Nice read on Ring

[MnSoxFan]

Despite Ring’s mindset as closer, future could come as set-up man

 

BY SCOTT LAUBER

 

BINGHAMTON, N.Y.—Royce Ring fancies himself a closer.

 

The lefthander has the swagger, the sideburns that stretch halfway down his cheeks, and the John Rocker-like sprint from the bullpen. He’s even got the song—Metallica’s “Sad But True”—that blares over the public-address system when he seizes the ball.

 

Ring was a closer at San Diego State and last season as a rookie in the White Sox system. And when the Mets got him and two other minor leaguers July 1 in the Roberto Alomar trade, they quickly anointed him their closer of the future.

 

Asked last month what role he imagined himself filling on a big league team, Ring said without hesitation, “I’m a closer.”

 

Case closed. Or is it?

 

John Stearns, Ring’s new manager with Binghamton, gushed after watching the 22-year-old record five outs on 15 pitches in a 10-9 victory over Norwich in his Mets debut. He raved about Ring’s pinpoint control, late-breaking slider and bulldog aggressiveness.

 

But Stearns also said he’s recommending that Ring be allowed to pitch more than just the ninth innings he had thrown for the White Sox’ Double-A Birmingham affiliate. He also suggested that Ring’s big league future may well be as a seventh- and eighth-inning reliever.

 

“Ring might be a set-up guy in the big leagues,” Stearns said. “In baseball right now, we’re breeding these one-inning closers, and I don’t believe in that. I want to stretch this kid out a little bit and let him go two or even three innings.”

 

Scouts who attended Ring’s Binghamton debut agreed. He threw three pitches—eight fastballs, six sliders and one changeup—but his fastball, normally a closer’s most devastating pitch, averaged 89 mph and topped out at 91.

 

Everyone admires Ring’s fearlessness on the mound, but the early review was that he has a closer’s mentality with a set-up man’s stuff. Ring, however, believes in his ability to be a closer at any level, from Double-A to the majors.

 

“My mentality is just max-effort, get in and get out,” said Ring, who had six saves and one win in his first nine Mets appearances. “That’s been my thing ever since college, and it’s worked well for me.”

 

Overcoming Obstacles

 

Life hasn’t gone as smoothly for Ring, whose father died in a motorcycle accident when he was 15 months old. He learned to throw by playing catch with his mother Lori, who said young Royce’s first word was “ball.”

 

He was raised by his mother and paternal grandfather Roger, who died in January 2002. Ring dedicated his junior season at San Diego State to his grandfather and sometimes points a finger skyward after earning a save.

 

Then there was San Diego State coach Jim Dietz, reluctant to recruit Ring because he weighed almost 240 pounds, and Aztecs pitching coach Rusty Filter, who often chewed Ring out for being cocky despite a 6.07 ERA as a freshman.

 

“Life wasn’t easy for him,” said Dietz, who put Ring on a workout program that helped him shed 30 pounds and add six miles an hour to his fastball before his sophomore year. “From an early age, he developed toughness.”

 

After Ring set San Diego State records for saves in a season and career in 2002, the White Sox drafted him 16th overall. He signed for $1.6 million and went 2-0, 3.91 with five saves in two months with Class A Winston-Salem.

 

Trading Places

 

Ring was enjoying an all-star season at Birmingham (2.52 ERA, 19 saves, 44 strikeouts in 36 innings) when the phone rang in his Huntsville, Ala., hotel room one morning. It was Wally Backman, Ring’s manager, with news of the trade.

 

“I just got drafted last year, and you never think you’re going to be traded that fast,” Ring said. “But to be in a trade for a future Hall of Famer (Alomar) is an honor, and it’s nice to go to a team that expects a lot from you.”

 

Ring has been billed as the best prospect in the trade (the Mets also acquired Triple-A reliever Edwin Almonte and Class A infielder Andrew Salvo). Interview requests have been pouring in, but the Mets have tried to limit access to Ring to reduce the glare of the New York spotlight.

 

Interim general manager Jim Duquette has labeled Ring the key to the deal and predicted Ring “has a chance to be our closer from the left side pretty quickly.”

 

Ring backed up that forecast with a 3-0, 1.80 record and seven saves in 20 innings with Binghamton, with 15 strikeouts and eight walks.

 

“(White Sox GM) Kenny Williams was reluctant to give him up,” Duquette said. “As a matter of fact, he told me no on a couple different occasions. But when it looked like Alomar may be going to the Royals, he came back and offered Ring.”

 

Time will tell if the Mets ring in their future with Ring closing their games. Until then, he’ll pitch in Binghamton, sprinting in from the bullpen to Metallica and trying to pitch as confidently as he speaks.

 

Then, Ring’s case will be closed.

 

Scott Lauber covers the Eastern League for the Press & Sun-Bulletin of Binghamton.

[The Critic]

Rusty Filter is THE COOLEST baseball name going right now!!!!

 

Rusty Filter!!!!

[Guest JimH]

Interesting ... you've got Jim Duquette specifically mentioning he dealt with Ken Williams during the Alomar trade.

 

Maybe it wasn't Hahn, Hemond, et al, who did the Alomar trade?

[YASNY]

Interesting ... you've got Jim Duquette specifically mentioning he dealt with Ken Williams during the Alomar trade.

 

Maybe it wasn't Hahn, Hemond, et al, who did the Alomar trade?

Thanks for making that connection.

[Bmr31]

Interesting ... you've got Jim Duquette specifically mentioning he dealt with Ken Williams during the Alomar trade.

 

Maybe it wasn't Hahn, Hemond, et al, who did the Alomar trade?

duh................

[MurcieOne]

Robbie was going to be a Royal.....scary thought.