Dodgers confident in Seo's ability
03/21/2006JUPITER, Fla. -- The Dodgers complete their six-week training camp next week and won't see Jae Seo throw a competitive pitch in their uniform until Thursday, but they're reasonably confident he represents an upgrade in the fifth starter spot.
A year ago, six Dodgers made 39 starts not taken by their top four starters -- Derek Lowe, Jeff Weaver, Brad Penny and Odalis Perez. Those six -- Wilson Alvarez, Elmer Dessens, Scott Erickson, D.J. Houlton, Edwin Jackson and Derek Thompson -- went a combined 9-18 with a 5.51 ERA.
This year, the Dodgers plan on using Seo (pronounced So) in that role. To get Seo and left-handed reliever Tim Hamulack, they traded workhorse reliever Duaner Sanchez and Steve Schmoll to the New York Mets, and they did it in part on the recommendation of new bullpen coach Dan Warthen.
Warthen spent the previous two seasons as the pitching coach for the Mets' Triple-A affiliate at Norfolk. Seo, a 28-year-old Korean, spent parts of those two seasons in Norfolk, as did Hamulack last year. The dots connect.
Warthen gave general manager Ned Colletti a scouting report on Seo that was something like this:
"I don't look for him to win 15 to 18 games," said Warthen. "But he can be a .500 pitcher -- or maybe above that with run support -- and [have] a 4.00 ERA and he'll keep you in the game throughout the year, averaging maybe six innings a start and he won't miss a start."
Although Warthen is assigned to the Dodgers' bullpen, in essence he's the assistant to pitching coach Rick Honeycutt and comes with substantial credentials, having served as Major League pitching coach for Detroit, San Diego and Seattle after a career that included four Major League seasons as a left-handed pitcher.
Warthen would not discuss why the Mets felt compelled to trade Seo, a control artist who rebounded from a May demotion to the Minor Leagues by going 4-0 with a 0.96 ERA when promoted in August before tailing off with a 4.06 ERA in September. He finished the season 8-2 with a 2.59 ERA.
Warthen believes Seo can build on last year because he's still regaining arm strength and touch after missing most of the 1999 season and all of 2000 with Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery.
"His arm got stronger than the year before and his velocity was consistent until September," Warthen said. "He developed a split-finger and a cut fastball, which added movement. He showed command of his pitches. He changes speeds and he hits his spots.
"I had heard he lost his velocity last year, but when I saw him before he left for the [World Baseball Classic] earlier in the spring, it looked like the fastball was back. His pitches were crisp. I think he's in for a very solid year for the Dodgers. A lot of guys with as much stuff don't have the heart this kid has. Just keep him in the range of 180 innings. Last year he had an ERA below 2.00 until September, when he got knocked around. He was up to 210 innings. Maybe he'd be alright up to 200 innings."
Seo had a bullpen session at Dodgertown on Tuesday. Although he hasn't pitched yet for the Dodgers, he has been competing this month, joining former high school and new Dodgers teammate Hee-Seop Choi to help Korea reach the semifinals of the Classic. In Saturday's semifinal game against eventual champion Japan, Seo tossed five scoreless innings, using 56 pitches.
Seo said the Classic experience was more exciting than he anticipated and he'd welcome the chance to do it again. He also agreed with Warthen that he was somewhat distracted last season by the birth of his first child, and he is determined to be more focused this year.
"He's a great teammate," said Warthen. "When he's not pitching, he's on the bench every pitch of every inning, on the first step when a guy hits a home run. He comes with a big smile. He speaks very good English if you ingratiate yourself to him. You turn him off and he plays the Korea trip very easily. He pulls no punches. When he does poorly, he's a stand-up guy with no excuses.
"And did I mention he's a good teammate? I want to mention that again."
Source: http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/
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