Baseball: Cajuns enjoying life in pro ball

Joshua Parrott • jparrott@theadvertiser.com • June 6, 2009

Danny Farquhar says there is no debate: life as a professional baseball player beats out the responsibilities of playing college ball.

While Farquhar enjoyed his three years as a pitcher

at UL, he has truly embraced the experience of playing pro ball since getting drafted in the 10th round last summer by the Toronto Blue Jays. He recently

reflected on life in the minors with this year’s Major League Baseball First-Year Player draft looming next week.

"I definitely like pro ball better than college because of all the stuff off the field," Farquhar said. "You don’t have to worry about school. You don’t have a curfew. You’re out on your own."

Farquhar and former UL teammate Hunter Moody – a 35th-round pick by the Blue Jays last summer – have spent the past year living on their own. Solid results have helped both climb through Toronto’s minor league system.

Last year, Farquhar made 12 relief appearances for Short-Season-A Auburn – that included a stint with Moody – and three for Single-A Lansing, posting a combined 2-2 record with a 1.95 ERA over 32.1 innings. The right-hander showed impeccable control, striking out 31 batters while walking only eight.

Farquhar closed the season by allowing zero earned runs and one hit in his final seven outings, striking out 19 in 14.2 innings.

That performance came after Farquhar struggled through an up-and-down junior season at UL after a short-lived stint as a starter. His potential and throwing ability was too much for pro scouts to ignore come draft time.

"What’s helped me more than anything (since leaving college) was going out and throwing strikes, trusting in your abilities and not worrying about the draft," Farquhar said. "I didn’t worry about the draft as much as people might think. Trying to make the switch to being a starter probably affected me the most."

Last year’s momentum has carried over into this season.

After going 1-0 with a 0.53 ERA and seven saves in 17 appearances in Advanced-A Dunedin, Farquhar made the jump to Double-A New Hampshire two weeks ago. As of Friday he was 0-2 with a 1.59 ERA in five outings, holding opponents to a .182 batting average.

With continued success, there’s a chance that Farquhar could find himself throwing in the big leagues later this year. Farquhar, though, is not wasting his time thinking about that possibility.

"It’s just like that old cliché: I’m taking it one day at a time and one pitch at a time," said Farquhar, who is averaging 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings the past two years in Toronto’s system. "You can’t worry about the future. You can’t control the results and can only control your pitches."

Moody hoped he would get a chance to play pro ball after going 9-2 as a senior to earn first team All-Sun Belt honors and finish as UL’s all-time wins leader. The Blue Jays ended up taking the left-hander in the 35th round.

"This time last year was bittersweet because I was getting done at UL but excited about getting drafted," Moody said. "I just kept an open mind through the draft process and was glad when the Blue Jays gave me an opportunity."

Keeping an open mind came in handy for Moody soon after getting drafted.

After throwing a combined eight scoreless innings in his first two starts with the Gulf Coast League Blue Jays, Moody was asked to make a drastic change. The team’s pitching coordinator thought that Moody’s three-quarters arm angle would be better used during the middle innings.

The shift to the bullpen worked out beautifully.

Moody finished last year with a 4-0 mark and a 1.47 ERA in a combined 16 appearances between the Gulf Coast League and Short-Season A Auburn. In 36.2 innings, he struck out 38 and walked only six.

That move continues to work for Moody, who had a 2.76 ERA in 15 appearances this year as of Friday with Single-A Lansing. He had 19 strikeouts in 16.1 innings.

Moody is currently in a groove, allowing only two earned runs in his last 10 outings over a combined 11.1 innings. During that stretch he has 14 strikeouts.

"I’ve enjoyed working out of the bullpen, and it’s definitely working out for me," said Moody, who is joined in Lansing by former UL pitcher Chad Beck. "As a starter you have all week to get ready. Now I still have to get my running and workouts in and have to be ready all the time."

Instead of worrying about his pro future, Moody is doing his best to enjoy the moment and improve every day.

"You can’t sit around and wonder what the organization has planned for you," Moody said. "I’m just going to be ready when I’m called on to perform. So far, I’m happy with how I’ve done (in the minors).

"I just need to keep building on that and maybe I’ll get a promotion again sometime soon."