Life in the minors for ex-Hornet

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Mitch Lively has risen from single-A San Jose (pictured) to triple-A Fresno.

State Hornet Staff

Former Sacramento State pitcher Mitch Lively has embraced the same mindset no matter where he has played baseball.

“As long as you have a jersey on your back, you have a chance to make it to the big leagues,” Lively said.

With that in mind, Lively has pitched in 10 different jerseys dating back to high school and college, but there is one in particular he wants to wear to make his dream come true – the same jersey he watched growing up in Susanville, Calif. 

Now, as a pitcher for the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies, he is just one step from his dream of becoming a San Francisco Giant. 

Lively did not start out pitching. In fact, he did not start out playing baseball. He was a two-sport athlete, doubling as a punter on Sac State’s football team. 

When he tried out for baseball his freshman season, he was only able to play if he showed he could pitch.

 After a single bullpen session, the Hornets found themselves a new pitcher.

 Pitching coach Pat Rice, who coaches Lively at Fresno, knows how hard it is to change positions, especially when there is time in between.

 “A guy at a position change are always a little bit behind,” Rice said. “A lot of it is going out there and staying under control. You can talk about it all you want but until you get out there and do it, you don’t know it.”

 Lively struggled at Sac State his freshman season, finishing with an ERA hovering around five. That summer, he decided to redshirt the next year to work on pitching mechanics.

 “I worked with (pitching coach) Jim Barr. He really taught me how to pitch,” Lively said. “I considered myself a thrower and Barr worked with me on how to throw strikes. Sac State got me ready for what pro ball is.” 

Lively saw his effort pay off when he was drafted after his junior season in the 16th round by the Colorado Rockies.

 “I was good at football, but the door opened for baseball when I got drafted,” Lively said. “I could have chased the football dream, but here was a guarantee and I had a chance to play.” 

Even though Lively only completed two years of college baseball, his head coach, John Smith, knew he made the right decision. 

“It wasn’t a hard decision for him to get drafted,” Smith said. “If he stayed to pitch his senior year, it probably wouldn’t have made a difference because he had such a live arm.”

 Lively’s pro career started slow, only pitching six innings with the Rockies organization before he was released. The following year, the Giants would sign him as a minor league free agent.

 Now playing in his sixth minor league season, he said every day is hard work most people do not get to witness.

 “You are out here for 160 days and playing 145 games,” Lively said. “Everyday there are the same 25 guys – the same hours and the same routine. It is a grind, but it is the best time of my life.” 

During his first three seasons, he jumped up and down the minor league levels before he pitched in 56 games in 2011 and became the setup man with the Single-A San Jose Giants and Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels.

 He finished 2011 with a combined 2.14 ERA, 71 strikeouts and walking only 27 batters. 

Over the years, Lively said he has seen a difference between each level of the minor leagues. 

“From Single-A ball to Double-A ball is night and day,” Lively said. “The way you are treated by the fans, the way front office people look at you and the way the clubhouses are. The higher you go up, everything is a lot better.” 

Now in his first season at Triple-A, Lively can see he is closer to his dream. But just because the lights may shine brighter at Fresno’s Chukchansi Park does not mean the workload is any less intense.

 “Everyone thinks you show up and you have a game and that is it, but pitchers get here at 1:30 p.m. and don’t leave until 11:30 p.m.,” he said. “Say you are on the road trip, you won’t even get the next place until 7 a.m. You sleep for a couple hours and then you have to be at the ballpark five hours later.” 

Lively has pitched in five games for the Grizzlies so far this season, posting a 3.12 ERA and has struck out six batters. 

“Mitch is unbelievably resilient. He is ready to go everyday,” Rice said. “The big thing for him is learning how to compete. He has the stuff to do well here and maybe even at the next level. He just needs to learn what it is like up here.”

With a 90 to 94 mph fastball in his right pocket and a slider and a split finger in his left, he took his tools to Scottsdale, Ariz., to get a taste of his dream, playing with the Giants during spring training. 

“As a Giants fan you see all these big league guys you watch. I’m in the same locker room as them and playing on the same field with them,” Lively said. “It is surreal.”

 Even though he only pitched in three games this spring, Lively said he gained much more experience than just how to throw a baseball.

 “I talked to (pitcher) Sergio Romo a lot,” Lively said. “I picked his brain on his slider and why he threw it in certain counts. He took me under his wing.”

 Six years ago, Lively returned to the game of baseball. Having advanced this far he said he feels no pressure. He is just grateful for a chance to play the sport he loves. 

“I am playing baseball every single day in front of thousands of people,” Lively said. “I couldn’t ask for anything more than that.”

Ryan Kuhn can be reached at @rskuhn