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51 °F Forecast | Road Cams Saturday, May 7, 2005 Today's News | Shop Our Valley | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery | Contact Us SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend May 6, 2005 Former North Medford star Rich Dorman has won his past two starts for the Tacoma Rainiers, the Seattle Mariners� Class AAA farm team, after beginning the season 0-3. Dorman makes his pitch in pro ball The former standout catcher for North Medford has won his last two starts in the PCL By TIM TROWER Mail Tribune When standout catcher Rich Dorman left North Medford High, few would have guessed that nine years later, he’d be a pitcher on the doorstep of the big leagues. The switch from one end of the battery to the other — made late in Dorman’s college career — could not have worked out better, however. The hard-throwing right-hander is a starter for the Pacific Coast League Tacoma Rainiers, the Seattle Mariners’ Class AAA farm team. "I haven’t peaked as a pitcher," says Dorman, who has won his past two starts after beginning the season 0-3. "I’m still learning stuff every time I go out and pitch." He notched his first win last Friday, a 6-3 decision over first-place Salt Lake City. He followed up in impressive fashion with a five-inning, one-hit effort Wednesday in a 2-0 triumph over Colorado Springs. Advertisement A 6-foot-2, 210-pounder, Dorman graduated from North Medford in 1986 and was part of the star-studded Medford Mustangs American Legion team that finished second in the 1997 World Series. He caught for two years at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, then transferred to Oregon State, where it was determined he’d be better off as a pitcher than behind the plate. However, he took the mound for only a couple of innings for the Beavers before moving on and pitching at Western Baptist College in Salem his senior year. A relative novice, his arm strength allowed him to overcome unfamiliarity with the nuances of pitching. "When I started pitching, every pitch was the end of the world," says Dorman. Nevertheless, he showed enough to be selected in the 13th round of the 2000 draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. That relationship lasted only until January 2002, when Dorman was released. But he signed on with Seattle a month later and has made steady progress through the ranks. Pro ball is business, but that hardly lessened the blow when Tampa Bay, which had little invested in Dorman, cut him loose after 26 Class A starts over two seasons. "It was fairly difficult," he says. "They must have thought I wasn’t improving as fast as they liked. It’s an organization that needs players now." Upon joining the Mariners, he went to spring training early and "got going in the right direction." Once little more than a thrower, he gradually gained control of and confidence in the off-speed pitches that complement his fastball. At Class A Everett in 2002, he allowed two or fewer earned runs in 10 of his 15 starts and only two homers in 751/3 innings. He moved up to AA San Antonio early in 2004 and ended up fourth in the Texas League with 137 strikeouts, fanned 10 three times and was named the farm team’s most valuable pitcher by the Mariners. Dorman throws four- and two-seam fastballs, a curveball, slider and change-up. He’s just learning the latter and doesn’t expect to strike out many hitters with it, "but it’s a big pitch to have at the next step." Dorman’s curve is his out pitch, and when it and his other off-speed offerings weren’t clicking at season’s start, it showed up in his numbers. After three games, his ERA was a bloated 10.24, due in large part to almost one walk per inning. "You have to command all your pitches," says Dorman. "When you get stuck in a fastball count and throw your fastball, your margin for error here is not as good as in, say, A ball." That held true even in his first win last Friday. Dorman got behind in the count twice in the second inning and gave up back-to-back homers to Salt Lake City. But he allowed only one more hit through the fifth inning before coming out. "Everything is starting to come together now," says Dorman. "You’d like to have it all once you get out of spring training, but you can’t have everything." There was further evidence he’s on the right track Wednesday, when he stymied Colorado Springs. He struck out four and walked three in lowering his ERA to 6.41. "He’s made a nice adjustment as far as throwing strikes and using all of his pitches in the strike zone," says Tacoma manager Dan Rohn. "He was a little tentative at first because he didn’t trust what he was doing." Whether Dorman makes it all the way to the majors, "Time will tell," says Rohn. "He’s young, pitching-wise, but his last two outings were very good." Dorman was on the verge of pitching against big-league competition in spring training, going to "about four or five games," he says. But the circumstances didn’t allow him to get in. He hopes to get a taste of the big time before the season runs its course. "This year will tell a lot about myself and the stuff I have," he says. "It’s a good test for me." And he’s starting to make the grade. Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 776-4479, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Free Music Downloads Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg diamonds Distance Education Diamonds Paris Hilton Online Poker Auto Insurance Mesothelioma Slippers Student Loans Tatoo tcg student loan consolidation teleconferencing Website Design & Marketing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoos Mortgage Calculator Free Home-Loan Referrals Payday Loans Advertisement s