Miller looks to lock up spot with Things
Washington’s Austin Wobrock tosses to Matt Ford for an out against the Lake Erie Crushers during a morning exhibition game Friday at Consol Energy Park..
The Wild Things’ Matt Purnell pitches Friday morning.
Joey Miller thought he had a roster spot with the Wild Things locked up for the final month of last season.
Manager Bob Bozzuto also thought Miller would be playing for Washington as it made a push into the Frontier League’s postseason.
It turned out the only thing that got locked up was Miller’s left knee.
A first baseman from Hagerstown, Md., who put up video game-like statistics at Concord University in West Virginia, Miller had a one-day tryout with the Wild Things last year in the early days of August. What was left of Washington’s coaching staff liked what they saw from the 6-4, 225-pound Miller and informed the former Mountain East Conference Player of the Year that he could sign a contract and be added to the roster the next day.
Sometimes, the best-laid plans go awry.
As Miller was walking to his the clubhouse after the tryout, his left knee locked up. No pops were heard. There were no tears of the ligaments. The knee just locked into place.
“I couldn’t move it,” Miller explained. “My leg was straight and I couldn’t bend my knee or turn my leg left or right. It was locked in one position.”
You could say Miller became the Frontier League’s first player to be locked out.
Unable to play the remainder of last year because of what was diagnosed as Placka Syndrome – an inflammation of the inner lining of the knee – Miller is back in Washington trying to earn a roster spot for the Wild Things’ season opener May 15 against Schaumburg.
Miller helped his cause Friday during the Wild Things’ two exhibition games against Lake Erie. He went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles in the morning game, which ended in a 2-2 tie. Miller showed position flexibility by playing third base and starting an around-the-horn double play that ended the eighth inning.
Lake Erie took advantage of four Washington errors to win the night game, 6-4. Center fielder Danny Poma was 3-for-4 with a run-scoring double for Washington and starting pitcher Kyle Helisek threw three shutout innings.
Miller said his knee is healthy. He has had no problems with it since last summer.
“After being here last year, I had to drive home to Maryland with my left knee locked straight. It was a good thing I drive a car that’s an automatic (transmission) and didn’t have to work a clutch,” Miller said.
“It sure was bad luck last year, but things happen and you have to make the best of them. I went home and had the knee looked at by a few doctors. They gave me a rehab program and I doubled it. Instead of 10 weeks of rehabilitation, I did 20. I wanted to make sure I was ready to play this year.”
Bozzuto offered Miller another chance, knowing he had a player with potential and some professional experience.
After hitting 28 home runs and driving in 141 runs in two years at Concord, Miller went undrafted last June. He signed with the Roswell Invaders of the independent Pecos League and batted .357 over 33 games. When Roswell’s season ended, Miller returned to Maryland and was home less than 24 hours before the Wild Things called and invited him to a workout.
Though Miller has some pro experience, he is considered a rookie by Frontier League roster standards. That means he’s likely battling rookie first baseman Brady North of Cumberland (Tenn.) University for a roster spot. North also played in the morning game, going 2-for-3 with a run-scoring double.
The play of Miller, North and several pitchers did not make the job of manager Bob Bozzuto any easier. Washington had 40 players on the roster as of Friday morning and must get down to 28 Sunday.
“These games answered some questions and made some others,” Bozzuto said. “It was a good day in that we gave a lot of pitchers a chance to throw. Kyle Helisek did a nice job, as did some other pitchers.”
Pitcher Matt Phillips was placed on the retired list. Phillips, who missed all of last season after undergoing shoulder surgery, pitched one inning in the morning game, giving up three hits and one run. … Brendan Costatino of Monongahela is a rookie infielder for Lake Erie. He drove in the Crushers’ first run of the night game with a single and went 1-for-2. He also was hit by a pitch. Costatino played college ball at Seton Hill and is a graduate of Geibel Catholic. … The teams will play an exhibition game today in Avon, Ohio.