By Netta-Lee Lax:
Baseball is a romantic sport. There is something about the crisp grass and the white bases that exudes romance. Perhaps it is the history, perhaps it is the game itself that brings the air of romantic tales to mind. Baseball is true romance.
Even the muggy Florida air after heavy rain and the ugly white tarp on the diamond could not take away from the romance of C.J. Edwards’ story. Edwards, a lanky 21 year-old kid born in Newberry, S.C. and grew up in Prosperity, S.C, is the Cubs’ newest pitching prospect. As he readjusts his blue socks, pulling them up to his knees, it becomes evident that when discussing Edwards, lanky is not a term used lightly. At 6’2” and 155 lbs. he is thin and long. Some might say he is almost string-bean-like. In fact, Edwards himself goes by the twitter handle @CEdwardsSBS – “String Bean Slinger”.
The park is quiet as C.J. winds up and slings a pitch towards Chadd Krist, the Daytona Cubs’ catcher.
1,2,3 bam!
Leather against leather as the ball hits Krist’s mitt.
1,2,3 bam!
The park is quiet and all you can hear is the smack of the ball hitting the glove.
1,2,3 bam!
Edwards’ arms are so long they appear to reach halfway to home plate as he releases the ball.
1,2,3 bam!
The game is about to start and Edwards conferences with Krist, pounding his fist and letting a small smile show through.
The Daytona Cubs are taking on the Palm Beach Cardinals in the fourth and final game of the series. Ryan Sheriff, the starting pitcher for the Cardinals, toes the rubber in Jupiter and takes his time between pitches. The Cardinals make it out of the top of the first without letting the Cubs score and now its C.J.’s turn.
The air is heavy, but the energy is high. Acquired by the Cubs organization from Texas in the Matt Garza deal, this is the young pitcher’s organizational debut, but you would never know from his relaxed demeanor. Shoulders rounded and body relaxed, Edwards readies himself for the first pitch. Strike one.
His fastball is just that. Fast. With speeds ranging between 92 and 95 mph, Edwards’ pitches make it look easy. He baffles the players, barely stopping to think about his next move. 1,2,3 bam! Three up, three down. Inning over. Edwards makes his way back to the Cubs’ dugout shrugging off his fantastic start as if it was nothing.
The game remains scoreless through the top of the second and Edwards is summoned back to the mound. When Edwards pitches his posture is poor, but it seems to make sense with his calm, laid-back demeanor. His eyes get wide, revealing more white than brown and he bites his lip as he lets the ball fly from his grip. Edwards employs his whole body when he pitches. His nostrils flare and he gives it all he has. The first time the bat makes real contact with the ball is in the second inning, but Edwards is still on a streak. Six up, six down. All on strikes.
“It’s been the C.J. Edwards show today,” says Robbie Aaron, the Cubs radio broadcaster, at the start of the third. Everyone has taken notice of the young man from a small town where his family and friends thought he had been re-drafted and would be playing in the friendly confines of Wrigley Field, not the heat of the Florida State League.
The scouts are taking notes as Edwards pitches. They slowly begin to put their radar guns down and begin to pay close attention. This guy is special. Even I, a sports journalist and basketball junkie who knows little about the intricacies of baseball, can tell. He is better than good. Just like the pace of his pitching, this kid will move up the Cubs farm system quickly. “It’s almost surprising when any of the Cardinals make contact,” explains Cody Dunlap, the Cubs other radio broadcaster. The third Cardinal up in the third inning finally gets a hit, but again no one scores. Edwards’ strikeout streak ends. Seven up, seven struck out.
Edwards isn’t perfect. Three batters reached base and he allowed one hit. As he gets used to wearing “Daytona” across his chest and the Cubs logo on his shoulder, he will also get used to playing in Daytona. Every time he messes up, isn’t perfect, he readjusts his uniform, trying to settle in. After five inning C.J. is replaced by Lendy Castillo. The game slows down, the air seems heavier. The excitement surrounding Edwards dies down and the energy level tops off. While Castillo likes to stalk his prey, working around the zone, Edwards pounces on hitters early in counts. In 5 innings, Edwards throws 63 pitches, including 8 strikeouts and doesn’t allow a ball out of the infield.
When a cheetah hunts its prey the hunt is usually over in under a minute, while other big cats take their time to stalk their prey. Edwards is a cheetah. He is fresh and new and quick. In 166 innings as a professional, he has never allowed a home run. He moves quick and lives large. When the Rangers gave him a $50,000 signing bonus he went out and bought a black Mercedes-Benz. He has strings hanging from his glove and an Ask.FM profile. He is relaxed, but he is bold. C.J. Edwards’ days on the mound are far from over. In fact, this love story is just beginning.
You can follow Netta-Lee Lax on twitter @NLax33
[…] The String Bean Slinger […]