Etkin: Fowler looks to be center fielder of the future

Friday, August 11, 2006

Picture a switch-hitter center fielder for the Rockies, an exciting player with across-the-board tools. That player would excel on defense, a necessity at Coors Field, and be able to hit for average, steal bases and have a reasonable amount of power.

The Rockies believe they have just that player in Dexter Fowler. At 20, he’s the youngest position player at low Single-A Asheville, where he is doing quite well in his first full professional season. Fowler is hitting .285 with six homers and 35 RBI in 79 games. His output also includes 23 doubles, five triples and 34 stolen bases in 54 attempts.

Admittedly, the depths of the minors are a light year from the big leagues, so it could be three years and, say, sometime in 2009 before Fowler is ready for the majors. But regardless of the exact timing, the 6-foot-5 Fowler is a special talent and astute enough to balance the wonderful possibilities in his future with the business at hand.

"I always keep my eye on the big picture," Fowler said. "I’m really trying to concentrate right now just on getting better day-to-day and just slowly working my way on up."

Fowler didn’t start switch-hitting until the Rockies instructional league program in 2004, which was his introduction to the organization. He didn’t play professionally that year, signing that year on Aug. 17. About two weeks earlier, the Rockies traded Larry Walker to St. Louis. That deal freed up money and enabled the Rockies to sign Fowler, who had a full baseball scholarship to the University of Miami, for $925,000. He fell to the 14th round because clubs assumed he was going to college.

At Rookie Casper last season, Fowler hit .273-4-23 with 18 stolen bases in 62 games and was compared to Devon White. At the time, Fowler knew nothing about White, a three-time All-Star who won seven Gold Gloves and had 13 seasons with double-figure home run totals before finishing his career in 2001 with 208 homers and 346 stolen bases.

White is a figure of the past to Fowler but no longer a complete mystery.

"I saw one of his cards," Fowler said. "His stats were off the charts. I’m pretty ecstatic that they’ve been comparing me to him."

Asheville manager Joe Mikulik called Fowler "the most athletic guy I’ve had here in seven years. I haven’t had that type of athlete as far as the height, 6-5, the speed, the range and the arm strength."

A natural right-handed hitter, Fowler has made great progress from the left side. Jimmy Johnson, the Rockies roving hitting coordinator, said Fowler’s left-handed swing, stance and balance are better left-handed because he has been molded and developed from that side from scratch, beginning in the instructional league two years ago, and didn’t have to break any bad habits.

Still, a player beginning to switch-hit at the outset of his professional career is getting a late start. So Fowler deserves plenty of credit for his progress.

"He works very hard at it," Johnson said.

Fowler is hitting .287 (64-for-223) left-handed with 14 doubles, four triples, four homers, 24 RBI and 23 strikeouts. Batting right-handed, Fowler is averaging .282 (29-for-101) with nine doubles, one triple, two homers, 11 RBI and 10 strikeouts.

He homered from each side of the plate on Opening Day but has since hit four homers. Mikulik said Fowler’s power will develop later, calling attention to the fact he’s just 20.

"When he fills out and gets stronger," Mikulik said, "I think there’s going to be a lot of power there."

While Mikulik was serving a seven-game suspension beginning June 27, Johnson managed the Tourists. That period coincided with the return of Fowler, who sprained his left ankle May 25 — he rolled his ankle when he stole second base standing up, making the mistake of not sliding — and returned June 30.

"I remember I was taking over for Mikulik," Johnson said, "and he just came back from his ankle (injury). Right-handed, first time up, he hit one into the night. I mean, it disappeared fast.

"He’s got power. We need to put some meat on those bones, but he’s got a lot of strength. He’s an exciting guy. He’s a prototype center fielder because he’s going to have size, speed, power, range, arm (strength). He’s got it all. He makes center field look very easy."

Fowler has batted leadoff for the Tourists. His natural instinct is not to take pitches — Fowler has 323 at-bats and 32 walks. That skill will come with experience, Johnson said, as will Fowler’s bunting, which he has worked diligently on this season.

Like any young player, particularly one in his first full professional season, Fowler is learning plenty. That includes a hard lesson about being focused and always ready to play. On May 6, a Saturday night, the Tourists were playing at home, arriving early that morning after playing the night before in Rome, Ga. A tired Fowler walked in the bottom of the first and was picked off by the catcher.

"There was no sense of urgency, for me," Mikulik said. "I’m watching him, and it was kind of like he was caught in between and he was out. I kind of watched him in center field and he didn’t move on a couple balls hit to right field, so I made a decision to pull him out of the game. And he understood totally."

Mikulik pinch hit for Fowler in the bottom of the second. Just to make sure his message sunk in, Mikulik didn’t play Fowler on Sunday or Monday.

"Sometimes you just got to reel him back in and get him right back on track," Mikulik said. "What a great kid, though. He didn’t fight the system or anything. He understood."

Fowler, who thanked Mikulik for disciplining him, said, "It’s definitely a learning experience. It won’t happen again. I told him, ‘Man, I didn’t know exactly what I was thinking. I just got lazy.’ "

Triple-A: Colorado Springs

Denny Bautista (0-0, 0.00) gave up three hits in six scoreless innings with four walks and nine strikeouts in his Sky Sox debut Sunday. He was acquired July 31 from Kansas City with left-handed reliever Jeremy Affeldt for first baseman Ryan Shealy and reliever Scott Dohmann. Kansas City pitching coach Bob McClure said Bautista, who because of right shoulder tendinitis pitched just 48 2/3 innings last year, including 35 for Kansas City, has "got a chance to be really good." Bautista, who turns 26 on Aug. 23, easily throws 94 mph with his fastball and gets that pitch up to 98 mph. McClure said he was trying to get Bautista to back off to 92-95 mph, so his command would improve. Bautista’s slider can be very good, and his curveball is inconsistent, McClure said. Getting Bautista to keep from opening the lower half of his body too soon and putting strain on his arm, will be imperative. "There’s a heck of an upside with this kid," McClure said, "and a lot of it is because of the type of kid he is. He’s a very hard worker." ... During his 10-game hitting streak, outfielder Ryan Spilborghs (.338-5-34) has gone 20-for-45 with four doubles and seven RBI, raising his average to the highest it has been since April 20 (.345) ... Catcher Chris Iannetta (.367-2-13) has hit in eight of his past nine games, going 13-for-32 with four doubles and seven RBI. Since making his Sky Sox debut June 26, Iannetta has hit .381-1-6 at home and .348-1-7 on the road. He last homered July 4 ... For the first time all season, first baseman Carlos Rivera (.345-9-61) went hitless in three straight games, going 0-for-12 on Sunday through Tuesday. That inevitable dip came after Rivera hit .386-3-19 in July and began August by going 12-for-18 ... After going 2-for-37, center fielder Jeff Salazar was hitting .231 on July 29. Salazar (.252-6-26) has since gone 14-for-38 with four doubles, two triples, three homers and four RBI ... Outfielder Sean Barker (.267-7-35) has gone 9-for-25 with one triple, two homers and eight RBI since he returned July 31. Barker missed 21 games after injuring his right shoulder July 6 while crashing into the wall and making a spectacular catch at Salt Lake ... The Sky Sox have won seven of their past nine games, a stretch that includes six victories by two or fewer runs.

Double-AA: Tulsa

First baseman Joe Koshansky (.297-29-100) on Wednesday became the first minor leaguer to reach 100 RBI when he homered twice and drove in three runs. It was the fourth two-homer game this season for Koshansky, who needs four homers and six RBI to become the Drillers’ all-time leader in those categories ... During his 19-game hitting streak that ended when he pinch hit Tuesday, third baseman Ian Stewart (.282-9-61) went 28-for-80 with 10 doubles, two triples, two homers, 13 RBI and 16 runs scored ... With 40 doubles, right fielder Seth Smith (.294-13-59) has set a Rockies Double-A record. Danny Sandoval had 37 doubles for Tulsa in 2004 ... Catcher Alvin Colina (.263-10-38) has taken advantage of the opportunity to play regularly in the wake of Chris Iannetta’s promotion to Colorado Springs. Colina has raised his average from .232 on July 10 by hitting safely in 17 of his past 19 games — one of those hitless games came as a pinch hitter — and going 27-for-81 with six doubles, one triple, four homers and 12 RBI ... Outfielder Matt Miller (.179-0-4) has gone 5-for-28 in 10 games with Tulsa after hitting .323-12-77 in 92 games with Modesto and .333-0-3 in eight games with Colorado Springs ... After getting hit on the left hand with a pitch and missing a week, shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (.299-11-51) has gone 6-for-17 with four doubles and hit safely in four straight games after returning Sunday ... Closer Jim Miller (0-3, 4.64 with six saves) has been scored on in seven of his past 10 and nine of his past 14 games ... Backup catcher Tino Sanchez (.340-2-17), who is 27 and in his third tour with the Rockies organization, has 17 RBI in 14 games, thanks to two five RBI games July 22 and July 31.

High Single-A: Modesto

Samuel Deduno (4-7, 3.79) broke a six-game losing streak and won Tuesday for the first time in 12 starts since May 31. Deduno, who has pitched 121 innings, leads the California League with 150 strikeouts, and is second with 69 walks. Modesto left-hander Franklin Morales (7-9, 4.06), who has pitched 122 innings, is second in the league in strikeouts (135) and first in walks (72) ... Closer Matt Daley (4-3, 2.88 with 10 saves) has made 10 consecutive scoreless appearances, each lasting one inning, and allowed four hits and three walks in that stretch with 13 strikeouts and eight saves ... Since his last loss June 23, Ching-Lung Lo (9-3, 4.78) is 4-0, 4.65 in eight starts with 13 walks, 56 strikeouts and 48 hits allowed in 50 1/3 innings ... Shortstop Jonathan Herrera (.307-4-57) has nearly as many walks (52) as strikeouts (55) and went hitless in consecutive games Tuesday and Wednesday for the first time since he went hitless in three straight games June 22-24 ... Second baseman Corey Wimberly (.320-1-18) has hit in 16 of his past 17 games, including a 14-game hitting streak that ended Tuesday. During those 17 games, Wimberly, the Nuts leadoff hitter, has gone 25-for-69 with one double, one triple, 13 stolen bases — including five on July 23 — and 20 runs ... After falling to 11-23 in the second half and 45-58 overall, the Nuts have won 10 of their past 13 games, including five of eight decided by two or fewer runs.

Low Single-A: Asheville

Outfielder Cole Garner (.292-15-64) is leading the South Atlantic League with 84 runs scored, which is rather remarkable since he has 113 strikeouts in 390 at-bats, or one every 3.45 at-bats ... Third baseman Phillip Cuadrado (.302-12-73) was hitting .264 at the end of June but has since gone 44-for-120 (.367) with seven homers and 34 RBI ... After being scored on in four consecutive games July 14-22, closer Andrew Johnston (0-3, 3.00 with 19 saves) has made nine appearances, seven of them scoreless, and has allowed two runs and nine hits in 8 2/3 innings in that stretch with no walks and six strikeouts. Johnston has allowed just four walks in 36 innings this season ... Second baseman Eric Young Jr. (.278-5-40) has raised his average from .251 at the end of June by going 45-for-135 (.333). Young has been successful on his six stolen base attempts this month, giving him 75 stolen bases in 102 attempts ... In a win at home Tuesday, Alan Johnson (11-5, 4.26) allowed one run in eight innings, equaling his season high. Johnson also threw eight innings June 5 at Kannapolis. Johnson is third in the league in innings pitched (139 1/3) and tied for third in wins.

Short-season single-A: Tri-City

Closer William Harris (1-1, 1.50) gave up one run and three walks in 1 2/3 innings while taking the loss Monday in a 3-2 defeat in 10 innings against Everett. Before that game, Harris had allowed three walks in 16 1/3 innings in 10 outings, nine of them scoreless ... Sean Jarrett (3-0, 1.40) has allowed six walks in 25 2/3 innings with 29 strikeouts. Jarrett has made six consecutive scoreless appearances covering 9 2/3 innings, allowing three hits and two walks in that stretch with 11 strikeouts. Jarrett was taken in the 20th round of this year’s draft out of Oral Roberts. He played there with backup catcher Brian Aguailar (.365-0-2), who was not drafted and has had five two-hit games and two three-hit games while hitting safely in 10 of 13 games ... Despite being winless in eight starts, Josh Sullivan (0-3, 2.34) has the third-lowest ERA in the Northwest League while allowing 30 hits in 42 1/3 innings, holding opposing hitters to a .190 average and averaging 9.35 strikeouts and 2.34 walks per nine innings. Sullivan pitched a professional-high seven innings Monday and gave up two runs, leaving a tie game the Dust Devils lost 3-2 in 10 innings ... Andrew Graham (2-0, 2.32) has not allowed a run in 17 innings in his past three starts and has been scored on in one of five starts. After going 0-0, 7.94 in five relief appearances, Graham is 1-0, 1.07 as a starter, allowing four runs, three earned, in 25 1/3 innings ... Left-handed reliever Tommy Baumgardner (1-0, 1.08 with one save) has made eight straight scoreless appearances covering 10 innings. He has allowed two hits and one walk in that span with eight strikeouts. Overall this season, Baumgardner, who was drafted in the 28th round out of the University of Mississippi in June, has six walks and 25 strikeouts in 16 2/3 innings, while holding opposing hitters to a .167 (10-for-60) average.

Rookie: Casper

In 47 innings, Brandon Hynick (4-2, 2.11) has six walks and 53 strikeouts, which is third in the Pioneer League, in 47 innings. In his past four starts, Hynick has gone 2-0, 0.81 with one walk and 37 strikeouts in 22 1/3 innings. Hynick’s 2.11 ERA is second in the league ... Outfielder David Christensen (.212-3-15), who is 18 and a definite prospect, is leading the league with 62 strikeouts, an average of one every 2.42 at-bats ... Robinson Fabian (3-1, 4.12) went into his start Thursday having allowed no runs and three hits in 11 innings in his previous two starts ... Infielder Radames Nazario (.206-0-6), a gifted defensive player who turned 19 in June, has two extra-base hits, both doubles, in 102 at-bats. Last year at Casper, Nazario hit .225-0-12 in 56 games with five doubles and one triple in 182 at-bats.

etkinj@RockyMountainNews.com