Bill Mitchell's Minor League Ramblings

Minor League Ramblings For the week of :
April 15, 2002

Minor League Ramblings is produced by Bill Mitchell for Minor League Watch.

J.M. Gold eager to get on with his baseball career
April 19, 2002

The Milwaukee Brewers invested their first two picks in the 1998 free agent draft on a pair of high school pitchers that they hoped would eventually anchor their major league rotation. J.M. Gold, the 13th overall selection, and second round choice Nick Neugebauer became the best of friends as they began their climb through the Brewers' farm system, both spending the 1999 season at low-A Beloit in the Midwest League.

J.M. Gold
J.M. Gold

Neugebauer made the major league team after spending less than three years in the minors and is now a member of Milwaukee's starting rotation. He recovered nicely from last September's shoulder injury that prematurely ended a 2001 season in which the Riverside, California native made a meteoric rise from AA Huntsville to AAA Indianapolis and then to the Brewers by mid-August.

Meanwhile, Gold has spent most of the past two years rehabilitating from "Tommy John" surgery on his right elbow. After pitching only seven games in 2000, Gold appeared in four rehab games in the rookie level Arizona League and another seven with short season-A Ogden during the 2001 season.

"They told me at the start that I wasn't going anywhere," commented Gold about last year's plans, "and not to try anything out of the ordinary, just go through the rehab process."

Gold gained more than just a healthy arm from his rehab experience. "I think I used to put too much pressure on myself," remarked the native of Toms River, New Jersey. "Just being able to take a step back and look at it from the other side of the glass was a real positive for me. I have no problem saying that having the surgery was the best thing that ever happened to me in terms of a mental standpoint and my work ethic. I was able to just take a step back and realize what I was doing wrong and try to correct it."

Does Gold ever ponder what might have happened had he not been injured? Would he be up in Milwaukee now with his buddy Neugie?

"I had a lot to learn, I had a lot of growing up to do when I signed, which I have done," answered Gold. "When I look back, it's night and day between how I was then and how I am now. I could say I think I would be (in the major leagues), but it doesn't do me any good. I'll just focus on where I am now and try to get up there ... and not worry about what happened in the past."

The start of Gold's 2002 season was delayed as he missed a couple of weeks during the early part of spring training with a case of pneumonia. Currently working out at the Brewers' extended spring training camp in Phoenix, the 22-year-old right-hander will soon report to Milwaukee's high-A California League team in High Desert.

J.M. Gold on the mound
Pitching against the Cubs in extended spring training

A recent outing against the Cubs' extended spring training squad showed that Gold may be ready for regular season action soon. He pitched two perfect innings, fanning five of the six batters he faced.

"I went out there with the mindset to have fun, not to put pressure on myself," said Gold about his outing against the Cubs, in which he faced mostly short-season players. "My fastball was working pretty well so I went with that, and I mixed it with other things. My arm felt good."

Gold, whose fastball was clocked between 92 and 94 MPH, also threw a very effective curve. "I got it over the plate for strikes," commented Gold about his breaking ball, "which is something I've been working on pretty hard. It's working out well right now."

Gold's hard work and performances this spring have impressed Milwaukee minor league coach Mark Littell, a former major league relief pitcher. "He threw really well today," commented Littell. "I saw him when he was with me in Ogden last year. He actually has come a long way. He's got really good stuff, he can change speeds, he's got a plus fastball, and he can drop a breaking ball in as well. His command's good. He just needs to go out and pitch and stay away from the training room. I really look for him to go places."

Littell and other members of the Brewers' minor league staff have been a big help to Gold's career. "I've grown up a lot with them," Gold said about his four years in the Milwaukee organization. "They're good people to have here, from Greg Riddoch (Director of Player Development) on down."

Gold is pleased with the way the Brewers' staff has handled him throughout his career. "What I respect and like the most is that I'm not babied," he stated. "You hear stories about how high round picks are babied and coddled, but they haven't done that with me. I needed direction and I needed to grow up a little bit. That's kept me on the straight and forward path and kept my spirits up after surgery last year."

Is Gold ready to move on and resume his pitching career? "My arm feels pretty strong right now. I still have my ups and downs; it's still a roller coaster ride two years after the surgery. I've come to accept that and roll with it." He added, "But whenever I go out it (his arm) feels stronger than it did before."

Gold's goal for 2002 is quite simple. "To stay healthy, play a full season ... and remember to have fun. Work hard, and everything will take care of itself after that."

With his positive attitude and a little health, Gold may soon be able to join his friend Neugie on the Milwaukee pitching staff.

--- Bill Mitchell