Archer Finds Bull’s-Eye for Brewers’ Farm Team

Weighing his athletic possibilities beyond high school, former San Diego State pitcher Kurt Archer realized he didn’t quite have the appetite for football that he had always had for baseball.

It meant turning down a football scholarship to Washington State, but Archer chose baseball, and he is now one of the top pitching prospects in the Milwaukee Brewers’ organization.

His love of baseball and his distaste for gaining weight for football were the two biggest factors in his decision, he said.

“I always wanted to play baseball,” Archer said. “I always enjoyed that much more than football. The full-ride was tough to turn down, but I couldn’t see myself weighing 285 or 290 pounds. Even had I been able to gain that much, what would I have done with that weight later on in life?”

An offensive and defensive lineman who helped Burlington Edison High School win the Washington state championship in 1987, Archer said it was a struggle to maintain even 245 pounds on his 6-foot-4 frame. Washington State, then coached by Miami’s Dennis Erickson, had plans for Archer to bulk up to at least 280 pounds.

“I think if I’d have made an all-out effort, I could have done that and been a decent college football player,” said Archer, now 215 pounds. “I don’t think I would have ever played professionally, but I probably could have made an impact at Washington State.”

Ironically, he added: “My build at that time was not conducive to baseball. But I enjoyed it more, so I went that way.”

Having turned down Washington State, Archer played baseball for one season each at Bellevue (Wash.) Community College and Lassen Community College in Susanville before being recruited by San Diego State Coach Jim Dietz.

For the Aztecs in 1990, Archer shared the team’s most valuable pitcher award with Andy Peterson by going 9-2 with two saves and a team-leading 2.42 earned-run average. SDSU eventually lost to Stanford in the final of the NCAA West I Regional that year.

Five days later, Archer was selected by the Brewers in the 10th round of the June amateur draft, and he went on to post a 5-0 mark with a 1.53 ERA during his first season at Class-A Beloit.

After a promotion to Stockton, Archer, a right-hander, injured his pitching shoulder last year, and he wound up with a 2-4 mark, one save and 4.37 ERA.

“I injured it during the third week, but it kept bothering me the whole season,” Archer said. “It would feel fine at times, but after one or two appearances, it would flare up again. I was there the whole season, but I never really got into a rhythm.”

In the off-season, Archer received rehabilitation treatment at the Alvarado Sports Medicine Center, and his statistics reflect that he is once again healthy.

Including earning his 11th save with a perfect ninth inning Tuesday night, Archer leads the Stockton Ports with a 9-3 record and 1.98 ERA, and the Ports are in first place in the California League.

“He’s one of our two closers, and they’re both doing exceptionally well,” said Dave Brady, the Ports’ radio announcer and media relations director. “We’re surprised they’re both here actually. I thought they’d both be promoted by now.”

Said Archer: “We’re having a good year, and I’m having a good year. I have no complaints.”

Rookie roll call: Nearly two months have passed since the amateur draft on June 1-3. Here’s a look at some of this year’s rookies from area colleges. Unless noted, these are Class-A teams.

Good starts:

* Outfielder Derek Vinyard (SDSU) is hitting .329 with 12 stolen bases in 25 games for Winter Haven (Fla.) in the Boston Red Sox chain.

* Outfielder Brad Gennaro (SDSU) is at .274 with five home runs and 21 RBIs in 37 games for the Padres’ team at Charleston, S.C.

* Pitcher Rick Navarro (SDSU) is 2-2 with a 2.31 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 35 innings at Niagara Falls (N.Y.) in the Detroit Tigers’ organization.

* Pitcher Gerald Stafford (SDSU) is 2-0 with a 3.31 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 16 1/3 innings for the Florida Marlins’ team at Erie, Pa.

Lukewarm:

* Catcher Marcelino Garcia (SDSU) has a .266 average and eight RBIs but only two extra-base hits in 20 games for the Padres’ team in Spokane, Wash.

* Pitcher Mark Ratekin (Point Loma Nazarene) is 2-3 with a 4.14 ERA after 63 innings for the Quad City (Iowa) Angels.

Struggling:

* Catcher Sean Gousha (University of San Diego) has only four hits in 29 at-bats (.138) for the Erie Marlins.

* Catcher Paul Stojsavljevic (Southwestern College) is five for his first 32 (.156) for Huntington (W.Va.), a Chicago Cubs’ rookie-level team.

* Infielder Mike Farrell (Grossmont College) is at .233 after 60 at-bats and 14 hits for the New York Mets’ rookie team in Port St. Lucie, Fla.

* Pitcher Brent Hansen (UC San Diego) is 0-2 with an 8.22 ERA after 15 1/3 innings for the Red Sox team in Elmira, N.Y.