ROCK HILL, SC -- Some people may say it came too soon while others believe it was about time, but what matters most is that former Winthrop Eagle pitching standout Kevin Slowey has gotten his call to the big leagues.
Slowey, who has been with Triple A Rochester, has been called up by the Minnesota Twins and will get his first Major League starting pitching assignment Friday night in Oakland when the Twins visit the Athletics at McAfee Coliseum.
"I was at our locker room at Rochester when our manager came up to me and told me I was going to Oakland," said Slowey. "I was thrilled. That’s every little kid’s dream to play in the major league. It’s just a real feeling. You don’t really know what to think or what to say."
The right-hander has posted impressive numbers this season pitching for Rochester. In nine starts, Slowey has compiled a 6-2 record with a 1.54 ERA with 57 strikeouts and only five walks.
When the Twins announced they were going to move RHP Ramon Ortiz from the starting rotation to the bullpen, Slowey’s name quickly started being mentioned among the baseball experts as the perfect match for the vacant spot. Kelsie Smith of Pioneer Press calls him “The Control Freak.”
Slowey’s ability to command the strike zone got him comparisons to former Twins control master Brad Radke, who’s now retired.
“He can throw the ball wherever he wants,” said Winthrop pitching coach Kyle DiEduardo. “He is the total package and it doesn't suprise me at all that he is doing what he is doing at the professional level. After putting up the numbers that he put up in college and throughout the minors it was only a matter of time that he got his chance.”
After leaving Winthrop in 2005, Slowey started his meteoric rise through the Twins farm system as he cruised through Single A Fort Myers notching a 4-2 record and a stunning 1.01 ERA in 89.1 innings pitched with 99 strikeouts and only nine walks. He soon moved up to Double A New Britain, where he “struggled” a little bit cracking a 4-3 mark and 3.19 ERA in 59.1 innings of work. He also helped the United States qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games as he was a member of the National Team that played in the qualifying competition in Cuba in 2006.
Arriving in Rochester, Slowey faced fierce competition as top prospects Scott Baker and Matt Garza fought for a spot in the Twins starting rotation this spring. While Baker and Garza had their first experiences among the majors last year, Slowey would only see Big Leaguers in Spring training where he amassed a 3.38 ERA in 8.0 innings with four walks and 12 strikeouts.
Back to Rochester, along with Baker and Garza, Slowey topped the team in ERA, strikeouts, WHIP and wins. These stats would make him the Twins first choice in case something happened to the Major League rotation, however, Minnesota had other plans for Slowey as it selected Baker to pitch two weeks ago when Sidney Ponson was designated for assignment. Although Baker did well, some wondered what else Slowey had to do to earn himself a spot in the Twins roster as he remained hot at the Triple A level.
The call-up finally would come after the Twins moved former starter Ortiz, who has compiled a 3-4 record with a 5.65 ERA in 57.1 innings pitched.
"The major league is the major league for a reason," said Slowey. "It will be more difficult, but I have to go out there and do the same thing I’ve been doing, try to get guys out the same way. I’m just really looking forward to it."
At Winthrop, Slowey’s name is scattered throughout the record book as he leads the all-time list for wins, strikeouts and innings pitched.
"Winthrop is just a great place to develop. The coaching staff makes sure that we develop as players," said Slowey. "Those guys are just great coaches."
Winthrop skipper Joe Hudak couldn’t be more proud of his former pupil.
"This is a very special day for Kevin Slowey. We are all so excited that Kevin will make his first start in the big leagues on Friday night. He has had a tremendous year at Rochester, and has certainly earned this opportunity. I spoke with him earlier this spring after he threw for the big league club in spring training against the Yankees. I know how excited he was then, facing Johnny Damon, Derek Jeter, and Alex Rodriguez. I can only imagine how he will feel Friday night when he throws that first pitch,” said Hudak.
“When you see one of ‘your boys’play in the show, it makes you very proud. In Kevin's case, while I am extremely proud of his accomplishments on the field, I am even prouder of the type of individual he is off the field. He is an outstanding Christian young man, who is a great ambassador for Winthrop University and our baseball program."
Although having a player pitch in the Major League is not a first for the Winthrop baseball program, (former Eagle Carl Dale pitched in four games for the Milwaukee Brewers in 1999) Slowey may be the first one to solidify Winthrop’s name among the top college recruiting programs in America.
"This is also a great moment for the Winthrop baseball program. Kevin is only the second Winthrop player to play in the major leagues,” said Hudak “It is tremendous from a public relations and recruiting standpoint for the public in general, and for recruits in particular, to see a Winthrop player playing in the big leagues. My only disappointment is that he is pitching on the West Coast and not closer to home where I could see him throw."
