A Fast-Balling Junior Mulls Going Pro
Mike Walsh has coached more than 200 baseball games at Dartmouth and several hundred more at various other locales. But from all the pitching performances he has watched, he has no trouble remembering the biggest save of all.
It didn't come from one of his players but from his father. And the only pitch was verbal. But it most certainly changed the fortunes of Dartmouth baseball.
It happened in the spring of 1984. Walsh was in Plymouth, Massachusetts, watching a prospect named Mike Remlinger pitch in a high school game. It was the first time the coach had seen the young left-hander, and Walsh wasn't overly impressed, considering all the glowing reports he had heard.
"I had gone with my father to see him pitch," said Walsh, "and it was obvious that he threw hard. I think he had 15 strikeouts in the game. But I'm standing there saying, 'Geez, he throws a lot of pitches out of the strike zone.' Then my father hit me and said, 'Are you kidding me? Get this guy and he'll be the best pitcher you ever had.' "
Now everybody wants to get this guy. According to Baseball America, Mike Remlinger '88 should be a first-round draft pick this June. The national baseball publication lists Remlinger as the top-rated left-handed pitcher in college baseball out of the best crop of pitchers to come out of college in years. As a junior, Remlinger will be eligible for the baseball draft for the first time since finishing high school. Since he was a kid, he has dreamed of playing major league baseball. Now he along with his coach and teammates must wonder: Has the time come?
"Basically I'm just looking for a chance to prove what I can do," said Remlinger. "I'd like to go up and perform well in the major leagues, because even if I get drafted high, there are sure to be some people who will say, 'Let's see what happens when he's got to pitch against nine good players.' "
Dartmouth baseball hasn't always gotten the respect it deserves, and neither has Remlinger. But he is beginning to change all that. Baseball people around the country, not just in the Northeast, are becoming aware of the program. Scouts will be plentiful in Hanover this spring not only to see Remlinger but also his roommate, Tom DeMerit.
Remlinger made an immediate impact at Dartmouth as a freshman. He was named to the 1985 freshman All-America team and was among the national leaders in strikeout ratio. Last spring he led the nation in earned-run average and was fourth in strike-out ratio, averaging 13.1 every nine innings. In the summer he was one of 25 players to be chosen for Team USA, which played in the World Baseball Championships in Holland. He led the team in wins and strikeouts.
Mike Remlinger'played in Little League and other summer leagues in Massachusetts, but it wasn't until his senior year of high school that he began to attract attention. The scouts began to come around, particularly John Koziak, then with the Phillies, now with the Padres.
He even managed to impress Walsh on second sight. "That summer I saw him pitch in the Cranberry League," said the coach, "and all the guys in that league were older, college guys. I saw him pitch six great innings in a playoff game. His team is leading 2-1 going into the seventh, and the other team puts the lead off hitter on with a single. He has the 2-3-4 hitters coming up, good college hitters, and he fans the side. I knew he was polished then."
Not only was he polished, but he was headed for Dartmouth. Despite the interest of the scouts, Remlinger never wavered in his commitment to attend college. "We had very strong opinions about college," said Ellen Remlinger, Mike's mother. "We said, 'We love you and we hope you make it in baseball. It's every boy's dream. But the chances are you won't. You need an education.'"
The attention doesn't seem to bother Remlinger, and he is not tipping his hand about whether he will sign this spring or not. There are positive factors on both sides of the decision. High-draft choices usually have more leverage in signing after their junior year. Teams are willing to spend a few extra bucks to get a player a year early and not risk losing him in the next draft. Players who do sign early are encouraged by most teams to finish their degree on time, and some teams go out of their way to accommodate a player. So Remlinger could still finish his degree while playing professionally.
On the other hand, a player may improve his draft status and bonus by having an outstanding season as a senior. Besides, the days of the big bonus babies are gone. Few players will get as much as $l00,00 and with clubs making a concerted effort to hold the line on spending, it's likely to be less.
Still, Remlinger has little to prove by staying for his senior year, especially if things work out this spring. "I've definitely thought about it," said Remlinger, "but I'm not sure one way or the other. Right now I'm just going to keep it out of my mind and let Coach take care of everything until the draft comes. If I don't, it might hurt my performance and the team's. But it's always been my dream and I am real interested. However things work out, it will be the way I want it."
So far, everything has worked out fine since Remlinger made the decision to come to Dartmouth. As a freshman he posted a 6-3 record and a 2.40 ERA while striking out 90 in 75 innings. He carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning against Harvard before losing the game on a pair of bloop hits.
Last season he cut his walks nearly in half from 64 to 34 while increasing his strikeouts to 115 in 79 innings and lowering his ERA to 1.59. He also got back at Harvard with a 12-strikeout, three-hit performance. He retired the last nine batters in a row in the 2-1 wins.
"We could have played for 20 more days," said Walsh, "and they weren't going to get another hit off of him."
The one thing that Remlinger hasn't accomplished in his time at Dartmouth is an Eastern Intercollegiate Baseball League title. That is his goal this season. "The program has improved," Remlinger noted, referring to last year's 23-19 record, "and my only regret if I sign is if we didn't win the league. I think we have a good shot."
There are sure to be plenty of interested spectators.
If the scouts get their way, Junior MikeRemlinger is bound for the pros.
