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LALUNA'S FRESH ARM EXCITES TIGERS
Bob Hirschfield, the New York Institute of Technology baseball coach, had a dilemma throughout the 2008 season: His starting shortstop, Michael LaLuna, also happened to be one of his best pitchers.
LaLuna could throw the ball 91 miles per hour -- from shortstop to first base. He had even better velocity (average of 92, peak of 94) off the mound. But when he went in to pitch, the team's defense was not the same. So, he pitched only 18 innings. Hirschfield could not afford to have him pitch more. And believe it or not, the Tigers -- who recently signed LaLuna to a minor league contract -- might be the biggest beneficiaries of that decision.
"I don't regret not being a pitcher, because it really did save my arm," LaLuna said in a recent telephone interview. "My arm was never abused. It's still fresh. That's a plus for me."
Because of his inexperience on the mound, LaLuna, a native of Commack, N.Y., was not selected in June's amateur draft. But he was intent on pursuing a career in baseball and attended the Indy Pro Showcase at Novi Detroit Catholic Central later that month.
Nick Belmonte, the longtime talent evaluator who runs the tryout, noticed LaLuna's talent right away. Belmonte helped place the right-hander with the Sussex Skyhawks of the Can-Am League. As a fulltime pitcher, LaLuna went 2-1 with a 2.79 ERA in 26 games.
At the end of the season, J.J. Cooper of Baseball America ranked LaLuna as the No. 1 unsigned prospect in the independent leagues. In his report, Cooper wrote: "LaLuna is proof that every now and then a legitimate prospect will come walking in off the street."
Belmonte watched LaLuna pitch for Sussex near the end of the season and believed he had never seen a rookie-level pitcher generate so many swings-and-misses with a fastball. Afterward, Belmonte called a friend he has known for years: Tigers assistant general manager Al Avila.
"He knows talent," Avila said of Belmonte. "I can trust him. If he calls me up and says, 'This is a guy you need to look at,' then I'll look into it. That's what good contacts are for."
Avila acted quickly. By the end of that day, LaLuna was a Tiger.
"He's absolutely a prospect," Avila said. "He's young. He has the arm, the athleticism. Basically, he's learning how to pitch."
Story from: Detroit Free Press, Jon Paul Morosi |
