Oakland Pitcher Brad Kilby on the Fast Track
Athletics Give Young Left-Hander a Taste of the Major Leagues
"This has been the best month and four days of my life," Kilby said afterward.
The Athletics management had already decided to let members of the bullpen take their turn in the last game, a loss to the AL West Division champions Los Angeles Angels. He made the most of his appearance.
In 11 games he was 1-0 with an 0.53 ERA. He struck out 20 in 17 innings.
Triple-A Prospect
He was no stranger to the A's since joining the organization in 2005 out of San Jose State. He led the A's system with a 1.95 ERA that year and has been impressing people ever since.
"He's put good numbers up in Triple-A. I like what he's done," A's manager Bob Geren said. "He's throwing strikes, he's getting righties and lefties out. He's had minimal pitch count in innings. All those things equate to a real good reliever."
Kilby was a 29th-round pick of the A's in the 2005 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. In 45 appearances for the Sacramento Rivercats, he was 4-2 with a 2.13 ERA and two saves.
Kilby, who was considered more of an offensive threat when he played at San Jose State, will get a close look when the A's gather for spring training next February.
Had Kilby gotten his way during his final year with the Spartans, he may not be making plans for his future in the majors.
It all started innocently enough.
The Slugger and the Hurler
"When I was in high school I played in the field and I hit pretty good," Kilby said. "I got six or seven scholarship offers and about five of them were just hitters. Two wanted me for both. That's one of the reasons I chose San Jose State. They were going to give me the opportunity to do both."
His pitching success as a freshman was, to put it mildly, minimal. "I did terrible," he said.
Kilby stayed in the lineup because he could hit, and he had a strong arm when he played in the outfield.
"In my sophomore year I pitched somewhat OK," Kilby said. "Everything was so mechanical though. I didn't have near the motion I have now. I was just the guy who came set, separated and I had trouble throwing strikes."
That led to his request to vacate his spot on the pitching staff.
"Going into my junior year I told the coaches I just wanted to be a straight hitter," he said. "It wasn't fun. I didn't want to pitch anymore. They said fine."
Despite his pitching struggles, baseball scouts were drawn to him because of his throwing accuracy from the outfield. When it was suggested he incorporate that motion into his pitching motion, well, things got interesting.
Luckily he got another chance to pitch and try it out.
A Whole New Baseball Career
"In the fall, we lost three pitchers. We had 11,12 pitchers or so and we played a lot of intrasquad games and I needed to throw some innings," Kilby said. "The pitching coach worked with me for a little bit, and video taped my motion. He wanted me to work on pitching like I threw the ball from the outfield. He wanted me to have a similar motion. It went on for about a week and went from there."
He continued his dual personality as a hitter and pitcher through his senior year. He injured his right shoulder and missed a couple of weeks. By time he returned to the lineup, his hitting prowess had lessened.
"I did go 3-for-4 one time and after the game a couple of scouts talked to me and asked me what my future was: as a pitcher or a hitter," he said. "I figured it was pitching by the way they were asking me and that's how it was. I took that advice and pretty much ran with it."
Brian Burkett, who announces San Jose State baseball games, remembered his story and passed it along. Kilby was happy to recount it. After all, he ran with it all the way to the major leagues.
Brad Kilby
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