Those of you who regularly read this site know that I love underdogs. Anyone can (and usually do) root for the winners in our society, but I usually root for the folks who don't have it made.
Mike Loree (Front Royal 04) is one of those guys. A four-year player at Villanova, Mike was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 50th round in 2007. He made his debut later that year in the Gulf Coast League, going 1-1, 1.13, with a 1.13 WHIP, 0.6 BB/9 and 11.3 K/9 in 16 innings.
While those numbers are quite good over a small sample, Loree has been absolutely untouchable in low-A Salem-Keizer this season. To prove the point, he has retired 62 of the last 63 hitters faced in his last 4 starts. On June 30th he pitched 6 no-hit innings against Eugene. On July 5th, he allowed just one hit, a solo homer, in 7 innings against Tri-City. Last night, July 11th, he pitched 7 no-hit innings against Yakima.
After all that, his stats are other-worldly: 1-1, 0.93, with a 0.28 WHIP, 0.0 BB/9, and 8.4 K/9 in 29 innings. Look at those numbers again: 0.28 WHIP means he's giving up a little more than a quarter of a runner per inning he's pitched, and he's not given up a single walk yet on the year.
Former major leaguer Tom Trebelhorn, his manager, as quoted in this article on MiLB.com, said of Loree's streak, "It's the most phenomenal pitching I've ever seen in my life. I don't know if anybody's ever pitched this good. I don't care if you're talking about the Northwest League, the Gulf Coast League or the Major Leagues. He has good command of his fastball, he pitches ahead in the count. If someone exposes a weakness, he exploits it. I don't know that anybody's ever pitched this good." Oh, by the way, Trebelhorn has spent 40 years in the game.
No one knows what the future may hold for Loree, but what an exciting ride so far in 2008!
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