Faces on the Field: Stuart Pomeranz
Benes, a former elite prospect for the Cardinals in the mid-90s, was far older than the rest of the starting rotation, including 20-year-old Stuart Pomeranz.
Pomeranz, only a year removed from his high school graduation, was struggling at the Double-A level, but he learned several lessons from the veteran.
"I would watch him work," the 6-foot-7 right-hander said Friday afternoon, sitting on a piece of exercise equipment inside the Cardinals' clubhouse. "I watched his composure on the mound, how he always was relaxed."
This season, Pomeranz, now 21, is also relaxed, his emotions unruffled whether he's on the mound or watching batting practice.
Saturday night, Pomeranz took the ball against Thomas Diamond, one of the top pitching prospects in the Texas Rangers' organization. And the right-hander exhibited the same demeanor the entire start. Nothing seemed to faze him -- neither setting down the Frisco RoughRiders on seven pitches in the first inning nor allowing five third-inning runs.
The expression, the attitude remained the same: relaxed, calm.
"His attitude on the mound never changes," said Cardinals designated hitter Josh Pressley, who currently plays with Pomeranz and played against the hurler last season for Wichita. "He has great mound presence, whether he is doing well or doing badly. ... That is really is the key. He does a great job of doing that."
Cardinals manager Jim Maloney expressed similar sentiments. "He has matured as a pitcher, that's the big thing," Maloney said. "He would be a junior in college this year and is pitching well in Double-A. That's a real feather in his cap."
Last season, Pomeranz went 5-6 with a 5.29 ERA in 99 innings at Springfield. In his last six starts, though, he adopted two key changes that propelled him to a solid finish -- and carried into a strong 2006 campaign that includes a 6-1 record and 3.75 ERA.
One was the relaxed presence he gained from Benes. The other was a slight mechanical adjustment. In high school, Pomeranz would start his windup by bringing his hands over his head when he made his initial step to the back of the rubber.
Then, he would bring his hands back over his head when he was about to reach the power position, similar to Curt Schilling's compact delivery. The movement helped Pomeranz construct a 13-1 record his senior year of high school.
After the Cardinals picked him in the second round of the 2004 draft, Pomeranz stopped moving his hands and kept them level throughout his delivery. He picked it up again at Springfield after a small slump and a discussion with the pitching staff.
"It helped keep him in better flow with his body, instead of being jerky and quick," Cardinals Minor League pitching coordinator Mark Riggins said.
The flow helped Pomeranz gain a little more bite on his sinking fastball and made his knuckle curve and change-up even more effective. "I started to feel it at the end of last year," Pomeranz said.
His command improved after the change, leading to high expectations as he entered 2006.
Baseball America ranked Pomeranz as the Cardinals' No. 10 prospect entering Spring Training. Some even moved him ahead of Chris Lambert -- the Cards' No. 1 draft pick in 2004 -- as the best pitcher on the Springfield staff.
Pomeranz has met, and surpassed, those expectations. Coupled with the mechanical adjustment and his observations of Benes' style, Pomeranz also integrated a lesson imparted by his dad, Mike Pomeranz, a former player at Ole Miss.
"He always talked about location," Stuart said. "He just said, 'Here's the ball, go ahead and hit it.'"
His strikeout rate has dropped slightly from last season, but the changes and maturity have allowed him to pitch to contact, raising his strikeout to walk ratio from 1.65 to 2.47, one of the best in the Texas League.
And that's been key for Pomeranz this season. He started locating his money pitch, the 88-92 mph, two-seam, sinking fastball that bores inside on right-handed hitters and moves outside against lefties.
"When he is effective with the sinker, it makes his other pitches that much more effective," Springfield catcher Gabe Johnson said. "He is getting ahead of hitters and using his off-speed and making some early quick outs."
It's allowed Pomeranz to work deeper into games and maintain consistency. He's pitched at least six innings in seven of his 10 starts and has thrown at least five in nine outings. During one four-start stretch earlier in the year, Pomeranz posted a 4-0 record and 1.30 ERA.
That sort of dominance and consistency could get Pomeranz moved to Triple-A by season's end -- possibly allowing him to reacquaint himself with Benes. As befits his new style, though, Pomeranz is relaxed and calm when talking about his future.
"I am not going to try to think about that right now," he said. "I take it a game at a time. I like this team, I like this staff; it's a great place. I got everything I ever wanted. ... Not that I don't want to get moved up, but it will be hard to go whenever I do."
Conor Nicholl is a contributor to MLB.com.