Running Behind Schedule : Red Sox Minor Leaguer Jim Dorsey Is on His 11th Year Trying to Reach Majors

He insists that his age is not a factor and that he still has enough left in his right arm to pitch a couple more years in the major leagues.

Tom Seaver? Nolan Ryan?

No. Jim Dorsey.

Don’t feel alone if the name is not familiar. The Boston Red Sox, his employer, has his name wrong, too. Their media guide lists his middle name “William.” It’s actually Edward.

He was called up by the Red Sox last September for the final month of the season and was recalled for 20 days this season, but even his roommate on the Red Sox’s last trip, reserve catcher Dave Sax, said he “hardly knows him.”

One person who knows Dorsey better than most is Boston coach Tony Torchia, Dorsey’s manager last year at the Red Sox’ Triple-A affiliate in Pawtucket, R.I.

“Jim Dorsey is definitely a story of perseverance,” Torchia said. “He’s been around quite a while and made it through some arm problems, too. Last year at Pawtucket, I thought he was a major league prospect and I told him so. I’m a very big fan of Jim’s.”

Rotator cuff problems slowed Dorsey in 1982, but he says he’s fully recovered. His arm is strong, he says, but one thing no longer on his side is time. With less than a month separating Dorsey from his 30th birthday, the Cleveland High graduate is attempting to break into the big leagues at an age many begin to break down.

Dorsey did not walk into the majors the way Roy Hobbs did. Dorsey’s professional career has spanned 11 seasons and four countries. He signed with the Angels as a free agent in January, 1975, and his career reached a high point with his recall by the Red Sox in late June this year.

In between, he has spent winters in such wonderlands as Nicaragua, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. He says he may eventually play in Japan.

“If I get a chance to go (to Japan), I think I will,”

Dorsey said. “Why not? I’ve played everywhere else.”

Don’t let him fool you, though. Dorsey has his eyes set more on the American League East than the Far East.

Dorsey likened his stay with Boston to a brief cup of coffee. But caffeine alone wouldn’t have cost him as much sleep. He seldom pitched, but when he did, the results were enough to make most pitchers insomniacs. It became hard to tell where there was less movement--on his eyes or his fastball. He was 0-1 in two appearances with a 20.25 earned-run average in 5 innings.

Although his odyssey has been a long one, Dorsey has pitched successfully everywhere--except for his brief flings in the majors.

In January of 1981, he was the promising young pitcher added to the deal that sent established stars Frank Tanana and Joe Rudi from the Angels to Boston in exchange for Fred Lynn and Steve Renko. In the minors, he owned a career record of 110-81 and, at the time of his recall--his third visit to the majors--this season, led the International League in strikeouts with 71.

What could have been his big break turned out a disaster. On a hot early July Sunday, the Red Sox penciled Dorsey the starter in the a series finale against the Angels.

“I didn’t find out that I was starting until the National Anthem,” he said. “(Roger) Clemens was supposed to start and was already warmed up, but he was hurt.”

It was Dorsey’s first major league start since September, 1980, when he was with the Angels. After 3 innings, it might have looked like his last.

He walked eight and yielded six hits, including a two-run homer to Reggie Jackson. Boston was beaten, 8-3, and Dorsey was tagged with the loss.

His first outing this season wasn’t much better. Dorsey, in 1 innings of relief, gave up six runs and six hits to the Baltimore Orioles.

“Jim had a really tough inning against Baltimore,” Boston Manager John McNamara said prior to Dorsey’s start against the Angels. “But I know he was the best pitcher available to us and that’s why we brought him up (from the minors). Eventually, I hope he’ll get another chance to prove himself.”

Dorsey was given that chance sooner than most expected. What wasn’t a surprise, however, was that Dorsey was optioned back to the minors a week later. He became expendable when Boston acquired left-handed pitcher Tim Lollar from the Chicago White Sox.

“I knew it was going to come sooner or later,” Dorsey said. “With 12 pitchers on the staff, there was no way I was going to be used. It wasn’t doing me any good pitching every 10 days, and at least now I’ll be throwing every four or five days. They (Red Sox) told me to go down, throw well and don’t get a bad attitude, then we’ll see what happens.”

But Dorsey might be running out of time. His contract expires at the end of the season and, he is 1-3 with a career ERA of 11.78 in the majors.

“A lot of people have asked me how much longer I can go,” Dorsey said. “I don’t know how to answer that. I still think I can throw well and get people out at the big league level, either here or somewhere else. There are a lot of teams out there that need pitching.”

Added Torchia: “I don’t think age is relative if you can help a club,” Torchia said. “I think Jim can help the Red Sox. He dominated the International League for two years. He’s very determined and the most important thing is that he has the ability.”

Dorsey’s recent minor league statistics back up Torchia’s argument: The 6-2, 210-pound pitcher is aging quite well. Last season with Pawtucket, Dorsey had a 2.91 ERA, a 6-4 record and 13 saves. It was his best campaign since 1975, his first in professional baseball, when he was 15-3, including a no-hitter, with a 2.12 at Quad Cities.

Red Sox catcher Rich Gedman agrees that Dorsey still has a future in the majors.

“He definitely has the good arm and mind to make it in the big leagues,” he said. “The thing is, once you’ve been here and then sent back down, like Jim, you can get a little anxious to try and prove yourself overnight.”

Dorsey knows about long nights.

“But I wouldn’t turn it in for anything in the world,” he said. “Sure you go through some rough times and get discouraged, but it’s a heck of a job and I’m having fun doing it. I’ve spent a lot of time in this game and most of it has left me with good memories. Pitching at Yankee Stadium on the Game of the Week, beating Texas for my only victory when I was with California. Those were real thrills. It’s been a while since they happened, but hopefully I can get a few more before I get out of here.

“There’s one thing I can tell you: I’m going to keep going until someone tells me I can’t anymore.”

Said Red Sox pitcher Bob Ojeda: “You’ve really got to hand it to Jim for sticking with it. I’m sure everybody would like to make it here when they’re 19, 20 or 21. One thing to remember is that he did make it to the majors--and that’s great for anybody at any age.”