Irwin now throwing strikes for Spikes

Guy Cipriano

The big stages of a child's life consume fathers, so when a son props his right arm on a kitchen counter and it is much bigger than the left one, the dad becomes confused.

Irwin

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“I was wondering whether it was good or bad,” Tim Irwin said. “But, maybe throwing a 16-pound ball does something for your forearm.”

A good all-star story must start somewhere, so why not let the one of State College Spikes pitcher Phil Irwin begin with a father’s revelation — bowling wasn’t bad for Phil Irwin.

The sport partially shaped one of the New York-Penn League’s best pitchers, who joins teammates Zach Foster and Brock Holt in tonight’s game at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.

Phil will likely throw one inning for the National League team. The pressure tonight could be tame compared to what he experienced during his bowling career at Christian Brothers (Tenn.) High School. He routinely rolled over 200 games to help Christian Brothers win two state titles, no small feat considering screaming fans stand less than 10 feet from bowlers during major tournaments.

“It’s actually one of the most electric atmospheres I have ever been in,” Phil said. “Everybody laughs when I tell them that, but there is no talking room behind you.”

Phil had everybody talking during one afternoon as a senior: He started a game by rolling 11 straight strikes. The lanes stopped to watch Phil’s final attempt.

The ball instantly rolled off line and he finished with a career-best 298.

“I looked to my left and I looked to my right and nobody was bowling anymore,” Phil said. “Everybody was watching to see if I could throw a 300. I buckled.”

Still, Phil came a long way in three years. Tim thought bowling represented a temporary fad that would end after Phil was cut from the Christian Brothers team as a freshman.

“I’m a traditional basketball, baseball, football guy,” Tim said. “One day he came home freshman year, said: ‘I got cut from the bowling team.’ I’m thinking: ‘Big deal. It’s bowling.’ But he was really, really upset.”

The highs and lows of bowling helped Phil handle the trials of being a pitcher.

His high school baseball career included many triumphs — he went 9-2 with 0.97 ERA to help Christian Brothers claim a state title in 2005 — but Phil reached June of his senior year without solidified college plans. A strong outing during a summer travel game in Oxford, Miss., helped Phil land at the University of Mississippi, a rising program in the ultra-competitive Southeastern Conference.

Phil’s college career got off to a rocky start. He arrived with a sore arm, something he discovered during an early fall bullpen session in front of his new coaches. He stopped throwing midway through the session.

His rehab was delayed multiple times. Finally, he opted for Tommy John surgery in December, a proactive move to ensure he would only miss one season.

“All they tell you is to push through it,” Phil said. “You just want to throw the ball down. It’s really tough.”

Phil’s contributions the next two years were minimal as he pitched behind a talented staff that included high 2008 draft picks Lance Lynn and Cody Satterwhite and current Spike Nathan Baker.

Things changed this past spring. Phil started attacking hitters with a fastball that touched the low-90s. His curveball deceived hitters and his changeup improved.

Phil spent the entire season in the Rebels’ weekend rotation and started NCAA Regional and Super Regional games. The stakes increased as the season progressed, bringing Phil, who helped Ole Miss claim a share of its first SEC title since 1977, back to his bowling days.

“The SEC atmosphere is awesome,” he said. “You get so much adrenaline and it’s almost hard to settle down. When I struck out the third out in the first inning of a regional game, the ground was shaking. The seats were high at our stadium. It’s like a coliseum. It’s really loud and it’s packed into one small area.”

Phil’s background has helped him flourish this summer. The 21st-round pick has allowed one earned run and four walks in 22 innings.

He fits the profile of a professional pitcher, standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 215 pounds. Muscles bulge from his right forearm. He was so big as a baby that he entered the world with two black eyes and a broken collarbone.

But, his personality doesn’t match his intimidating stature.

“He’s a very grounded young man,” manager Gary Robinson said. “He’s a bulldog. His personality doesn’t fit the way he pitches. If you talk to him, he’s just a good old boy kind of guy. He’s happy go lucky. He doesn’t appear all that aggressive. But you give him the ball and he steps on the mound, and he’s way aggressive.”

Robinson said Phil’s biggest developmental goal involves enhancing his changeup. Tim has no doubt his son will adapt to the Pittsburgh Pirates’ ways.

Phil started pitching at age five. Tim, a pitching junkie, took his son to a variety of pitching coaches, including current San Francisco Giant Matt Cain and former major-leaguer Goose Gozzo. Phil’s older brother, T.J., has a similar passion pitching, although his career ended as a high school senior because of a balky shoulder.

Tim and his sons always experimented with new grips and pitches, including a curveball Phil learned as a 12-year-old. The pitch slowly breaks away from a hitter, and Phil used it to finish hitters in high school and college.

“Even at 12 he had a really big curveball,” Tim said. “It was always an easy pitch for him.”

The Pirates limit the volume of curveballs thrown by Phil. But he’s tossed it enough to earn a nickname.

“He has a great curveball,” Foster said. “That’s why we call him Filthy Phil. He throws strikes and then he’s able to get guys out with that pitch.”

Expect that big right arm to unleash a few of those curveballs tonight. You see, he has a history of throwing strikes.

Guy Cipriano can be reached at 231-4643.