delivery fooled opposing batters so often. The same goes for Petit, listed as 6 feet and 180 pounds (he seems bigger), who has a 3-2 record, 2.97 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 66 2/3 innings for Double-A Binghamton. "He kind of pushes the ball out of his uniform, and it's on top of it [the plate] before you know it," said Dan Warthen, the pitching coach for the Mets' Triple-A Norfolk affiliate, who has worked extensively with Petit in spring training and worked for the World team yesterday. "So that 91 looks like 94 or 95." Padres prospect Josh Barfield, who popped out to second base against Petit, didn't find the righthander's delivery particularly deceptive. Said Barfield: "He has a real good changeup, and he works fast." Signed as an international free agent in 2001, Petit has climbed the Mets' ladder with few problems; he also pitched in last year's Futures Game. His 200 strikeouts last year, compiled for Class A Capital City, Class A St. Lucie and Binghamton, ranked second overall in the minor leagues. That explains how he climbed from Baseball America's 28th-ranked Mets prospect to No. 2 in one year. In the wake of Petit's winter work in Venezuela, the Mets have had him on a strict pitch count. But Petit said yesterday, "In the second half, I'm ready to throw a lot of innings." Warthen said all the righthander needs to work on now is "experience. Just continue to pitch. Use his changeup and slider a little bit more, which the organization is encouraging. But right now, the guy locates, he's got a good feel for pitching. He recognizes what hitters are trying to do. It's nice to see at a young age, a pitcher who is a true pitcher." The Mets' top-ranked prospect, outfielder Lastings Milledge, also played in the Futures Game and grounded out to shortstop in his lone at-bat for the U.S. club. Milledge's pro career began in ugly fashion, as a report surfaced of inappropriate sexual behavior in high school. But nothing was ever substantiated, and the Mets' 2003 first-round draft pick said, "It's something that's forgotten." He hit .302 with a .385 on-base percentage for St. Lucie in the first half, and he said yesterday that he'll begin the second half with Binghamton. "I'm definitely happy with how things are going right now," said Milledge, 20. "I've still got a lot of work. A lot more steps to go." |
