Seymour’s Kuzia brothers keep pitching in
In the waning days of spring training this past March, Joe Kuzia suddenly became a baseball player without a team.
As the Texas Rangers started finalizing their minor-league rosters, Kuzia was called into an office at the team’s spring training facilities in Surprise, Ariz. Waiting for him were three members of the Rangers’ front office: assistant general manager Mike Daley, director of player development Matt Blood and minor league pitching coordinator Danny Clark.
The news they had for Kuzia wasn’t particularly good. He was given two options: Ask for his release from the organization, which the Rangers would honor, or, stick around for extended spring training, and hope the organization would eventually find a spot for him at some minorleague affiliate.
Kuzia’s response came quicker than a Nolan Ryan fastball. The 6-foot-5, 190pound right-hander from Seymour had made too many strides over the second half of last season to give up on things so quickly. He’d stick around for extended spring training and hope something worked out.
“Obviously, at the time, I was a little frustrated about it,” Kuzia admitted. “But
everything in baseball happens for a reason. God has a plan for everybody.”
After about a month of extended spring games, Kuzia’s opportunity finally arose. Rangers star second baseman Rougned Odor and first baseman Ronald Guzman had just finished rehab assignments and needed to take some live batting practice on the field. The Rangers were in Oakland, so the team flew up Kuzia, along with a lefthanded pitcher and a catcher, to throw a couple of simulated innings to each of the hitters on April 23.
Kuzia threw about 35-40 pitchers to each batter.
“It was a really cool experience,” he recalled. “We got to hang around in the locker room after, talk to a couple other guys and hang out for the day.”
Kuzia, 25, flew back to Surprise the next day, but got an even better … well … surprise the day after that. He was sent to Iowa to join the Nashville Sounds, the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate.
Kuzia, who had spent the entire 2018 season with Class-A Hickory, spent about a week with the Sounds. He made two outings and more than held his own, allowing a run, two hits and a walk while striking out three in 21⁄3 innings.
On May 9, Kuzia was optioned to High-A Down East, down the road in Kinston, N.C., where he’s been ever since. And he’s been nothing short of dominant.
In 101⁄3 innings out of the Wood Ducks’ bullpen, Kuzia has allowed exactly one earned run (0.87 ERA). He’s scattered eight hits and three walks (1.06 WHIP) and has struck out 10. Used primarily as a long reliever, he notched his first save of the season on May 26 at Carolina.
“I’m not complaining about my situation,” Kuzia said. “It’s kind of a weird experience for a minor leaguer, but it’s definitely something special, in my eyes.”
In fact, it’s not too different from the situation his younger brother has found himself in this season, as well.
‘IT’S BEEN A LONG ROAD TRIP THIS YEAR’
Nick Kuzia spent spring training about a half-hour from Surprise in Peoria, Ariz., in the San Diego Padres’ minor-league camp. Like Joe, he didn’t break camp with an affiliate, instead sticking back in extended spring. In fact, Nick and Joe both pitched for opposing teams in one game.
In mid-April, Nick was summoned to Double-A Amarillo, his highest stop yet in his three seasons as a professional. Kuzia’s one outing didn’t go so well: a grand slam and five earned runs overall in 2⁄3 of an inning.
“I wasn’t too hot,” he admitted, “but the experience was fun.”
He was sent back to extended spring, but about a week later, Kuzia, 23, was off to High-A Lake Elsinore.
Nick’s outing with the Storm went much better, hurling two scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts. However, after about a week in High-A, he was sent to Class-A Fort Wayne, where he pitched well: 3.38 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 102⁄3 innings out of the TinCaps’ bullpen.
“It’s been pretty much just a long road trip this year, so far,” he said.
On Thursday, that road trip got even longer: Nick was sent back to extended spring training.
Added Joe: “It’s been a rocky course for me this year. It’s been unique since Day One.”
But then, it’s kind of always been that way for the Kuzia brothers. Joe had the baseball program at his first college (Manchester Community College) dropped two weeks before classes began. After two strong seasons at St. John’s, he spent a “terrible” summer in the Can-Am League, living out of a Motel 6 and playing for a team that didn’t even have a home field.
Three summers ago, he was cut by the Bridgeport Bluefish.
After three years pitching at UMassLowell, Nick was driving to Sanford, Maine two summers ago to play in the New England Collegiate Baseball League, fully expecting to return to school for his senior year, when a Padres regional scout asked if he was interested in a tryout.
He was on a plane to Arizona the next day.
Neither Joe nor Nick Kuzia were selected in the MLB draft. Now, they’re both in their third seasons of affiliated ball and have pitched well at their respective stops.
“This year’s the most I think I’ve traveled,” said Nick, just hours before he learned he’d be heading back to extended spring once again. “Just watching Joe, anything can happen. He was up in Triple-A, then Double-A, he started in short-season one year. Everything can happen, especially as a pitcher. They always need arms somewhere. Some guy blows out or some bullpen needs you somewhere, you get that opportunity and you take advantage of it. Because that can open some eyes with coordinators or whoever’s there. Everybody’s always watching you, no matter what level or where you are, whether it’s extended spring training or Triple-A, or whatever it is.”