Wednesday, September 12, 2001
[ PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL ]
Dusty Bergman will look back on his third season of professional baseball and wonder just what he has to do to make things right. Bergman moving up
one step at a timeBy Al Chase
achase@starbulletin.comHe has advanced one class each season since being drafted out of Hawaii in 1999 by the Anaheim Angels. Success has been fleeting much of the time, and he says this past season with Arkansas in the Double-A Texas League could have been better.
A starting pitcher throughout his pro career, the 6-foot 4-inch left-hander finished this past season in the bullpen. There were a combination of factors that led to the move.
"I've had one of those years where everything went wrong," Bergman said. "I would work on my change-up and my curveball would disappear. I would try to pitch inside and I would lose the outside of the plate. I would finally get to pitching down and the ball would go through the infield all night long."
The move to the bullpen surprised him a little, but it coincided with two 20-year-old hurlers being brought up from Single-A ball who needed a spot in the rotation. And, Bergman wasn't throwing that well at the time. In his last starting assignment before heading to the pen, he gave up 10 hits in three-plus innings.
He did receive a positive word from his pitching coach, Mike Butcher, who told Bergman he would be back as a starter next year.
"It's just frustrating. I'm notorious for giving up ground-ball hits, but you have to take it in stride and try to get the next guy," Bergman said. "You can't carry it around with you or you dig a big hole.
The first half of the season actually went fairly well for Bergman, when he was 5-6 with a 4.15 earned run average. Arkansas won the first-half East Division title, but roster changes left the Travelers with just seven players from the first half which resulted in a last-place finish in the second half.
"I've been shut out four times and no-hit once, but I didn't throw that well. I need to pick it up next year," Bergman said.
He slumped to 2-7 in the second half and his ERA rose to 5.06.
Bergman went to instructional league the past two years, but, because he threw more innings than anyone else on the Arkansas staff, he will rest his arm this off-season.
"I wish I had found that out sooner, because I would have liked to come back to Hawaii and take some classes," he said.
Height: 6 feet 4 inches. Dusty Bergman's career statistics
Weight: 200 pounds.
Throws: Left.
Bats: Left.
Schools: Carson H.S.(Carson City, Nev.); Hawaii
Year, Team, League G IP W L Pct. H ER BB SO ERA 1999-Boise, Northwest 15 7413 5 5 .500 102 54 18 46 6.54 2000-Cedar Rapids, Midwest 28 16323 4 15 .210 174 71 60 108 3.90 2000-Lake Elsinore, California 1 4 0 1 .000 3 1 1 3 2.25 2001-Arkansas, Texas 27 15313 7 13 .350 196 87 53 83 5.11 Minor League Totals 71 39513 16 34 .320 475 213 132 240 4.85 Highlights
>> Drafted in the 6th round (191st overall) by the Anaheim Angels, June 2, 1999. Signed, June 5, 1999.
>> Led Boise in hits allowed (102) and earned runs (540) in 1999.
>> Tied for the Midwest League lead in complete games (6) and defeats (15) and was second in hits allowed (174) in 2000.
>> Led the Texas League in losses (13) and was second in hits allowed (196) in 2001.