[ifspuds]

Bay League Player Profiles

Right-handed pitcher Mike "Juggie" Hawkins, Tifton Generals

Age 26
Statistics:
8-12, 3.29 ERA. 191.1 IP, 152 HA, 82 BB, 227 K. .216 OAvg, 1.22 WHIP

Juggie Hawkins hails from the town of Marsein on the far northwest coast of the main island of the Outposts. Born and raised on a ranch in rural central Oregon, he learned to "pitch" by throwing rocks at trees across the river that bordered his family's land. After coming to the Outposts with his family some ten years ago, Hawkins continued to throw, but this time he was pitching for city league teams and holding his own despite being just a teenager. It was here that he earned the nickname he's known by, always bringing a beat-up water jug with him to games. The jug came with the family from their former home back on Earth, and he'd carried it with him wherever he went there as well. With all his experience and his mental makeup, it was no surprise when the Tifton Generals picked him with their first choice in the inaugural Bay League draft. They haven't been disappointed with his performance, though they might be disappointed with how they've supported him, ranking 4th in the league in worst run support at 3.1 runs per game.

Hawkins leads the Bay League in strikeouts, despite not throwing particularly hard. The years of learning how to make rocks spin and curve back on the ranch paid off in that regard, as he has good command of a host of offspeed pitches to go with a well-placed fastball. Hawkins was the first Bay League pitcher to strike out 15 batters in a game, performing the feat on May 20th in a 5-hit shutout against Elliott Springs. That game remains one of the top pitching performances of the year. His delivery hides the ball well and he's particularly tough on right-handers, holding them to a miniscule .171 average. He is prone to giving up the base on balls, 4th in the league in walks per 9 innings, but that's all part of his pitching philosophy. "I'm never going to give in to a hitter. If I've got a three-ball count, I'm not going to toss up a dead fish and let the guy whack away at it," Hawkins has said. "He has to hit my pitch. If that pitch misses the strike zone, that's just how it is. I'd rather have a guy on first with a walk than have him circle the bases because I grooved one. I'll just strike the next guy out anyway."

Still just 26 years old, Hawkins looks to have a bright future as the ace of the Generals. If they can track down some more hitters to boost one of the Bay League's worst offenses, 8-12 records should be a thing of the past and Juggie ought to be in contention for consideration as the top pitcher in the league.