When Kyle Zimmer was recruited as a third baseman in 2009, he had dreams of hitting home runs in college. But during his freshman year at USF, Kyle was told hes not needed in the batters box. When he first heard the news, the slugger thought about hitting something.
Laughs Zimmer, "UhhWhen you take the bat away from me am I still gonna be able to hit, or?"
USF Dons coach Nino Giarratano had a different plan for the 64 right hander: Put down the bat, step on the mound and pitch. It was like throwing a curveball at Kyle, but he didnt buckle.
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"I just took it as another challenge," Zimmer says, "I trust the coach more than anybody, and if he thinks that I have potential on the mound Im just gonna roll with it."
Coach Giarratano asserts, "With Kyles work habits and what he was gonna be able to do with his arm strength, I always felt like this was gonna be a good move for him, and something that he would be successful at."
Coach knew exactly what he was talking about. After two full seasons on the mound, Kyle doesnt just pitch, he throws flames. His fastball has been clocked at 99 miles per hour, and scouts have come from all over the country to take a close look at that powerful arm. The transition from third base to the Dons ace was not easy, but it was worth it.
"It was tough. It was a long road, um, took a lot of hours in the weight room, and obviously Im still trying to get out there and be better every day and find something to do. Um, to get myself to where I want to be. But um, its been a lot of fun but a lot of hard work," Zimmer says.
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"Kyle was the kind of kid that went from fifteen to one on our depth chart, so Im sure as soon as he gets to the major leagues or gets in the minor leagues system hes gonna climb the ladder of pitchers," says Giarratano. "He just has so much going upstairs, so many intangibles. His work habits are just off the charts. I think his competitiveness is something that you cant- You cant give to someone. Theyre born with that."
And for the start of the 2012 season, Zimmer was considered a late first round pick in the upcoming draft this June. Now, multiple mock drafts have Kyle being selected in the top five.
"Im not really thinking about that. Just trying to go out there and get better every day and get my spots and like I said, execute my pitches, and thats for something else to decide. My name gets called whenever it does, and Ill be excited to take the next step."
Funny how things change over time. Three years ago, Kyle was focused on hitting home runs. Now this potential number one pick is constantly thinking about strike outs. Henry Wofford, Comcast Sportsnet Bay Area.