Under the (radar) gun
BUTLERTWP — Hitting 92 mph on a radar gun is still 92 mph, even if you're 29 years old.
On Thursday at Highfield Park, pitcher Nate Buttenfield of the Saxonburg Eagle County League baseball team displayed his skills before a handful of scouts in hopes of another shot at professional baseball.
Buttenfield allowed five hits in four innings against Allegheny Valley, a team from the Pittsburgh Federation League. He struck out five and walked one in Saxonburg's 8-2 exhibition victory.
"I definitely expected more. I was a little tired," said Buttenfield, who played in the Seattle Mariners organization after four years at Indiana (Pa.) University.
"I definitely felt I didn't have the zip on my fastball. I felt I could have had a three to four mph difference, and I had a little problem with my control,"Buttenfield added.
The Gibsonia resident won two games in the Eagle County League Championship Series to help Saxonburg sweep the best-of-five series against Mars I, including a four-hitter Aug. 9.
"I think Nate pitched pretty well," said Saxonburg coach Dan Cunningham. "He had trouble getting loosened up the first couple of innings."
After pitching on a weekly basis and taking the entire winter off, Buttenfield's velocity improved by about eight to 10 mph, Cunningham said.
"He's been feeling a lot better,"Cunningham added.
Tom Yannotty, a Butler dentist who scouts Western Pennsylvania for the Atlanta Braves, was pleased with Buttenfield, especially early in the game."He's impressive. As the innings went on, though, he went down to 86 mph," said Yannotty, who has scouted for four teams during the past 15 years. "When you look at quality hitters, you want to see the fourth or fifth inning the pitcher getting stronger."You ask yourself how would this pitcher do against high (Class) A or AA. These hitters are not AA, but they were hitting the ball well."If Nate Buttenfield is pumping gas and pitching 95, 96 mph, that's a great story. ... They definitely promoted Eagle County baseball well (Thursday)," Yannotty added.That speed was not far off from what Buttenfield, a physical education teacher at North Hills High School as well an assistant baseball coach for the Indians, might have done in Game 1 against Mars in that championship series.Cunningham admitted that Buttenfield was on top of his game that day with incredible velocity. He even struck out the side in the seventh inning against a powerhouse Mars lineup.Buttenfield is still optimistic he will get chances at tryouts next year."It's still my dream to play in the big leagues," said Buttenfield. "Any age I get there would be fine with me. I still have all the desire."
