Tuesday, Jul. 29, 2008

Top pick Friedrich finds his footing with Dust Devils

Jack Millikin, Herald staff writer

Christian Friedrich understands pressure. He's been through it before. Friedrich -- a highly touted pitcher out of Eastern Kentucky -- was projected to go as early as the ninth pick in the 2008 First-Year Player Draft, and his potential made him prime fodder for the always-hungry machine that is today's sports media.

"I kept waking up every hour the day before the draft," Friedrich said. "Finally, I got up at 4 a.m. I just couldn't fall asleep. I started playing video games, talking with my dad, cleaning up around the house -- anything I could do to keep it off my mind."

The Colorado Rockies finally selected the 6-foot-4 southpaw with the 25th overall selection, easing his anxiety and allowing him to begin thinking about his future as a professional. Friedrich signed within two weeks and received a $1.35 million signing bonus.

"I wanted to get out here and get playing," he said. "I didn't want to be sitting down too long. It's just easier on me than the whole process of trying to bargain for more money.

"It was a huge weight off my shoulders. After the (2007) draft, all of us in the Cape Cod League were thinking about the next one, because it was our class that would be drafted. I'd been thinking about it since that day."

But any draft-day pressure he might have felt didn't come close to preparing him for his first start in a Tri-City Dust Devils uniform.

For starters, a heavy -- almost violent -- wind was blowing out to left field, a treacherous thing for a left-handed pitcher about to face a bevy of right-handed batters. On that day, a bowling ball just might have carried out of Gesa Stadium if you got it up high enough.

Also, the occasion drew plenty of attention from the Tri-Cities media. But Dust Devils pitching coach Dave Schuler, a former major league reliever with 16 years of coaching experience behind him, helped keep the moment in perspective.

"All the cameras were coming around before the game, and he just told me to relax," Friedrich said. "He said, 'It doesn't matter if you give up five homers in an inning. You'll still be out there in five days throwing again.' "

Friedrich didn't give up a home run that day, but he didn't get off to the start he was hoping for. In his first two starts with Tri-City, the 2008 Ohio Valley Conference pitcher of the year had a 10.50 ERA and had allowed 10 hits and four walks through six innings.

"I wasn't getting ahead in counts. My first-pitch strike percentage was way down from what it usually is," he said. "I was getting behind batters. When I finally did get back in the zone, the ball was right there and they were sitting dead red fastball."

So Schuler did the simple, and wise, thing. Slowly and gradually, he helped Friedrich grow comfortably into his role instead of adding to the already sky-high expectations that usually accompany a first-rounder.

A college pitcher used to throwing once a week needs time to adjust to the professional grind of throwing every five days with bullpen sessions in between.

"It's more like you have to learn to put on the full armor," Schuler said. "The weight lifting, the bus rides, the bad food, the roomates. And the talent level is more equal here than in college. There's a lot more you have to do. It takes a while to get that perspective."

It didn't take long before Friedrich put a few new tricks in his bag to go with his fastball that reaches the low 90s and a devastating curve.

"I have a terrible, horrendous pickoff move. I'd say that's my biggest weak point," Friedrich said. "We worked on it for one day. I started throwing like that and picked off a guy for the first time in five years."

In his last two starts, Friedrich has flashed the kind of potential that made him a No. 1 pick. On July 20, he allowed just two hits and one unearned run in five innings while striking out eight batters in a 5-4 win over Eugene.

On Friday, he picked up his first professional win -- a 6-1 victory over Vancouver -- tossing five shutout innings with eight more strikeouts. He fired first-pitch strikes to 16 of the first 19 batters and retired 11 in a row at one point.

"I've felt pretty comfortable in all my starts, but the ball was flying out of my hand in my first one," he said. "Tonight, I was getting on top of the ball every time."

He's been an ideal teammate, praising the defense behind him and acknowledging the help from others to ease his transition into pro ball.

"He's been easy to work with. Very coachable," said catcher Johnny Bowden, who has noticed a particular difference when working with Friedrich. "He's got a live arm. It's almost like the ball explodes at the last second.

"Some guys have it, and some guys don't. He's a premier player."