New Haven’s Marrero pitching well in Cardinals system
Andrew Marrero’s professional career got off to a bit of a “wild” start last summer.
Fresh off his sophomore season at UConn, the New Haven product was drafted in the 18th round of the MLB draft by St. Louis and reported to the Cardinals’ spring training facilities in Jupiter, Fla. He began his career with the Class A Palm Beach Cardinals and struggled with his command — walking 14 batters in 131⁄3 innings.
Blame the umps, right? Nah, they’re only human. Or are they? Not necessarily in the Florida State League, which began using an automated ball-strike system (ABS) last season. Although an umpire was situated behind the plate, balls and strikes were determined by the Hawk-Eye tracking system.
It certainly had an effect on young pitchers entering the league straight out of college, like Marrero.
“That was a big deal for me,” Marrero recalled. “I’m more of ‘hit my spots outside,’ (do) whatever I can do to try to rob a strike and have an umpire make a call. It was a lot different. I felt like I adjusted to it more, and I didn’t let that affect me as much later on.”
Armed with a fastball in the mid-90s and his best pitch, a devastating slider, Marrero still struck out 22 batters in those 131⁄3 innings, though he wound up with a 10.13 ERA. The pride of Wilbur Cross High returned home for the winter and worked out diligently with his trainer, Roberto Mena, at Over The Top Athletes in North Haven. He arrived at his first spring training in January in great shape, and he threw the ball very well in spring training and into his first full season back with Palm Beach.
Through Thursday, the 5-foot-10, 195-pound righthander had posted a respectable 4.15 ERA over 82⁄3 innings, striking out 10. Opposing batters were hitting a mere .194 off Marrero. The 10 walks were still too high. But then, ABS hasn’t gone away — even if it has been rejiggered a bit.
This season, the automated strike zone is used fully on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. On Thursdays through Sundays, a challenge system is used with the umpire making calls, to be upheld or overturned by ABS. Teams can challenge the ball/strike calls, but only get three unsuccessful challenges per game.
“Everything’s going well,” Marrero said by phone last week. “I’m pretty happy. I just know if I keep working hard and doing a little extra than what other guys have been, or what I’ve been doing, I know that I can get better with my performance, as well. I know it’s not my best and I know I can do better, so I just want to keep working harder and harder to get to that point where I’m doing my best.”
Marrero doesn’t have a definitive role out of the Cardinals’ bullpen, but rather used in a bunch of different situations. He’s been working on slowing his body down, getting his arm at the same pace as his body, and throwing his slider for more strikes — an issue that’s caused the high walk rate.
One role he definitely still has, and very much embraces, is representing New Haven. Marrero — who had his uniform No. 9 retired at the Floyd Little Athletic Center in December — is believed to be the only New Haven public school product to have played for Jim Penders in Penders’ 19 seasons as UConn’s head baseball coach.
“When people ask where I’m from, ‘I’m not just from Connecticut, I’m from New Haven, Connecticut,’ ” Marrero said proudly.
He added that he wants his journey from Dom Aitro Field, through Wilbur Cross, to UConn and now in perhaps the most respected organization in professional baseball to be an inspiration for others.
“It was a dream, and I turned it into reality,” Marrero noted. “I try to give them my story and let them know that they shouldn’t sleep on a lot of kids in New Haven. New Haven has a lot of talent and a lot of them should be given the opportunity, like how I was.”
Nothing “wild” about that.