MINOR LEAGUES / MIDWEST LEAGUE : Filbeck Learning to Adjust

As a player embarks on a professional baseball career, one of the first lessons learned is that things do not always go as planned.

Which is what Ryan Filbeck discovered when assigned to the Florida Marlins’ Kane County (Ill.) Class-A team in the Midwest League.

After a standout career at El Toro and Esperanza high schools and Rancho Santiago College, Filbeck, 22, expected to continue as a starting pitcher when signed by Florida. But it hasn’t worked that way.

“So far, they are using me as a utility pitcher,” Filbeck said. “If they need three innings or one hitter to get out of a jam. I kind of like pitching every day.”

So far, the results have been excellent. Filbeck is 4-0 with a 2.59 earned-run average. In 24 1/3 innings, covering 14 games, he has given up 18 hits, walked six and struck out 18.

Filbeck believes his stats might be even better if he had not missed the first month of the season with a strained right elbow.

“[The injury] was my fault,” he said. “It was just the fourth day of spring training; I was doing my throwing off the mound and I went at it too hard. I learned.”

But Filbeck also admits there is a starting pitcher itching to escape the reliever mold the Marlins are putting him in.

“I’d like to get some starts. But if relieving gets me up the major league ladder quicker, then so be it. I want to get to the majors any way possible,” he said.

“And relieving has kept me sharp.”

Filbeck’s father, Leon, who lives in Lake Forest, pitched seven years in the Cleveland Indians organization (getting as far as triple-A), and taught his son the basics.

“He’s seen me since I started so he knows how I work,” said Filbeck, who calls his father after he pitches. “He taught me the good mechanics of throwing the fastball.”

Filbeck’s high school career was not without controversy. In 1991 he was accused of leaving El Toro improperly to attend Esperanza, which was the county’s top-ranked baseball program. Southern Section officials alleged Filbeck’s parents separated simply to facilitate Filbeck’s transfer, as Ryan and his dad moved into the Esperanza district.

Filbeck was declared ineligible, but his family sued. The case went to Orange County Superior Court, and the judge ruled that Filbeck be reinstated.

“I would go through it again in a heartbeat,” Leon Filbeck said. “I think he’s where he is because of it. “I think he’s in a very good situation with Florida. There are a lot of prospects on his team, but I also think he has major league potential. And I’ve done scouting myself, for St. Louis, and have seen a lot of kids.”

John Boles, Florida’s director of player development, said the organization has been pleased with Filbeck’s progress, but it’s not ready to stretch him out and let him throw many innings. That probably means he will spend the season at Kane County in Geneva, Ill.

“We think he is where he belongs,” Boles said. “He has done a nice job in relief; he has a good arm and good stuff. Right now he seems suited for the bullpen, but he’s still young. We’ll wait and see what takes place.”

For his part, Filbeck is trying to stay noticed on a young team that loaded up on prospects from the Marlins’ first couple of drafts.

“I keep track of how everybody is doing,” he said. “I follow the major league team in the paper, see if they need some help. I think with our team here and more expansion coming up, anything is possible. My former roommate, Dan Churge, went from single A to triple A in a couple of months.

“I don’t know if I have any promotions coming soon; double A is stacked and that’s the only place I would move to. When you move here, you move up.”

*

Filbeck is not the only Orange County pitcher surging through the Midwest League.

Alfredo Garcia of Buena Park has caught the attention of the Chicago Cubs organization with a recent string of excellent performances for the Rockford (Ill.) Cubs.

And he is showing a quality coaches like in power pitchers--control.

His 7-7 record and 3.55 ERA in 17 games isn’t impressive. But two other numbers pop out: 89 strikeouts and 30 walks in 109 innings.

A July 3 game is indicative Garcia’s recent work. Against the Beloit (Wis.) Snappers, Garcia struck out 10 in the first four innings, and 11 total in a 5-2 victory.

He also pitched a two-hitter with nine strikeouts earlier in the season.

Midwest League Road Map

Fourteen teams spread over five states make up the Midwest League, which drew more than 2 million fans in 1994. Here’s a look at the league, which has grown considerably since its days as an eight-team Class-D grouping:

* Angel connection: Former major league infielder Tom Lawless is manager of the Angels’ Cedar Rapids Kernels; they won the league’s second-half title last season.

* Former Angel: Sid Monge, who pitched for several teams including the Angels, pitched a no-hitter for Quad Cities in 1971.

* Big day: In 1965, Jim Ellis of Quincy pitched a one-hit, 25-0 victory over Dubuque. He also added three home runs, a double and a single.

* Bad day: In 1968, Cedar Rapids made 12 errors, including seven in one inning, during a 21-4 loss to Wisconsin.

League Locations

Here’s a look at the teams and their major league affiliates:

A. Appleton, Wis. (Seattle Mariners)

B. Battle Creek, Mich. (Boston Red Sox)

C. Beloit Wis. (Milwaukee Brewers)

D. Burlington, Iowa (San Francisco Giants)

E. Cedar Rapids, Iowa (Angels)

F. Clinton, Iowa (San Diego Padres)

G. Comstock Park, Mich. (Oakland A’s)

H. Fort Wayne, Ind. (Minnesota Twins)

I. Geneva, Ill. (Florida Marlins)

J. Peoria, Ill. (St. Louis Cardinals)

K. Quad City, Iowa (Houston Astros)

L. Rockford, Ill. (Chicago Cubs)

M. South Bend, Ind. (Chicago White Sox)

N. Springfield, Ill. (Kansas City Royals)

Source: League records, Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball