June 26, 2008
Late Bloomer
At 28 years old, Eric Stults hadn't shown much at the major league level in his two previous seasons with the Dodgers. His minor league ERA was high, but his walk and home run totals were impressive. Wednesday night it all came together as he threw a shutout at the White Sox.
Eric Stults pitched a four hit shutout against the Chicago White Sox on June 25, 2008.
Photo: Icon SMI
Stults changed his approach this season:
Entering his seventh year of pro ball, Stults said he went into the spring understanding that time wasn't on his side.
"When you're 28, you don't think you're old, but when you're in an organization with a ton of young talent, you have to take every outing seriously," he said.
He didn't make the club out of camp, but spent his time with triple-A Las Vegas adopting a new mind-set. No more avoiding contact, he told himself. Be aggressive.
"He's got a calmness about him," Torre observed.
With an 0.60 ERA in two starts, so far it's working.
By the way, I loved him in Killing Zoe.
Posted by David Pinto at
08:27 AM
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It was really coming together for him this year, which is what made him such a good callup. A 3.59 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 67 strikeouts in 82 2/3 innings in Las Vegas (a big hitters park) were all great signs.