Orange County Player of the Week : Opponents Having Trouble With This Deceptive Bird

Some might have trouble connecting the body of David Bird to the statistics that accompany the Sonora High School pitcher.

At 5-foot 10-inches and 155 pounds, the senior left-hander redefines slight. He should be the kind of pitcher people call “crafty.”

Or skinny.

You’d think he would fool hitters by changing speeds or throwing breaking balls.

But that’s not the case.

Bird has 63 strikeouts in 35 innings this season. He is 5-0 overall, and 2-0 in the Freeway League for the second-ranked Raiders (12-1, 3-0 league).

A decision made in November by pitching coach John Link transformed Bird from a mousy junior with a 2-1 record and an earned-run average higher than 6 last season into a hard-throwing senior whose ERA is 1.38.

Link decided Bird was the perfect candidate for a machine called the Cynbex, which is designed to rehabilitate injuried shoulders or strengthen healthy ones through resistance.

Bird sits and pushes against arms extending from the machine, building strength in his once-weak pitching arm.

“It has done wonders for him,” Link said. “He’s picked up 5-6 m.p.h. on his fastball and has added confidence to go along with it. He can pitch on any level if he puts his mind to it.”

Bird started on the machine last November and worked on it weekly until the start of the season.

The added strength in Bird’s left shoulder was evident last week when he won two games in two days during the 32-team Pomona Elks tournament and was selected the Most Valuable Player.

Last Tuesday, he struck out seven in four innings in Sonora’s 12-0 semifinal victory over Garey. Against Montclair in Wednesday’s championship game, he went the distance on a two-hitter and struck out 11 in the Raiders’ 3-1 win.

The performances earned Bird Times’ Player of the Week honors.

“It’s funny, when I was a freshman and a sophomore on the JV team, I thought high school hitters were way better than me,” said Bird, who never pitched before his freshman year at Sonora. “This season, I just feel stronger and don’t have nearly the fear of the hitters I once had. But, there are still a few hitters I would rather not face.”

Even with the added strength and speed, Bird said his strikeout total remains a mystery.

“I don’t really know how they come,” Bird said. “Earlier this season, I noticed I could throw the ball by some of the hitters. I don’t count on my curveball as much as I used to and I think it has made me a better pitcher. I don’t look for strikeouts but I know I can get one if I need it.”

David Bird

Sonora High School

Position: Pitcher

Height, Class: 5-10, Sr.

Last Week: Won the semifinal and championship games of the Pomona Elks’ tournament. He had 18 strikeouts in 11 innings.

Season: Is 5-0, with an earned-run average of 1.38 and has 65 strikeouts in 35 innings.