The 'Roid to Ruin

Tuesday August 15, 2000

Rick Reilly

It's not the balls. It's not the parks. It's not the pitchers. It's not the bats. It's not the mud. It's the players.
You want juiced? The players are juiced. Steroids. Nukes. Testosterone cocktails.
Mike Arndt, the strength coach of the Texas Rangers, says that "15 to 22 percent" of major leaguers are on "illegal substances." Brad Andress, strength coach of the Colorado Rockies, told The Denver Post that it's more like "30 percent" and that inquiries he gets from players about steroids increase every year. Charles Yesalis, an epidemiologist at Penn State and author of the book Anabolic Steroids in Sport and Exercise, believes "three to eight" players per big league team are on steroids. A longtime National League shortstop says it's "at least seven or eight ... and don't rule out pitchers."
Hello? Have you looked at these guys lately? More and more, a major league clubhouse looks like backstage at Monday Night Nitro. Ted Williams hit 521 home runs at 6'3" and not much more than 180 pounds. Williams would look like Poindexter the Stickboy in a clubhouse today. This isn't baseball. This is my-test-tube-can-beat-up-your-test-tube.
"There's enough anecdotal evidence," says Sandy Alderson, executive vice president for baseball operations in the commissioner's office, "that we ought to start looking into this. You start by not ignoring the problem anymore."
It's not just in the majors, either. Arndt thinks that 20% to 25% of the players in the minor leagues use steroids. First baseman Kit Pellow of the Omaha Golden Spikes, the Kansas City Royals' Triple A affiliate, says, "I've seen a lot of guys do it right in front of me. Right in the hotel room. A guy will get out his needle and stick it right in his butt. They don't care if I see. There's no testing in this sport."
The NFL tests. The NCAA tests. The IOC tests. Baseball doesn't have the brains or the guts to test.
Have you looked at the DL lately? The average number of players who spend time on the disabled list has increased by 31.4% between 1989 and 1998. Rockies manager Buddy Bell said recently, "I don't think I can name a guy who is a steroid user who has not broken down." How much does that cost each team?
On June 30, Boston police found steroids and syringes in a car owned by Red Sox shortstop Manny Alexander and driven by a team batboy. You figure the batboy was using, or Alexander? Considering that home runs among pitchers, second basemen and shortstops combined have doubled, from 420 in 1989 to 833 in 1999, I'm betting my last petri dish on Alexander.
It's a dog-inject-dog world out there. "A big, big year means a big, big contract," says Kevin Towers, general manager of the San Diego Padres. So when a clean player and his all-natural 20 home runs collide in the free-agent market with a user and his blown-up 40, guess who loses. "I tell 'em leave it alone, but they don't always listen," Rockies hitting instructor Clint Hurdle says of users. "It's a fast-food world. They want the big money right now."
For once, the owners aren't the fools. The players are. Sure, Alderson wants to start testing minor leaguers -- "That way we could at least get a sense of the magnitude of the problem," he says -- but what good is it if a minor league nuker can start again as soon as he hits the bigs, in which, according to the collective bargaining agreement, the players' association has to approve testing before it can begin? Until the players take that step, nothing will change.
"If the association decides that steroids alter the playing field," says union suit Gene Orza, "or that there's a health and safety hazard -- then we reserve the right to vote for testing. But there's been no hard evidence of that."
Alter the playing field? Steroids are altering history! Hall of Fame greats such as Carl Yastrzemski will soon be passed on the home run list by puffed-up one-trick freaks who couldn't have scrubbed their jocks. Health hazard? Doctors believe the risks of steroids include heart disease, stroke, liver tumors, depression, 'roid rage and testicular atrophy. Guarantee you that Old-Timers' games are not going to be near as much fun. "I don't know what it's going to take to get them to realize it's time to start testing," says Towers. "Maybe once a life is lost."
Pellow of the Golden Spikes isn't going to let it be his. "I've had teammates start using and get called up," says Pellow, with his baby girl on his lap, "but I don't think it's worth it. Is a million dollars now worth dying at 40?"
Issue date: August 21, 2000

Manager: Pellow's Suspension Not Related to Story

Tuesday August 22, 2000

BY ROB WHITE OMAHA WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

Omaha Golden Spikes Manager John Mizerock said there is no connection between the indefinite suspension of first baseman Kit Pellow and Pellow's comments concerning steroid use in the minor leagues that were published in the current issue of Sports Illustrated.

Pellow was sent home from Fresno last week for what Mizerock called "violation of club policy."

When pressed for more specific details, Mizerock said, "I guess player misconduct is as close to what I can get to what it would be." Attempts to reach Pellow on Monday were unsuccessful.

Pellow has not played since Wednesday, just before the Aug. 21 issue of Sports Illustrated hit the newsstands.

His comments originally appeared in an Aug. 7 Denver Post article, just after the Spikes were in Colorado Springs from July 30 through Aug. 2.

Pellow indicated that one Spikes teammate from last season, who he did not name, tried using steroids last season to try to "get over the hump." That player is currently playing in an independent league.

Pellow also said: "I've seen a lot of guys do it right in front of me. Right in the hotel room. A guy will get out his needle and stick it right in his butt. They don't care if I see. There's no testing in this sport."

Pellow, who has played only in the Kansas City Royals organization during his minor-league career, said he has also seen players benefit from steroids, but that he won't use them.

"I've had teammates start using and get called up," he said. "But I don't think it's worth it. Is a million dollars now worth dying at 40?"

Pellow has had a somewhat disappointing season, despite playing solid defense in his first year at first base and leading the team with 22 homers and 75 RBIs. But his batting average is just .251. Last season he hit .286 with 35 homers and 99 RBIs.

Mizerock maintained that he wasn't fully aware of Pellow's comments.

"No," he said. "I heard something about it, something about steroids."

After being told of Pellow's quotes, Mizerock said:

"I think Kit was probably saying that to make it seem like he was important."

Mizerock, who said he suspended Pellow after consultation with the Royals' front office, wouldn't elaborate about whether Pellow had violated on-field or off-field policy.

"It was just general rules," Mizerock said. "A little bit of both."

The suspension was the second of a top Royals hitting prospect by Mizerock this season. Earlier this year, outfielder Dee Brown served a five-game suspension after exchanging heated words with Mizerock in the Omaha dugout.

These comments were from the Omaha World Herald Website about the story:

Mizerock is such a loser! First the guy proves that he can't coach and now he is talking down his most reliable player on the team. What kind of comment is that about Kit making himself feel important? Get rid of Mizerock.

All of the comments were in this same tone. The Omaha fans wanted to get rid of the manager.

Pellow Adjusts Attitude After Off-Year

April 12, 2001

BY ROB WHITE

Omaha Golden Spikes first baseman Kit Pellow and Manager John Mizerock started mending fences the day after Pellow was suspended for the rest of the season last August.
"We talked the next day in the hotel room and I said, 'Kit, if you had brought this up like this right now, we would have no problem,'" Mizerock said of their meeting last August. "'You would be playing first base tonight.'"
Pellow, after a breakout season for Omaha in 1999, struggled throughout the 2000 season. It all boiled over in Fresno, when horseplay during a pre-game workout session escalated into a shouting match between Pellow and Mizerock.
"It was just a disagreement-slash-miscommunication-slash-heat of August-slash-poor year-slash-losing team-slash-I'm stuck here, and it all came out," Mizerock said.
But all is pretty much forgotten between the two now.
"I really don't think about it too much any more," said Pellow, whose busy off-season included stops in two winter leagues. "Nothing is said about it. It happened and you go on. Everybody is professional in this game. Nobody holds any grudges. When I came into camp, it was like it had never happened. I was there to work hard, and they were there to help me out. They're not mad at me, and I'm not mad at them."
After six weeks of spring training together in Florida, Mizerock and Pellow opened the season with the Spikes this past Thursday. They return to Rosenblatt Stadium with the Spikes for Friday night's home opener, at 7:05 against the Las Vegas 51s.
"It's done and over with for me," Mizerock said. "I hope it is for him. I gave him a clean slate at the start of spring training. He did some things wrong last year, points were well taken, and it's over with. We'll see what happens this year."
Pellow, 27, is entering what could be a third full season with the Kansas City Royals' Class AAA franchise. Through Tuesday, he was hitting .238 with four RBIs in five games for Omaha.
He appeared to be on the brink of reaching the major leagues in 1999, when he hit .286 with 35 homers and 99 RBIs for Omaha - the second-best homer and RBI totals in franchise history. His defensive work at third base was at times brilliant, but it was erratic. He was named to the Pacific Coast League's postseason all-star team.
But the seeds for a poor 2000 season were planted during the success of 1999. Pellow didn't earn a major-league callup, nor an invitation to major-league spring training in 2000. And he was switched to first base, the position where Kansas City's Mike Sweeney was becoming an all-star.
"Last year I was kind of lost - and my season showed it," Pellow said. "After my season in'99, I let it get to me that I didn't get a callup or an invite to camp. I shouldn't have. I should have gone about my season like I always do, but I didn't. I was thinking too much."
Though he led Omaha with 75 RBIs, he slumped to a .249 batting average and just 22 homers.
But Mizerock and the Kansas City front office weren't questioning Pellow's game performance. The problem was 31/2 hours before game time, during Omaha's pre-game workouts.
"Kit got a little stale here last year after having a big year in 1999," Mizerock said. "Mike Sweeney being signed for two years and being an all-star, Kit might have thought he was stuck in Triple A with nowhere to go - and it reflected in his play. I don't think he came to the ballpark every day trying to make himself better. That's not to say he was going through the motions. When the game started, Kit played hard."
Mizerock was thrilled with Pellow's performance in spring training. And Pellow said he's come to grips with his situation.
Sweeney is Kansas City's first baseman for the foreseeable future, and - assuming he isn't called up to the majors - Pellow can't become a minor-league free agent until after the 2002 season.
"I'm stuck," Pellow said. "I really am. There's nothing I can do about it. The only thing I can do is go out and play hard. There's no sense in saying, 'I'm stuck behind Sweeney,' because that doesn't do me any good. If I keep having bad seasons before I become a free agent, nobody is going to want me. So I'm just going out there like I'm going to become a free agent tomorrow, or like I'm going up to the big leagues tomorrow. You never know."
There's evidence of that on the Royals. David McCarty resurrected his career in 2000 with Kansas City as a backup first baseman and part-time outfielder and designated hitter after a long stretch in Class AAA. Dee Brown won a job as the Royals' designated hitter with a terrific spring training.
Something could happen in an instant that might land Pellow in the major leagues.
"You always have to think that," he said. "You always think that if anything happens in the big leagues, no matter what position you play, that you have a shot. If you don't, you have the year like I did last year."
And one person in Pellow's corner is Mizerock.
"He was a new man this spring," Mizerock said. "He played and practiced as hard as I've ever seen him. Offense, defense, running the bases. If he continues with that attitude, I fully expect him to have the year he had two years ago - if not better."

Pellow starring but not making the big time in KC

NEAL SHULENBURGER

ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

SPRINGDALE -- Kit Pellow has been an All-Star in three leagues since he was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in 1996, but he can't tell you about his favorite moment in the minor leagues.
    It hasn't happened yet for the Omaha Golden Spikes first baseman and former Arkansas Razorback.
    "Playing in the minors isn't too bad, but ask me that question when I'm in the big leagues," Pellow said. "That will be the highlight."
    It might be getting closer.
    This season has been one of Pellow's best, while switching from third base to first base. He is leading Omaha, the Royals' Class AAA affiliate, in batting average (.303), home runs (14), RBI (54), runs (47), and hits (84). He has been selected to participate Wednesday in the Triple-A All-Star Game in Indianapolis.
    People in the organization have noticed.
    "He has always had great power, and he's improved his frequency of contact at the plate," Royals General Manager Allard Baird said. "He's become a much better hitter."
    But Pellow has learned that minor-league all-star game appearances and gaudy numbers don't always add up to a promotion.
    Kansas City has All-Star Mike Sweeney (.343 batting average, 21 home runs and 65 RBI) and pinch hitter Dave McCarty, who hit 12 home runs and batted .278 as a backup last season at first base.
    It's not an unfamiliar feeling for Pellow. He was stuck last season behind third baseman Joe Randa, who batted .304 with 106 RBI for the Royals.
    That, in part, figured into the move to first for Pellow.
    "I think I'm real close to the majors, I just need an opportunity," Pellow said. "You're never really stuck behind anybody because there's plenty of other teams out there.
    "Just because I'm in the Royals organization doesn't mean that's the only organization I can play for."
    Count Arkansas baseball Coach Norm DeBriyn among those wondering what is keeping Pellow from a stint with the Royals.
    Pellow played from 1995-96 at Arkansas, where he is tied for 10th all-time in career batting average (.342) and RBI in one season (66 in 1996).
    "He has as much power and as much bat speed as anyone we've had since Kevin McReynolds, and McReynolds was a big-leaguer for a long time," DeBriyn said. "He's put up good numbers ever since he's been there. It's his third year in AAA. ... I really thought he would have gotten a chance three years ago when they expanded the rosters [with expansion]."
    Pellow has had the numbers everywhere he's been.
    In 1996 at Class A Spokane, Wash., Pellow led the Northwest League in RBI (66) and slugging percentage (.559) and was third in home runs (18). He was moved up at the beginning of the 1997 season to Class A Lansing, Mich., where he batted .297 with 11 home runs and 52 RBI and was chosen to play in the Midwest League All-Star Game.
    At midseason, Pellow was called up to Class AA Wichita, Kan. He went on to be named to the Texas League All-Star team in 1998, when he was second in the league in home runs (29) and third in slugging percentage (.580) before earning a promotion to Omaha at the end of year.
    In 1999, his first full season in Omaha, he was second in the Pacific Coast League in home runs (35), third in RBI (99) and fifth in total bases (277), earning spots on the postseason PCL All-Star team, Topps Class AAA All-Star team and in the Triple-A All-Star Game at New Orleans.
    Pellow's stay in the minor leagues hasn't been without a few bumps along the way. His average slipped from .286 in 1999 to .249 in 2000, and his 2000 season came to a halt Aug. 17 when he was suspended for "violating club policies."
    Pellow endeared himself to Golden Spikes fans. Fans named him as the Spikes' most popular player in 2000.
    "I put the suspension behind me the day after it happened," Pellow said. "I think the organization feels the same way. It has never been brought up again."
    Baird said the Royals don't have a target date for Pellow's major-league debut. Then again, he said the organization doesn't have a time picked out for any of its prospects.
    "I don't believe in putting timetables on players; some develop later than others," Baird said. "But I will say that he has made a lot of improvement in the minors, and we're following him closely."
    All Pellow wants is a chance.
    "If I can make it to the big leagues I'll go as a catcher, infielder, outfielder," Pellow said. "Shoot, I'll pitch as long as it's in the big leagues."

Rob White: Bellowing for Pellow: A Callup Is Overdue

July 10, 2001

BY ROB WHITE

Omaha World-Herald

I'm tired of watching Kit Pellow play for the Omaha Golden Spikes.
Tired of watching him hit .300. Tired of watching him lead the team in home runs and RBIs again.
Tired of watching him play outstanding defense at first base.
Tired of his even-keel professional attitude, never getting too excited about making the plays that win a game, taking the blame in a loss.
Tired of him being the ultimate gamer, breaking up double plays at second and crashing into walls in pursuit of foul balls.
Tired of him being an all-star player on a bad team.
Tired of him being on track to be Omaha's franchise record-holder in homers and RBIs and rank in the top 10 of several other categories if - as expected - he's here through 2002.
Tired of seeing him stuck behind Mike Sweeney, who, obviously, deserves everything he's gotten, and Dave McCarty, who had a great 2000.
Tired of having slugger Ken Harvey sneaking up behind him, about to move ahead of him on the organizational ladder. Obviously, Harvey deserves everything he's gotten, too.
Tired of having Omaha Manager John Mizerock, with whom Pellow had a run-in that led to a suspension last season, praise his work ethic and dedication.
Tired of seeing other teams pass him over in the off-season Rule 5 draft.
Tired of seeing Sweeney and third baseman Joe Randa battle injuries, while Pellow is left behind in Omaha rather than called up to help out.
Tired of seeing weak-swinging banjo hitters pinch-hitting for Kansas City with the game on the line while Pellow is batting cleanup for Omaha.
Tired of him no longer being able to play third base - where he showed flashes of brilliance two years ago - when everyone else on the club is being groomed to be a multiple-position, utility player. He had his struggles at third but, hey, Raul Ibanez played third for the first time in his life in the big leagues on Sunday.
Tired of seeing dead weight on the 40-man roster that could easily be moved off to make room for Pellow.
Tired of seeing Pellow give everything he's got for the team that he grew up idolizing - even driving to spring training on family vacations - and never getting a chance that's long overdue.

Hackers?
Among the explanations of Kansas City Manager Tony Muser to the Kansas City Star for the struggles of Omaha pitcher Brian Meadows was this theory:
"It's tough to pitch down there because it's hard to set up players that don't have any kind of set-up philosophy planned," he said. "They're hacking from the word go."
No, Class AAA isn't the big leagues, but it's far from rookie ball and there are plenty of professional hitters in the PCL.

Royal Report
Omaha's Chris George pitched two scoreless innings and got the victory as Team USA beat the World All-Stars in Sunday's third annual All-Star Futures Game in Seattle. George got the save in last year's game. ... More fallout from Thursday's 17-inning win by Omaha over Salt Lake: It was the longest PCL game since Memphis beat Las Vegas 6-5 in 18 innings on June 5, 2000; and it came on the third anniversary of a 23-inning game involving high Class A Wilmington. Veterans of both July 5 marathons: Spikes catcher Dave Ullery (who didn't play Thursday) and broadcaster Mark Nasser. ... Class AA Wichita outfielder Brandon Berger hit two homers Saturday in a 5-2 win over Shreveport, recording his fifth multiple homer game of the year and raising his season total to 22. ... Wilmington left-hander Jimmy Gobble, a first-round pick in 1999, struck out 12 in seven innings Friday in a Carolina League win over Kinston. Gobble, 6-3, has a 2.51 ERA with 97 strikeouts in 1001/3 innings.

Around the PCL
That's right, Brett Tomko and John Halama, the two starters not quite good enough to pitch for arguably the best pitching staff in baseball (Seattle's), threw no-hitters for Tacoma this past week. Halama's was a perfect game. Tomko walked one. ... Dan Miceli, whose comments led to the firing of former Omaha Manager John Boles as manager of the Florida Marlins, hooked up with the Colorado organization after being released by the Marlins. Miceli, pitching for Colorado Springs, allowed the winning run to score on a ninth-inning wild pitch on two consecutive days. He was called up to the major leagues the next day. ... Outfielder Trenidad Hubbard, who asked for his release from Omaha after it became obvious Kansas City wasn't interested in him, has joined the Chicago Cubs organization and is playing for Iowa. He went 3 for 4 in his first game and is 11 for 23 (.478) overall. Expect him to be playing in a pennant race in September. ... Sal Fasano's first 13 games for Colorado Springs after being traded by Kansas City: .368 batting average (14 for 38), five homers, 13 RBIs. ... Former Nebraska star Todd Sears went 4 for 5 with a home run Friday for Edmonton and is now hitting .298 for the Trappers.

Around the Minors
Outfielder Fernando Seguignol has homered in six straight games for Class AAA Ottawa (Montreal). ... Class AA Tulsa (Texas) third-base prospect Hank Blalock hit for the cycle twice in a three-day period. ... Former Nebraska pitcher Brian Rodaway gave up a run on six hits for short-season Class A Pittsfield (Houston) in a 3-1 New York-Penn League win over Brooklyn. Rodaway is 2-1 with a 1.08 ERA in six appearances. ... Scott Hairston, who turned down a scholarship to Nebraska after being drafted in the third round by Arizona, homered in three consecutive games for rookie-level Missoula to open his pro career 6 for 13 with four homers and 10 RBIs. Hairston is the brother of Baltimore Orioles starting second baseman Jerry Hairston, Jr.

Spikes Win Fifth Straight

BY ROB WHITE

WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

You almost wondered if Kit Pellow had forgot how to hit home runs, or if he was sacrificing power to maintain his high batting average.
But he unloaded a three-run blast to left-center field in a five-run fifth inning Monday night to give the Golden Spikes a secure 7-2 lead.
Omaha went on to post its fifth consecutive victory and completed a four-game sweep of Fresno by the score of 11-5 before an estimated 1,200 at Rosenblatt Stadium.
"I'm still taking my regular swing, I just haven't quite found the sweet spot," said Pellow, who is hitting a season-high .312. "I'm hitting it off the end of the bat or getting jammed a little bit. I'm still getting my base hits, but you want to find the barrel, and I haven't quite been getting it."
Pellow, second on Omaha's career home run list, hadn't homered since June 29 and that was the only one he had hit since June 17.
As the club starts an eight-game road trip to Tacoma and Portland, Pellow - with 16 homers this season - has moved within five of Joe Vitiello's franchise record of 80.
"Look out now," Omaha Manager John Mizerock said. "He's going to get hot sooner or later. It might be a little hard to get hot in Tacoma - that's a tough place to hit - but it doesn't matter what park he's playing in, if he hits it well, it's going out of the park.
"Kit's been talked to about reducing his strikeouts and hitting for average. He's done a good job of it. Now you want him to put it all together. Reduce strikeouts, hit for an average and hit it out of the ballpark."
Craig Wilson moved into a tie with Pellow for the team lead of 59 RBIs with a two-run double in the third inning that put Omaha in front to stay at 3-2. Pellow then regained his season-long lead with his three-run homer.
"I'm still scoring a lot of runs," Pellow said. "I'm not getting quite as many RBIs as I was, but I'm still helping out, getting on base so the guys behind me can knock me in. If you're not hitting it out of the park at least you can get on base so the guys behind you can knock you in."
Pellow's last homer had come the day after Shawn Sedlacek's last victory. Sedlacek (4-4), who had been 0-2 with an 8.85 ERA in his past four starts, pitched eight otherwise solid innings that were marred by a two-run homer by Dante Powell in the second inning and a three-run shot by Tony Zuniga in the seventh.
"The main story was getting out to the big lead," Sedlacek said. "Anybody can pitch with that kind of lead if you can stay focused, get some ground balls and let your defense work. Giving up the home run is probably the worst thing that can happen, but our guys had the offense under control tonight."
Omaha turned three more double plays. While winning eight of 10 games, the Spikes have sparkled defensively.
"This is probably the best we've played all year - pitching, defense, hitting," Mizerock said.
But not all was happy in the Spikes clubhouse.
Omaha pitcher Jeff D'Amico, scheduled to start a homecoming game tonight in Tacoma (he lives in nearby Seattle), had to leave a day early after his father died from a heart attack. Members of the team may be able to attend the funeral while in Tacoma.

July 30, 2002

Rob White: Perry's promotion another slap in face to Pellow

BY ROB WHITE

Omaha World-Herald

How did Kit Pellow and Ken Harvey respond to Kansas City promoting Chan Perry from Class AA Wichita to replace the injured Mike Sweeney?
If this past week is any indication, Omaha could be in for an interesting final month of the season.
In five games (through Sunday) since Kansas City's surprise promotion of Perry, Pellow has hit .381 (8 for 21) with four homers, seven RBIs and six runs scored. Harvey has hit .389 (7 for 18) with three homers, 11 RBIs and six runs. Harvey capped the performance with Sunday's three-homer, seven-RBI game.
This is not to say that Chan Perry hasn't put together a fine season at Wichita, where he was hitting .321 with 11 homers and 62 RBIs. He's fourth in the Texas League in hitting, and he is still tied for fifth in RBIs.
And Perry's brother, Herbert, has been a decent major league hitter the past few seasons.
And we've seen players jump from Wichita to Kansas City before.
But the difference this time is that it isn't a young prospect like a Johnny Damon, or a Carlos Beltran, or a Runelvys Hernandez.
Chan Perry is 29 years old.
Through Sunday, Pellow was hitting .277 with 21 homers and 62 RBIs against Class AAA pitching. Harvey was at .265-18-60. What would they have been doing in the Texas League? Probably hitting over .300, and their power numbers would have been better than Perry's.
What has Perry done against Class AAA pitching? Well, in parts of four seasons in the International League, Perry has hit .281. His power numbers project to a yearly average of 14 homers and 83 RBIs. He is also a right-handed hitter, like Pellow and Harvey.
It all adds up to just another slap in the face for Pellow, who is 11 months younger than Perry and hit his 100th home run in an Omaha uniform Sunday.
Pellow, who has played mostly third base this year after spending the past two years at first, had apparently played himself into the picture with the Royals in spring training.
Even earlier this month, before he was fired by Kansas City, farm director Bob Hegman was optimistic about Pellow getting a shot someday.
"I hope so," Hegman said. "He certainly has shown he can play defense at first base at the major league level."
Harvey's day undoubtedly will come. He is just 24. Though he isn't Pellow's equal defensively, he has made strides. His hitting struggles have been surprising (he was a career .359 hitter in the minors before this season). But he does have some major league time to his credit, appearing in four games last season.
The point is, for the one week or so that you needed someone on the roster to replace Sweeney, why not Pellow, the hometown kid from Olathe, Kan.? Give the guy one break in his life after seven years of minor league service.
Free agency, and maybe big dollars in Japan, probably have never looked better to Pellow than they have this week.

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