It is often said that baseball is a nomad's life. The organization that signs you will dispatch you to various parts of North America where you could find yourself thousands of miles away from home, friends and family. It is very rare for a player to be able to live at home while he plays ball. Toronto's Jesse Litsch was one of those rare players.
Litsch was born on March 9th, 1985 in St. Petersburg, Florida and grew up living in Dunedin in the Blue Jays spring training backyard. "When I was a kid I would go to Dunedin Blue Jay games with my dad, or Devil Ray games, the park was right there. " When Litsch was sent to Dunedin to start this season he didn't have to go far. "Sleeping in your own bed is great. But I like getting out, I like exploring, and this (Manchester) looks like a nice city. I have only been here for three days and on the road for four, but I'd rather be here than Dunedin."
Litsch was drafted by the Jays in the 24th round of the 2004 draft as a draft and follow and he signed with the Jays in 2005 out of South Florida Junior College. It wasn't a hard decision for Litsch. "I was ready to sign, if all the details (contract) could be worked out. I had a scholarship to the University of Alabama, and I could have gone there, but I was ready to start my professional career."
The Jays were careful with Litsch last year, making sure he wasn't overworked. "I threw over 100 innings in college last season, plus what I threw in extended spring training. All together I would say I threw over 200 innings last year, plus I played third base in college so that was more strain on my arm too."
In 2005 Litsch made 11 starts for Pulaski with a 2.74 ERA before being promoted to Auburn for the end of the season and the playoffs. Litsch made three starts for the Doubledays and had a 3.60 ERA. Jesse was promoted to Dunedin to start 2006, which was aggressive as the normal path for Litsch would have been to go to Lansing. "I was expecting whatever, I had no clue what was going to happen. I was ready for anything, I just played my role, went to spring training in good shape and did pretty well there and that helped me out I guess."
Litsch started well in Dunedin but improved as the season progressed. In his first nine starts Litsch allowed 59 hits in 48.2 innings. In his next six starts Litsch gave up 32 hits in 40 innings. Litsch knows what made the difference. "Me and Darold Knowles, our pitching coach in Dunedin, figured out that I would get to the fifth or sixth inning, six starts in a row, and then my pitches would start to come up, to waist level, and that balls easy to hit, and my ball wouldn't have as much movement. We figured out that I was throwing too much between starts so we cut down on that and I've done that ever since and it's been working pretty well for me."
That change earned Litsch a promotion to AA and a chance to go after some better hitters and Litsch has noticed a difference already. "The hitters are more patient, it's not as easy to put batters away, strikeout wise, you get 0 and 2 on them and they're going to battle, they foul pitches away. I had a guy in my last start at 2-2 who fouled off eight pitches in a row and I ended up walking him. You can't give in, you have to throw your game."
Like all pitchers Litsch continues to work, trying to get better. "I am working with my fastball, it cuts, working with my sinker, curve, change, slider, just be able to throw any of them when I need it."
Litsch stayed in Dunedin long enough to help them win a first half title. "It was a lot of fun, we had champagne in the dressing room, it was definitely a treat. I had the chance to do it last year too in Auburn and I would like to pull something out and do it here."
Thanks to Jesse Litsch for his time and best wishes for the rest of the season.
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20060717210519201