Marceaux adjusts to life in the pen

JUPITER, FL - Upon becoming a professional pitcher, Jacob Marceaux had to adjust from throwing once every seven days, to once every five. Now, he faces another adjustment: taking the ball whenever the manager calls on him.

Marceaux enters his second season with the Jupiter Hammerheads in a totally different situation than the one he faced last year, when he made 22 starts, posting a solid 3.99 ERA despite a 4-11 record. Marceaux now plies his trade in the bullpen, where he could be called upon to pitch at any moment, on any day. It is an adjustment he has had to work at, but one that he has welcomed.

"In big league camp, I knew I wasn't going to start," Marceaux said. "I came out and pitched, things went well, so they asked how I felt and I liked it. They gave me an option on what I wanted to do, and I said 'Whatever gets me to the big leagues faster.'"

In fact, Marceaux has even embraced the transformation from starter to reliever.

"There's less thinking (being a reliever)," Marceaux said. "I'm a competitor, so being involved in one of every two games fits my mentality. I don't have to worry about saving a certain pitch for a left-handed batter in the fifth inning. I can just come out and let it all go."

Realizing that his best chance to reach the majors was a switch to the bullpen, Marceaux went out of his way to learn from those around him during spring training. He credits talks with Kevin Gregg and Taylor Tankersley in picking up tips on how to approach games and learning a reliever's mentality. Now, he is working on finding a routine, such as what inning he is likely to throw, and how many pitches it takes to warm up.

But Marceaux was not always in that frame of mind. He rode a hugely successful junior season into becoming the third of a foursome of pitchers selected by the Florida Marlins in the first round of the 2005 draft (29th overall). After signing and the pomp of a Miami press conference, Marceaux was sent to Jamestown in the New York-Penn League to begin his career. On June 23, he made his debut, earning the win by allowing just two hits over five innings against Mahoning Valley, a moment he still says is his favorite as a professional.

"There was extra added pressure," Marceaux said. "I pitched well, so it was a load off my shoulders, knowing I didn't have to work for that first one anymore."

From there, Marceaux was sent to Jupiter in 2006, but things did not go quite as smoothly. Dealing with various injuries, he found himself staring at a 0-7 record in mid-June.

"You know it's not all about wins and losses, it's how you develop as a pitcher," Marceaux said. "I felt I was throwing the ball well, but it's weird how you see things work out in a year. Someone gets the games where it rains, someone gets the runs, someone gets no runs; it happens. It made me a better pitcher."

"It was an up and down year for me, but a fun year. My first full season, getting to know the tricks, how things play out over 140 games. Looking back, when things were going good they happened so fast, but when things were going bad they happened so slow. We had some good, some bad, but it was a fun experience."

Marceaux has come a long ways to get to this point, having been home schooled through his junior year of high school, and then on to McNeese State of the Southland Conference, not exactly a conference with a track record as long as the neighboring Southeastern Conference and Big 12 Conference. But at least one person foresaw what was in store for Marceaux.

"My freshman year at McNeese, I was crossing the street when I passed my coach, Todd Butler," Marceaux said. "He had a way of saying things that always came true. He stopped in the middle of the street, looked at me and said 'You're going to be a first rounder someday.' I was just like 'Thanks!'"

With that premonition out of the way, the next step is reaching the major leagues, a process Marceaux hopes accelerates with the move to the bullpen. Having been through big league camp in spring training, he has gotten a taste of what his dream will be like.

"It's been one of the best experiences," Marceaux said. "You see all these guys, and you're not in awe, but it's 'Wow, I'm in the same locker room.' I see Aaron Boone sitting across the way, and I always think of the home run he hit off Tim Wakefield, and you start thinking that you're not that far away."