Central Michigan University Athletics
Pleiness Off To Great Start
6/30/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
AUBURN, N.Y. - So far, so good in the new baseball world of Chad Pleiness.
The 6-6, 235-pound right-handed pitcher from Central Michigan University has not been scored on in three outings with the Auburn Doubledays of the New York-Penn League.
Pleiness has pitched 10 and one-third for the Class A minor league team of the Toronto Blue Jays, and owns an 0-0 record with a 0.00 ERA. He has allowed just five hits, walked three and struck out eight.
"I've been pitching pretty well," said Pleiness, the fifth-round pick of the Blue Jays in the 2002 draft. "It's different playing baseball for a living. You come to the park at 2 p.m., and don't leave until past 11 p.m.
"We'll lift a couple of times a week, but mostly we just play baseball games."
In fact, during the months of July and August, the Doubledays play every day but three. They open the season with 21 games in 21 days, and will play 76 games between June 18 and Sept. 4.
Pleiness has been going at a frenetic pace since signing with the Blue Jays early in June. He spent three days in Florida getting a physical, learning drills and pitching in the bullpen.
When the season is over, Pleiness hopes to go to instructional league in Florida in the fall.
In the meantime, Doubleday hurlers are on an 80-pitch count although Pleiness needed only 58 pitches in his second outing of the season in four and two-thirds innings.
"They've been working on changing my motion ever since I got here," Pleiness said. "They want me to use my legs more not just my upper body.
"It'll take some time but I think it will work our okay."
Pleiness is living with a host family three blocks from Falcon Park for $35 a week.
"It's a pretty good deal," Pleiness said. "I can walk to the park whenever I want."
Until recently, Chad didn't have much of a choice without a car. However, he just purchased a 1999 Chevy Malibu.
"I'll probably still walk, though," he said. "It's not that far."
Now sporting a goatee, Pleiness enjoys his new teammates.
"I didn't know what to expect in the pros but these guys have been great, especially the drafted players," Pleiness said. "It's been a lot of fun."
