Sorensen Makes Mark on Mound
Every pitching staff also needs an innings-eater, a pitcher who can be counted on for a solid, if unspectacular, outing every five days. This is where Mark Sorensen comes in.
Lary Sorensen, Mark's father, pitched in the major leagues for 11 seasons, winning 93 games and appearing in the 1978 All-Star game. The elder Sorensen retired when Mark was two years old. "By the time he retired, I was pretty young," said Sorensen. "But he worked on the radio for the Tigers, so I got to hang out in the clubhouse and see the guys and be around. That definitely helped my progress."
This season, Mark Sorensen has settled in as the SeaWolves' third starter and understands his purpose on the staff. "If I'm going to have success, it's going to be by keeping the ball on the ground. I try to eat up some innings, give the bullpen a rest," said Sorensen. "With this lineup, we're going to get things going and score some runs, so I'm a groundball pitcher and I just try to keep it as simple as I can."
After a stellar career at Northville (Mich.) High School, Sorensen was recruited by several Division I programs. "Both my parents went to (the University of) Michigan, but my sister went to Michigan State. She's only a few years older than me, so I got to see the campus and then they started recruiting me," said Sorensen. "I loved the campus, met the coaches and some of the guys on the team. It was the right fit."
The 6'3" right-hander battled injuries in his time with the Spartans. He went 5-6 in three years at MSU before being selected by the Tigers.
"It was my junior season and I tore my rotator cuff about ten innings in. It was definitely a setback," said Sorensen. "That was a tough pill to swallow, but I spent the summer in East Lansing rehabbing and luckily my arm came back strong and I've been able to throw a lot of innings since then. It was adversity that hopefully makes me stronger."
When the 2008 MLB Draft came around, Sorensen was ready.
"It was an exciting day. I was a redshirt junior, so I knew I had some teams that were interested, so I knew I was probably going to get picked," said Sorensen. "You don't know what organization is going to pick you, but once you see your name and the Detroit Tigers, it's definitely an exciting day."
After his up-and-down time at MSU, Sorensen wasn't sure when he would be selected.
"I remember the moment. I had been following the draft online for a while and then it gets to the 30th round and eventually I said, 'I'm not going to watch this anymore'. Literally about 5 minutes later, my roommate comes running down and says I got drafted. Of course, that's how it works," said Sorensen. "Then the phone starts ringing and I had five voicemails without my phone even ringing because everyone called at the same time. I had a voicemail from the Tigers and I figured I better call these guys back-it was kind of important."
Being drafted by the Tigers was a great fit. "I think anybody will tell you you just want to be drafted. You want the opportunity. I knew some of the people in the organization. I knew a lot of the history of the team, which is fun for me," said Sorensen. "I know a lot of the old guys, so that part was fun. At the same time, you just want to make it to the major leagues and be happy to play professional baseball."
After being drafted, Sorensen was sent to rookie ball in Oneonta, where he went 3-3, pitching 59 innings. In 2009, he had his best professional season. At low-A West Michigan, Sorensen went 8-2 in 14 starts, leading to a promotion to Lakeland (Fla.).
He spent the 2010 campaign in Lakeland, going 10-12 in 25 starts. He threw a career-high 147.1 innings while posting a 113:29 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Sorensen tries to keep moving up the organizational ladder. "You try to always progress and go year to year. It was great for me that I was able to go from West Michigan to Lakeland. A mid-season promotion is always fun. It means you're doing something right," said Sorensen. "You just want to keep moving up."
Sorensen headed to Erie for the 2011 season, where he has started 14 games, going 6-4 while pitching 76.2 innings as of June 22.
He has a three-pitch repertoire, with a basic philosophy. "I throw a fastball, slider and a changeup. My fastball is a two-seam, sinking fastball. I throw that the most often and try to get early groundballs," said Sorensen. "I'll throw a slider and mix in the changeup, mostly to lefties, just to give a third pitch to focus on." He has settled on his pitch selection with help from his father and years of tinkering.
"My sinker I learned from my dad. He was a sinkerball pitcher, that's how he made it to the majors. I think it comes from genetics. I don't do anything that other guys don't do, my ball just happens to move," said Sorensen. "My slider I learned in college. I had been throwing a curveball, which wasn't working very well for me, so we switched to a slider. My changeup is a work in progress. I've fooled around with it and changed the grips and now I'm pretty comfortable with it."
Sorensen recognizes that his success will come from focusing on his pitching more than the opposition's hitting. "We're lucky. Ray Burris has been in the league for a few years, so he knows some of the hitters. At the start of a series, we go through the hitters and maybe someone played against a guy in college or grew up with somebody," said Sorensen. "All those things help and you try to pitch to your strengths instead of their weaknesses." Sorensen is 25 years old, but after recovering from his injuries in college, has stayed healthy as a pro while progressing through the Tigers' system. He is not considered a top prospect, but if he continues his path, Sorensen could be in the Toledo rotation in 2012.
"I never want to say I've made it. I'm in AA. There were a few times in high school and college where I knew I could get guys out," said Sorensen. "I don't throw the hardest, I'm not going to blow it by guys. I'm not 6'7" either, so I've had to learn how to pitch. It's gradual and it's always a work in progress. What you see is what you get with me."
He appreciates his surroundings. "It starts with the guys. You spend so much time with them in the clubhouse and on the field and the buses. We're lucky here to have a great group," said Sorensen. "Now that the weather is warming up, the fans are coming out and get loud, so now we can expect it to be a fun season and try to win some ballgames."
Sorensen was born in Chicago before moving to Michigan at a young age. "I was born in Chicago, but once my dad got to Detroit, I got to hang around (former Tiger Alan) Trammell and old Tiger Stadium, so I became a Tigers fan pretty quickly," said Sorensen.
"The goal for everybody is to make the major leagues. But for me, my family and friends are around Detroit. I went to college in East Lansing, an hour away," said Sorensen. "The Detroit newspapers have been very good, following my career. It's been a good situation so far."
"We've been together. Jake and I have lived together and Casey and I pitched together in West Michigan and even some of the position players like Douglas, we've been working our way up together. We know each other's routines and what we're doing together," said Sorensen.
"The most important thing for me is when I'm going to eat on a game day. I always have to take a shower right before I come out to the mound and warm up my body. Not so much a superstition, just try to keep a routine as much as possible," said Sorensen.
"I've always played baseball. I grew up playing, hanging out in clubhouses, so it's all I've known. I love it," said Sorensen. "I love being out on the mound, but I love the game and the challenge of pitching."
"My mom is pretty happy-go lucky. Maybe I get it from her. I'm playing professional baseball for a living. I don't have much to complain about," said Sorensen. "I'm playing in Detroit, but I get to go out and goof around with the guys and play baseball everyday. I try to look on the bright side of things."