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For Strauss, 1 Change Was Enough

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By SCOTT CARTER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 21, 2008

TALLAHASSEE - Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox didn't throw any verbal curveballs when describing the way starter Tim Hudson pitched in the season opener March 30 at Washington.

"He couldn't pitch any better," Cox told reporters after Hudson needed only 49 pitches to retire the final 18 batters he faced in Atlanta's 3-2 loss.

A half-day's drive south of Nationals Park that night, Florida State senior right-hander Ryan Strauss watched Hudson's performance on television, taking mental notes as he lounged around his apartment wondering about his future in the Seminoles' rotation.

A former star outfielder/pitcher at Bloomingdale High, Strauss opened his final season at FSU as a starter, but too many inconsistent outings cost him his regular weekend assignment. He knew he had to pitch better, and watching Hudson's low-release point made Strauss commit to lowering his arm slot on his pitches, something FSU pitching coach Jamey Shouppe had suggested more than a year ago.

"I was like, 'Wow, I might as well try it.' Things weren't going really well anyway," Strauss said Monday. "I was struggling. Very seldom, you change just one thing and everything gets better. Obviously, it's where I should have been throwing to begin with."

Rather than using an over-the-top delivery Strauss developed during his days in the outfield, lowering his arm angle on the mound allowed his arm to work looser and with less stress. The results were immediate, including a surge in velocity that has helped Strauss hit 95 mph on the radar gun.

"I've never seen anything like this in all of my years," veteran FSU coach Mike Martin said. "Paul Wilson started throwing 94 in February his last season. That was the hardest I've ever had. He was the No. 1 pick of the whole draft.

"This is just beautiful stuff. I'm surprised at what I'm seeing. That's what makes it fun."

On April 1 in Jacksonville, less than 48 hours after watching Hudson's gem, Strauss allowed only four hits and one run in seven innings in a midweek start against Florida.

The ball "is exploding out of his hand," FSU catcher Buster Posey said. "After he changed his arm angle, he was spotting the ball better. He's throwing a good slider now, and his change-up is good. He's got everything working right now."

Prior to the change, Strauss routinely registered from 88 to 92 on the radar gun. Since altering his release point, Strauss' velocity has improved 3 to 4 mph and, perhaps more importantly, the 6-foot-2 Strauss is getting better movement and location on his pitches. As an added bonus, Strauss is garnering more attention from scouts than he ever expected two months ago.

"Because of his success, his confidence has gone through the roof," Shouppe said. "One of the scouts told me that he has gone from a modest sign to a guy who is going to put a little money in his pockets. It's just a storybook ending for him to end his career at Florida State on the note he is ending it on."

Strauss continued to split time in the bullpen and make midweek starts - he defeated the Gators again April 15, pitching the only complete game of his career in a 10-2 victory - but he finally returned to the weekend rotation Saturday in FSU's regular-season finale against North Carolina State.

Strauss was dominant once more, allowing one run and striking out eight in six innings. Strauss (8-0, 4.10 ERA) is scheduled to start Friday's game against Virginia in the ACC Tournament at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville, the same place his turnaround began.

Reporter Scott Carter can be reached at (850) 294-3088 or scarter@tampatrib.com.

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