Downs revels in newfound job security
03/08/2006DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Every time that Scott Downs takes the mound this spring, he can let out a little sigh of relief. He finally has a job waiting for him.
The left-handed pitcher has been traded three times, has undergone Tommy John surgery, and had a handful temporary big-league stints that never amounted to a full-time position. Then, Toronto took a chance and signed Downs to a Minor League contract before last season.
Downs received his call to the Majors last May and hasn't looked back since. He was a large part of the bullpen that led the American League East in ERA and he was one of the pitchers that helped keep the starting rotation intact when Roy Halladay and Ted Lilly were injured.
The versatility and consistency that Downs displayed has given him Major League job security for the first time in his career.
"This is the first year coming in where I think it's my job to lose," Downs said. "Then again, saying that, you never know what can happen. You still have to go out there and work and bust your butt. You realize that nothing is guaranteed and nothing is a given until Opening Day."
As far as Toronto manager John Gibbons is concerned, having Downs in the bullpen for the upcoming season is a given. That's something that Gibbons knows has to feel good, especially given Downs' rocky path to his current position.
"He's guaranteed a job. It's got to [boost his confidence]," Gibbons said. "When you're always fighting for a spot, it makes it that much tougher. Now, he can just relax and get ready to go."
Downs will have the same role as he did a year ago. The 29-year-old southpaw will serve as a long reliever, but will also be available to make starts, if needed. It's a unique job to have in the Majors, but it's a role that Downs loves.
Last season, he found sucess in the rotation and out of the bullpen. Downs was 4-3 with a 4.30 ERA in 13 games as a starter and he had a 4.32 ERA in 13 appearances as a reliever.
"I like that role," Downs said. "To be able to go out there to show you can throw an inning, or two, or three, or four out of the 'pen, that's key at the Major League level with any club.
"Here, especially, we have such a strong starting staff and such a strong bullpen," he added. "It's a good fit for myself to be in that middle role. If a starter happens to struggle, to be able to get us to the sixth inning, where we're solid -- it's a fun role."
Downs had to go through his share of ups and downs to reach the point he's at now.
He made 19 starts in 2000 with the Chicago Cubs and Montreal Expos. Then, Downs had to have elbow ligament replacement surgery that shortened his stay in the Majors. He didn't make another big league appearance until 2003, and didn't have semi-regular work until pitching in 12 games for the Expos in '04.
He was traded from the Cubs to the Twins, from the Twins back to the Cubs, and from the Cubs to the Expos, before finally signing with the Blue Jays. Downs said concerns about his previous injury probably played a part in his forced travels.
"I almost had to redo it again and reestablish myself. It just takes the right situation at the right time," Downs said. "I think last year was the situation for me to prove that I can pitch in the big leagues and that I'm over all the injuries."
Last year, Downs did his part to help Halladay and Lilly when they were injured. Toronto pitching coach Brad Arnsberg said that Downs' performances when helping out the starting rotation were invaluable to the Blue Jays.
"He was huge. He was ridiculously important [to the team]," Arnsberg said. "This guy went out and all of a sudden he jumps in and he expected to work into the seventh every night."
Downs said he was thrilled to step up as a starter.
"My only thing was, 'Give me the ball.' I want the ball," Downs said. "That gave me a chance to go out there and prove to these guys that I belong here. Fortunately, I did a pretty good job and I was able to step in last year to fill those needs.
"There's still a lot more I have to prove this year, and the next year, and the next year," he added. "It's always a constant battle until your career is over."
For now, Downs has proved plenty. He finally got the chance to win a full-time job, and that's exactly what he did.
"He's taken full advantage of a huge opportunity, and that is sometimes what seperates the really, really good ones from the ones that are cup-of-coffee guys," Arnsberg said. "He's getting a second, maybe even a third chance, and he's taken full advantage of it. The good ones find a way and that's what Scotty continues to do. It's a pleasure to watch."
Source: http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/
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