Browning and Wood: Striking similarities

[OnBaseMachine]

Browning and Wood: Striking similarities
BY KEVIN KELLY | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

DAYTON - Tom Browning struck out more batters in 1986 than any other Red on the pitching staff that season.

It stands as the last time a left-handed pitcher drafted and developed by the Reds led the team in that category.

Travis Wood is a ways from pitching in the major leagues, but 16 games into his pro career, the Reds' second-round draft pick last year already has posted some impressive strikeout totals.

Entering Thursday, the Single-A Dayton pitcher was tied for the Midwest League lead with 15 strikeouts in 82/3 innings. In 571/3 innings overall in the minors, Wood is 3-0 with a 1.57 ERA and has struck out 82 batters while walking only 22.

"You never can expect strikeouts," said Wood, a 19-year-old from Alexander, Ark. "You just expect to have a good game and do your best."

In his second start this season, against Lansing on Tuesday at Fifth Third Field in Dayton, Wood allowed four doubles over five scoreless innings in a 2-1 win.

His struck out 10 and walked one.

"I was impressed with the way he pitched inside," Dayton manager Billy Gardner said afterward. "He went inside for effect, which helped his changeup. His changeup had real good deception, and it makes his fastball better."

Baseball America rated Wood as the third-best prospect in the Reds' farm system after a solid debut in rookie ball last season.

In 14 appearances with the Gulf Coast League Reds and Billings Mustangs, Wood went 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA and 67 strikeouts to just 20 walks in 482/3 innings.

Opponents batted .166 against him.

"Last year definitely gave me the confidence to know what I can do and what my limits are," Wood said. "I know I can compete out there."

Wood throws a two-seam and four-seam fastball that tops out in the low 90s. He also throws a changeup and a curveball.

"The curveball is the pitch that has needed the most work from high school to last year," Wood said. "I need to keep working on all my pitches but emphasizing the curveball."

E-mail kkelly@enquirer.com

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060414/SPT04/604140352/1071

[TC81190]

Blind squirrel, meet nut.

I am, of course, referring to Dan O' Brien.

[Gallen5862]

It is encouraging to see that Travis Wood is maintaining his great start from last year.

[HBP]

Blind squirrel, meet nut.

I am, of course, referring to Dan O' Brien.

True...DanO did many things wrong, but it looks like he/scouts got that pick right.

[Superdude]

Wood throws a two-seam and four-seam fastball that tops out in the low 90s

A thread on Old Red Guard was talking about Wood's velocity. They said he wasn't even reaching 90MPH. I won't get too worried yet, considering he's only had a few starts, but I thought this guy was supposed to throw like 95.

[Ravenlord]

A thread on Old Red Guard was talking about Wood's velocity. They said he wasn't even reaching 90MPH. I won't get too worried yet, considering he's only had a few starts, but I thought this guy was supposed to throw like 95.
that's what his draft day profile on Baseball America said. has a good 95 MPH fastball, no useful secondary pitch, and poor/inconsistant mechanics. having seen a clip of him striking out a couple batters the other day, it would seem that entire profile was wrong...except for that secondary pitch part.

[dougdirt]

Ravenlord, no secondary pitch? He already possesses a PLUS changeup. He needs to work on his curveball, but it has improved a lot since HS. He did have poor mechanics in his junior year of HS, but he fixed it his senior year and hasnt seemed to have problems with his mechanics since.

[Ravenlord]

Ravenlord, no secondary pitch? He already possesses a PLUS changeup. He needs to work on his curveball, but it has improved a lot since HS. He did have poor mechanics in his junior year of HS, but he fixed it his senior year and hasnt seemed to have problems with his mechanics since.

10 second news clip. if he threw his changeup during it, then his change is straight and the hitters weren't really fooled. it showed two curveballs in the clip, one was well outside but was swung at, and the other didn't really break.

[OnBaseMachine]

He probably didn't throw it then because every report I've read has stated that Wood has a plus-plus major league changeup. The curveball is the pitch he needed to work on, and apparently it's getting better according to posters on here who have saw him pitch in person this season.

[dougdirt]

He didnt throw it then. His change up is absolutely nasty.

[rdiersin]

He probably didn't throw it then because every report I've read has stated that Wood has a plus-plus major league changeup. The curveball is the pitch he needed to work on, and apparently it's getting better according to posters on here who have saw him pitch in person this season.

Yea, I think this is true too OBM. I think I remember reading where it seemed many people were kind of shocked that his change was as good as it was after he was drafted, maybe he wasn't throwing it often when people came to watch.

[Heath]

Speaking of similarities between Wood and Browning - check out Zach Ward's delivery. It's eeriely similar in style to Pete Harnisch.

[Red Leader]

Repeat post from another post somewhere on Wood (can't find it), and this isn't an exact repeat of the other post.

Wood has been instructed to work on his curveball to begin the year in Dayton. He may throw more curveballs in situations where he normally wouldn't because he was instructed to work on the pitch and throw it more often. Also, he's been told to ease back on his velocity as the season begins. I went to the Dragon's game last week where he struck out 10. He topped out at 88mph. I was told that he can reach 94-95 with his fastball. His changeup looked phenominal. It looked like several of the Lansing hitters guessed correctly that a change up was coming and still couldn't make solid contact on it. So assuming Wood gets his fastball up to 94-95 and has his change up working, he's got 2 plus major league pitches. The fact that they asked him to scale back on his fastball, work on his curveball, and he still struck out 10 is very encouraging, at least to me. Also, there were a couple of innings where he did give up a lead off double, or a one out double. Both times, the runners never advanced. They walked back to the dugout from 2B when the inning was over. That impressed me as well. He's a pretty smart pitcher, it seems. He got the hitters that followed those doubles to either strike out, or hit to the left side where the runners couldn't advance. That may not be noticed by a lot of people, but I sure enjoyed it.