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Humber Lifewatch

TheOldMole Jun 25 2006 11:31 AM

Marty Noble: TORONTO -- In the relatively brief time Philip Humber has been in the employ of the Mets, his identity has changed -- from draft pick to prospect to pitcher to patient to what he called himself last week, "a Tommy John survivor." And now that Humber has reappeared on the club's horizon, he again qualifies for the I.D. he prefers -- pitcher. And because he does, the Mets' horizon appears a tad brighter. The now 23-year-old pitcher they selected in the first round of the 2004 amateur draft -- he was the third player selected -- threw 67 pitches in four innings Thursday, his first in-game competition since his right elbow was repaired by Dr. James Andrews on July 19, 2005. Though his appearance officially was termed "a rehab start," Humber saw it as the end of his rehabilitation and the resumption of his career. "I was competing again," he said Saturday morning. "And it felt good. I felt I was at my best." Not in terms of performance -- four runs, seven hits, a walk and seven strikeouts -- but in terms of the potential he brought to the mound. His fastball -- 91 to 94 mph -- was back, he said, as it had been before his ulnar collateral ligament betrayed him. His curve and changeup had returned too. He lacked precision, but that was to be expected after a protracted layoff. "I've never had trouble throwing strikes," Humber said. "But my pitches, the strikes, were up. "First game back, I wasn't worried about that." Or his elbow. No problems, no pain. He was on a pitch count -- 75 was his limit. "No second thoughts," he said. "I had no doubts. I wasn't afraid to let it go." The Mets have no specific plans for Humber. He said he heard unofficially he probably will be pitching in the Class A Florida State League, a significant step up from the Gulf Coast League (where he pitched on Thursday), before the summer is over. And whether he returns to the Double-A Binghamton Mets, for whom he made one start before the surgery, is not an issue for him. "I don't think I ever gave a good account of myself last year," Humber said. "Now that I'm pitching again, it really doesn't matter at what level. I just want to show what I can do now that there isn't anything holding me back."

MFS62 Jun 25 2006 04:27 PM

Those seven strikeouts show the arm is sound (knocking wood). Now its just a matter of regaining command. Later

Centerfield Jun 25 2006 07:54 PM

Cool thread. It will be fun to chart his progress.

Frayed Knot Jun 25 2006 09:41 PM

Golden Humber fills our eyes ...

heep Jul 19 2006 12:47 PM

Humber, following his solid outing last Firday in which he did not allow an earned run, is hopefully returning to form. This morning, through 5 innings, he had 9 strikeouts and let up 0 earned runs, lowering his ERA to 3.12 this year. Appears as though he is fully recovered from the Tommy John. Remember, he was selected 3rd behind Verlander's 2nd slot in 2004. Another arm for us to look forward to, he could be a competitor for the rotation in sometime in 2007.

heep Jul 19 2006 12:48 PM

also, no walks.

MFS62 Jul 19 2006 01:09 PM

Individual Pitching Stats Team League Level W L ERA G GS SV IP H R ER HR BB K HBP AVG TPA BK WP STR% GCL Mets GCL R 0 0 6.75 1 1 0 4.0 7 3 3 0 1 7 1 .389 20 0 1 --- St.Lucie Mets FSL Hi A 1 1 3.86 4 4 0 21.0 16 11 9 3 5 16 3 .208 89 0 1 --- TOTALS 1 1 4.32 5 5 0 25.0 23 14 12 3 6 23 4 .242 109 0 2 --- This looks like crap, but I don't know how to format it. But its current. Later

Nymr83 Jul 19 2006 04:28 PM

23K/6BB in 25 innings looks good. he was a bright prospect once, lets hope he regains that form.

MFS62 Jul 20 2006 09:21 AM

Thank you to the person who formatted that chart. Later

Rotblatt Jul 31 2006 01:09 PM

From BP: RHP Philip Humber, High-A St. Lucie (Mets) ]Now, if you're looking for a Florida State League comeback that's real, here you go. Humber has been receiving rave reviews of late, and he looks to be all the way back from Tommy John surgery, showing the same stuff that made him the third overall pick in 2004. On Saturday, the former Rice star struck out seven over five shutout innings, and in his last four starts, he's giving up just one earned run in 23 innings with twice as many strikeouts (22) as hits allowed (11). The Mets have no need to rush Humber; he'll likely finish the year with a handful of starts at Double-A Binghamton, where he was pitching last year when the elbow finally snapped. While mid-2007 as a date for a big league debut seemed far too optimistic a month ago, it sounds about right now. I like the idea of a young, talented duo learning from Petey & Glavine next year.

Yancy Street Gang Jul 31 2006 01:13 PM

If Glavine's still here in 2007.