Rockies organization gave Ferrer big break

Jack Etkin, Rocky Mountain News

Published April 24, 2007 at midnight

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Simon Ferrer is in the Rockies organization because of assistant general manager Bill Geivett. And he's a knuckleball pitcher because of backing by members of the player development department.

Geivett played for Al Ferrer, Simon's father, who coached at UC Santa Barbara from 1980 to 1993. A nondrafted free agent, Ferrer spent two years in the Los Angeles Dodgers system after graduating from Pepperdine with a degree in communications.

The Dodgers released Ferrer on Jan. 2, 2004. Three weeks later, the Rockies signed him.

A 25-year-old utility player in 2005, Ferrer hit .209 in 191 at-bats that year at Single-A Modesto

(Calif.). The knuckleball Ferrer threw regularly playing catch with teammate Ian Stewart caught the attention of Modesto coach Glenallen Hill, now the Rockies' first base coach. Hill had Ferrer throw batting practice. That led to Ferrer pitching one scoreless inning in a loss.

Hill said he and Modesto pitching coach Butch Hughes would back Ferrer if he approached the front office about trying to become a knuckleball pitcher.

"So I called up (player development director) Marc Gustaf- son, and he said, 'Sure come to spring training, and we'll give you a shot.' "

Repertoire

Simon Ferrer's future largely hinges on his knuckleball. But Charlie Hough said any knuckleballer must "learn to throw other pitches as a defense."

• What Ferrer throws: In addition to the knuckleball, he occasionally uses a cut fastball and a slider, the latter only against right-handed hitters because it breaks away from them.

• What Ferrer says: "As a get-me- over (pitch), I'll just throw a cutter, something that's not straight as an arrow. Sometimes I'll mix in a strikeout with a slider. But I really stay away from the fastball because at most, I'll hit 80 (mph). I don't really have a feel for it."

In his own words

Hough, who had 216-216 record from 1970 to 1994, began throwing a knuckleball in Triple-A after hurting his shoulder. One year later he first pitched in the majors.

"I could throw a knuckleball right away. And I battled for 20 years trying to get it over. You never master it. A lot of people say, 'How long did it take you to master a knuckleball?' I haven't quite done it yet."

Hitter's view

New York Mets right fielder Shawn Green, 16-for-44 against Tim Wakefield with seven doubles and one home run, on hitting a knuckleball:

"Guys either love it or hate it. I've liked it more than not. I kind of took the approach, it's slow- pitch softball and just look for a ball up. You've got to know going into the game if he throws a really good one you're not going to hit it because it's going to dance. But it's a rare day when it's going all over the place; you're going to get some pitches to hit. You can't try to hit home runs either. I think some guys fall into that trap."

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