Flener Hopes to Be What Blue Jays Need

Huck Flener could not have picked a better time to get off to a wonderful start.

Flener, a former Cal State Fullerton pitcher, is in his sixth minor league season with the Toronto Blue Jays’ organization. The Jays must add him to their 40-man roster before the season is over, or the left-handed Flener becomes a free agent.

Considering third-place Toronto is 28-40, 11 games behind AL East-leading New York, and the team ERA is a bloated 5.16, pitching is becoming more of a priority.

And Flener, 27, who is 6-2 with a 1.83 ERA in 11 starts for Syracuse despite a recent bout with tendinitis in the left triceps that forced him to miss a couple of starts, could be forcing his way into the Blue Jays’ plans.

After rebounding from reconstructive elbow surgery two years ago, and a subpar 1995 season, Flener (whose real first name is Greg “but nobody calls me that”) would like nothing more.

“I know they don’t usually protect minor league guys my age,” Flener said. “I feel right now I could contribute to a major league team. I would like it to be the Blue Jays.

“Your feelings [about making it] change every week. Fortunately things have gone well this year and I’m glad I stuck it out. But all it takes [to start wondering again] is a game where you get blasted.”

Rick Peterson, Toronto’s minor league pitching coordinator, did not join the Blue Jays until this year and hadn’t seen Flener pitch until then. But what he has seen has impressed him.

“I think he’s been tremendous this year,” Peterson said. “His delivery is solid. He’s locating his fastball well, especially inside. His changeup is a major strength; his breaking ball is sharp and crisp, back to where it was before his surgery. He’s had a little setback now, but he is a potential big league pitcher.”

After posting an 8-1, 3.00 season as a junior at Cal State Fullerton in 1990, Flener was chosen in the ninth round by Toronto and began his slow, if steady, ascent through the Blue Jay system.

He made Class-A stops St. Catharines, Canada, and Dunedin, Fla. In 1993 Flener was in double-A Knoxville, Tenn., when he got a September call-up from from the Blue Jays, and appeared in six games in relief.

That was good enough to earn a World Series ring even though he was not added to Toronto’s playoff roster.

“I wear it everywhere,” Flener said.

In 1994 he was among the final spring training cuts and assigned to Syracuse. Flener figured he would be one of the first recalls if the Blue Jays needed pitching. But he didn’t count on blowing out his elbow.

The accident occurred in the first month of the season, at Columbus. Flener was in the seventh inning, and when the arm came down to throw a curveball, “I knew something was wrong as soon as I let it go.”

Flener had torn a tendon at the elbow. He underwent reconstructive surgery, where a healthy tendon from his right forearm was removed and transplanted to the left elbow.

The injury shook Flener, but did not crush him.

“All pitchers’ elbows and arms are time bombs,” Flener said. “My arm had never hurt before, and then bang!

“But I never thought that was the end. My style is off-speed and control. If I was a power pitcher, maybe it would be different.”

Aiding Flener’s optimism was his relatively quick recovery. He was told it could take between a year and 18 months to resume pitching. Flener was back throwing in eight months, and began the 1995 season in the Syracuse Chiefs’ rotation.

“I was fortunate to have no setbacks or pain,” Flener said.

Still, Flener had to wonder if he was trying to come back too soon. He struggled early and often the first half of the season, and wound up the year 6-11, 3.94. He completed only one of 23 starts, and gave up 131 hits and 70 runs (59 earned) in 135 innings.

He had to fight off doubts he could still pitch.

“The first half of 1995 I was not 100% and my control was off,” Flener said. “I hit a stride in late June, early July, and felt at that point I was 100%.

“I think anybody who gets injured questions the longevity of playing. You never think of it when you’re playing, but you do when you get shut down. It was really frustrating at beginning of that year, not performing like I could.”

After making a few minor changes in his delivery this season, Flener already has equaled his victory total from last year, and Chief Manager Richie Hebner says Flener is back on track to return to the majors.

“I can tell you there are some left-handers up there now who don’t throw as good,” Hebner said. “He’s getting all his pitches over and getting ahead of hitters again. Opposing hitters are batting only .206 against him. He’s not on [Toronto’s] 40-man roster but if he keeps pitching like this he will go to big leagues--even if if isn’t with Toronto.”

Flener hopes Hebner is right. At this point of his professional career there are more questions than answers.

“I’m at a point that every day here is one less day I could have been in the big leagues,” Flener said. “I’m still hoping to pitch with Toronto. But if I never get a call, I’ll go away saying I did what I could.

“If I do get a call, though, I won’t be surprised.”