Cody climbing ladder with finesse

Throwing the ball hard has become an obsession in baseball. Scoreboards that show pitch speed are requisite for any game and can be found at every niche and corner of baseball stadiums.

Last year, fans and announcers marveled at Joel Zumaya of the Detroit Tigers touching 102 mph on the radar gun. At the Legends of the Game Baseball Museum at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, visitors can stick their hand in a catcher's mitt and feel the power of a Nolan Ryan fastball.

It seems strange that in a game Yogi Berra once described as 90 percent mental, scouts, analysts and fans are infatuated with a purely physical ability such as pitch speed. Nonetheless, player-development personnel time and time again shy away from players who can't throw the ball 95 mph.

None of this seems to bother Chris Cody, who has often been labeled a "soft-tossing lefty" and a "finesse" pitcher. Instead, he takes the mound every fifth day with his high-80s fastball, doing what he does best: pitching. The Brewster, N.Y., native is just as effective by painting the corners, hitting his spots and changing speeds.

"The room for error is greater the harder you throw," admitted Cody. "So, naturally, you have a little bit of advantage if you can throw the ball 95 miles per hour. But velocity is pretty much the least important thing when you look at all the ingredients for a successful pitcher."

So while most young ballplayers try to be the next Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson or Pedro Martinez, Cody looks to different pitchers. He aspires to be like Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Jamie Moyer, who all rarely hit 85 on the radar gun. Despite their speed "deficiencies," these pitchers have had success in the Major Leagues by making up for what they lack in velocity with control, changing speeds and deception.

"Those guys go out there every night and make it look easy while throwing nothing over 85 miles per hour," said Cody. "They're true pitchers. That's kind of the inspiration I look at. I see those guys going out there every night, and there's no real reason why anybody can't do that."

That attitude has made Cody successful as a professional ballplayer. The 23-year-old has dominated at every stop he's made -- from Oneonta of the New York-Penn League to West Michigan of the Midwest League.

This year Cody boasts a 1.77 ERA, which ranks second in the MWL. In 91 1/3 innings, he's struck out 92 batters while allowing just 15 walks. Opponents are hitting a paltry .215 against Cody, who has failed to pitch six innings in just two of his 14 starts.

So much for pitch speed and radar guns.

Cody's filthy stats earned him a spot in the Midwest League All-Star Game and a promotion to Class A Advanced Lakeland.

But truth be told, it wasn't always this easy for Cody. He had trouble getting recruited in high school because of his low velocity. He also suffered an injury to his elbow that forced him to sit out of baseball during the summer of his junior year, when most big-time baseball colleges and universities do their heavy recruiting.

"I wasn't highly recruited by any college coaches," said Cody. "I guess I kind of scared them away. I didn't play that junior summer, which is a big time for college coaches to recruit you."

For Cody, however, playing baseball was life. His father had taught him the game when he was 8 years old, and Cody loved it. So when then Manhattan Jaspers Coach Steve Trimper offered him a Division I scholarship, Cody said it was a "no-brainer."

"Coach Trimper gave me a shot, gave me a scholarship," said Cody. "He didn't think my injury or velocity was that big of a deal."

Cody proved his coach right and excelled for the Jaspers. He set school records in wins (28), complete games (18) and strikeouts (18). In his final season, Cody compiled a 12-2 record with a 1.42 ERA. He pitched nine complete games while fanning 105 batters over 108 innings.

But Cody had to demonstrate he could play with the best. So in the summer of his sophomore year, Cody received an invitation to play in the Cape Cod League under legendary Chatham A's Coach John Schiffner. During that summer in New England, Cody established himself as a true prospect.

"I had some success there," said Cody. "That's when I started believing that if the chips fell in the right spot, I'd get a pretty decent shot at playing pro ball."

And in 2006, after Cody's stellar senior year at Manhattan, the Detroit Tigers selected him in the eighth round.

As he makes his ascent up the baseball ladder to the big leagues, Cody continues to rely on more than his physical gifts. On the mound, he prides himself on being poised, refusing to give anything to the opposing team. One sign of weakness could cost him the upper hand in the battle between pitcher and batter.

"I don't get rattled easily," said Cody. "I try to have the same look on my face whether I'm throwing a nine-inning shutout or if I've given up five runs in the first two innings. I try to stay the same, keep even-keeled."

In trying to explain all his success, Cody says it's nothing more than working hard, listening to coaches, being astute and hitting the corners.

"I'd say consistency is the biggest thing," said Cody. "That's what separates the big leaguers from the Minor Leaguers -- being able to repeat something 90 or 100 percent of the time, that's what I'm striving for. To throw a fastball on the outside corner at the knees once is great. If you can do it 10 more times in a row, then you're doing something special."

Having a devastating changeup helps, too. But either way, Cody is headed in the right direction, proving once again that velocity isn't everything.