By George Bremer, Herald Bulletin Sports Writer
PENDLETON — Brock Huntzinger was in Fort Myers, Fla., on Monday, but he wasn’t relaxing on the beach.
The former Pendleton Heights ace pitcher was checking in with Boston Red Sox brass as part of routine offseason procedure.
“They want to make sure we’re not getting too far out of shape,” Huntzinger said before laughing during a cell phone interview.
Boston must be pleased with what it’s seen so far. Drafted as a high school senior in the third round of the June 2007 amateur draft, Huntzinger has made slow and steady progress through the Red Sox organization.
He was 10-9 with a 4.01 ERA with the Greenville Drive of the low Class A South Atlantic League this summer, but those aren’t the numbers Boston’s front office will be focusing on.
Huntzinger threw a career-high 125 1/3 innings and posted a 3.19 strikeout-to-walk ratio (102 strikeouts, 32 walks).
“In spring training, (the Red Sox) have meetings with all of us,” he said. “They let you know what to expect, what they want each person to do. They told me they wanted me to throw 120-130 innings, somewhere in there.”
Huntzinger threw just 68 2/3 innings while carving out a 7-3 record and 3.15 ERA in 14 combined starts at short-season Lowell and Greenville in 2008. After a 5-0 start — with a 0.64 ERA — at Lowell, the 6-foot-3 right-hander wore out in an August promotion to Greenville.
This summer, however, Huntzinger felt strong throughout. He chalked that up to experience.
“I was just used to it,” he said. “I’d been through my first full season, and I knew what to expect.”
A power pitcher in high school, Huntzinger has been developing a changeup since joining the Red Sox. He’s lost a little velocity on his fastball, topping out at 92 mph in 2008 after hitting 95 as an Arabian, but Boston expects that to return as he becomes more comfortable with a change in mechanics.
His out pitch has been a biting slider that has overmatched South Atlantic League hitters. In fact, Huntzinger was named the SAL Pitcher of the Week for July 27 to Aug. 2. It’s the third time he’s won his league’s honor as a pro.
“It was a good season,” he said. “The biggest part of it was just staying healthy and putting innings on my arm.”
If his progression continues as it has the past two seasons, Huntzinger expects to open 2010 with the Salem Red Sox of the high Class A Carolina League.
He’ll begin playing catch around the first of the year and return to Fort Myers sometime in late January to prepare for spring training.
“I like to get down here a little early,” Huntzinger said. “It’s kind of hard to get out and throw (in Indiana) when it’s 20 degrees.”
His goals for next season have a similar ring.
“I want to stay healthy,” he said. “Chew up innings, I think they want me to get to 140, 150. Just get better. I have to keep learning and keep building off of last year.”
