KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- In the span of two months last season, Kris Medlen, former junior college shortstop and relief pitcher, became wrapped in a seeming statistical hallucination that had him crossing historical paths with Roger Clemens (20-game win streak with him as a starter, most since Clemens), Greg Maddux (pitcher-of-the-month honors in consecutive months), Whitey Ford (21-game win streak, most since Ford) and Warren Spahn (sub-1.00 ERA in a 10-start span).
So to recap, that's Clemens, Maddux, Ford, Spahn ... Medlen. I know. Which of these things is not like the other?
Medlen remains the incognito, as well as improbable, superstar. He has come a ways from being confused for the batboy in spring training, but not by much. He’s not very big (the 5-10 listing is generous) and has a boyish face for 27. He says he is more likely to be recognized in public when he wears a hat, not when he doesn’t.
Maybe he should wear his uniform when driving to work. Then he won't have to convince stadium employees that, yes, he actually is a player and not there for autographs.
No. Seriously.
“It still happens sometimes when I come to the parking lot," Medlen said, smiling. "They stop me once in a while. It's, like, I get carded. I have to show my Braves ID.”
Pause.
“I think I’m starting to look older though because I’m not getting carded for beers as often.”
Medlen wouldn’t change anything. These past several months have been like a dream sequence. He made a successful come back from a reconstructed elbow. He endured being a yo-yo in the bullpen and being sent to the minors. He crashed the Braves' starting rotation because of injuries, then became so dominant that the team couldn’t take him out. He morphed into the staff ace, going 9-0 in 12 starts, and was selected to start the only playoff game (a loss, which could be attributed more to three errors and a botched infield fly rule call than his pitching).
Medlen and his wife also became parents to their first child, Max, last month. Both were in attendance Saturday when Medlen made his second spring start against Houston. It was a strong outing, save the 400-foot homer that Carlos Pena crushed in the first inning, which fortunately, Medlen thinks, his family missed. “He didn’t get to see me give up the home run. That’s good."
When Max is old enough, he will hear stories about his father’s remarkable journey and last season’s meteoric ascent. In 12 starts (all Braves wins), Medlen went 9-0 with 84 strikeouts and 10 walks in 83 2/3 innings and an ERA detectable only by radar (0.97). Opposing batters had an accumulated average of .191. Medlen also set a major league record with 23 consecutive starts (dating to 2010) in which his team won (breaking Ford’s mark).
Medlen's summation: “Pretty cool. Pretty gratifying.”
As remarkable as the year was, nobody believes it was an aberration, least of all him.
“Getting a raise (to $2.6 million), not making the minimum any more, it kind of feels like validation,” Medlen said. “It was like, ‘OK, I did it, and they think I can do it again.’ I want to do it again. I did for two months, so why can't I do it for six?”
Indeed, why not?
Gene Garber, the former Braves pitcher and now a special instructor in camp, said to expect Medlen to replicate last year’s numbers “over the course of years would be asking too much.” But he attributes that to the foibles of the game, not to what he thinks of Medlen -- which is a lot.
“He’s got stuff, he’s got command, he’s got poise and he’s got stones beyond comparison,” Garber said. “He’s fearless on the mound.”
Hall of Famer Don Sutton, a Braves broadcaster, echoed those who’ve likened Medlen to Maddux (a Hall of Famer in waiting).
Sutton: “He’s Maddux with six more miles an hour on his fastball. He’s a competitive guy, but he has a personality that’s never going to let him get too high when he’s dazzling people or get down when he has one of those shaky days. It’s a perfect personality for a starting pitcher.”
In other words, last season was not an aberration. Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez has not said whether Medlen or Tim Hudson will start the season opener, but there is little question who the No. 1 starter on the staff is. It's the guy who still gets carded.
About Jeff Schultz
Jeff Schultz is a general sports columnist and blogger who isn't afraid to share his opinion, which may not necessarily jibe with yours.
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