BALTIMOREIt took right-handed reliever B.J. Rosenberg a little while to figure out what was going on after the Lehigh Valley IronPigs game on Friday night, but since receiving the news, he still hasnt come back to earth.
Following Lehigh Valley's 6-5 victory over Gwinnett Friday, Rosenberg was relaxing in the trainers room and about to head home when manager Ryne Sandberg and pitching coach Rod Nichols came up with a stall tactic to keep him there.
Sandberg had Nichols on the phone and he said something about They saw that in Philly and hes acting all confused. He was like Someone was eating pizza in the bullpen? And I said that I wasnt eating pizza, Rosenberg related. Then he asked if it was Phillippe Aumont and I said nobody was eating pizza in the bullpen. Finally, he walks out and comes back and asks if they had cameras at Camden (Yards). And I said Yeah, they do. And he said that, You cant eat pizza when you are in Camden tomorrow. He had me, for sure.
And thats how the 26-year old Rosenberg got the news he was finally going to the big leagues.
Its certainly been a circuitous route for Rosenberg on his way to joining the majors. Drafted in the 13th round of the 2008 draft after his career at the University of Louisville, Rosenberg quickly climbed to Double-A before being sidetracked by a latissimus dorsi injury. In 2010, Rosenberg started in the Gulf Coast League before joining Single-A Clearwater and ending the season at Double-A Reading.
After a full season at Reading in 2011 and a start to the 2012 for the R-Phils, Rosenberg certainly wasnt expecting to be called up to the majors any time soon.
It makes it a little more special because I got hurt. I had that really good year and went to big league camp, then got hurt at spring training and that whole year was really rough, he said. But having that off-season to get better and last year, in Reading again and this year, back in Reading again. It seemed like a place that I couldnt get out of. Seriously, it felt like a pit almost. I was trying to stay positive and I knew that if I controlled myself and pitched well, anything could happen.
MLB
Thats exactly what happened. Rosenberg pitched in five games for Reading this season, compiling a 1.12 ERA with 10 strikeouts in eight innings. In 11 games following his promotion to Lehigh Valley, Rosenberg posted a 1.74 ERA with 26 strikeouts in 20 23 innings. The key to his consistency, Rosenberg said, came from attention to the mechanics of his two-seamer, four-seamer, slider and change.
Just keeping my mechanics quiet and not trying to do too much and not try to overthrow, Rosenberg said. Occassionally, Ill try to do too much, Ill overthrow and Ive paid for it. Nichols has really helped me with keeping my head straight and my mechanics simple. So far, its gone pretty good.
And because manager Charlie Manuel is looking for a righty to come out of the bullpen to get some outs, dont be surprised if Rosenberg gets thrown into battle quickly. In the meantime, he's still trying to wrap his head around his quick assent when it appeared as if he was never going to leave Reading.
Disbelief. I was in shock. It never really set in. I just sat there packing and shaking my head asking if this was really happening, Rosenberg said. I called my wife, my parents, my sister. Still, it never really hit me. It hasnt hit me yet. Its incredible and its because I wasnt expecting it. I knew I was doing well, but I wasnt really thinking about it.
E-mail John Finger at jfinger@comcastsportsnet.com