Faces on the Field: Rider's Kevin Barry (Atlanta Braves) By: Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com
05/30/2006 11:04 AM ET
Faces on the Field: Kevin Barry
Atlanta Braves prospect shows his worth as a starter for Richmond
By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com
It may not seem as if the folks in Atlanta are aware of what Kevin Barry is doing, but they are.
While Barry may not be a high-profile prospect on the order of Anthony Lerew, Chuck James or Beau Jones, the Braves hierarchy knows full well that Barry has been dominating this season at Triple-A Richmond. So much so that the former 14th-round pick may finally get his wish this summer and get a chance to pitch in the Major Leagues.
The 27-year-old right-hander had strong numbers during his three years in Atlanta's system after he was drafted out of Rider University in New Jersey in 2001. Barry was 19-13 with a 2.72 ERA in 212 games heading into this season; numbers that some would say would be more than enough to garner a long look from front office types.
But after spending almost all of his time coming out of the bullpen - the Braves finally decided to try him out as a starter late last season upon his arrival in Richmond - Barry has blossomed this season in the rotation. He started eight of the first 11 games in which he appeared this season, and though he was only 2-1 in those games (he's 3-3 overall), his effectiveness can't be questioned.
Barry's ERA as a starter this season is 1.75 (2.04 overall). The opposition, which is hitting .214 against him overall, is managing only a .194 average against him when he starts. His strikeout-to-walk ratio as a starter is 42-to-16 and he recently completed a stretch in which he pitched 27 consecutive scoreless innings, only three of which came as a reliever. Barry has also allowed only one run in his last 35 innings.
"He's doing an exceptional job," Atlanta's assistant general manager Dayton Moore said. "Everyone is noticing, and he's not under the radar. As Kevin continues to be successful, everyone continues to monitor him and we certainly know he's gathering steam, opening eyes and making believers of people.
"Bill Fischer, our pitching coordinator, and the staff at Richmond are saying wonderful things about him. I'm happy for him because he's worked hard to overcome a lot. He was a late-round pick, he didn't get a lot of money to sign and he had to prove himself at every level. Ultimately he believed in himself."
The Braves decided to give Barry some starts last season when he was promoted to Richmond with the idea that the extra work would allow him to hone the command on his low 90s fastball and become more consistent with his slider. One Major League scout who saw him last year before he moved into the rotation said, at the time that his fastball was "pretty true, not much movement."
Barry responded to the challenge, though, and worked on his command and the results were evident quickly as he posted a 3-1 mark with a 1.65 ERA in eight starts. The opposition hit .167 against him during that stretch and now it seems as if a starter was born.
Despite his newfound success, Barry isn't certain his future lies in the rotation. But he has stretched out his arm and gained more arm strength with every start so the club now has the option of using him in either role.
"Obviously I'm still learning how to be a pitcher," said Barry, whose career batting average against is .205. "I'm learning not to just throw the ball over the plate. But my arm strength is there now, and I can go over 100 pitches. To start and go six or seven innings and be a workhorse, I enjoy that. I like looking over scouting reports and seeing what hitters are doing. It's like a chess match."
Whether he will he be able to take that game to Atlanta or be check-mated in Richmond is the big question, one that Barry can't answer.
"It's a business, and I have no control over who is sent up or down," he said. "The only thing I can control is what I do on the field. That's going to give me my best shot. The Braves are a first-class organization and have been straight shooters with me.
"And I have to take this positively. Not everyone gets the opportunity to do this, and it can all be gone in the flip of a switch. You can blow out a shoulder or an arm so you take everything as positively as you can and just be thankful you've been healthy for most of your career."
Barry has been healthy and pitching well. And now people, all the way to Atlanta, are noticing.
Kevin Czerwinski is a reporter for MLB.com.
