TUCSON, Ariz.-
Colorado starting pitcher Josh Fogg has become a student of the game, and so far he is grading out pretty well with the Rockies.
The right-handed thrower, second on the club last year with 11 victories, knows he can’t just rear back and throw the ball any longer.
“I am a lot smarter. My stuff is probably not as good. As you get older your stuff declines a little bit, but I have gotten a lot smarter,” Fogg said. “I have leaned how to pitch a lot better, and I’m studying the game more.”
Fogg isn’t all that old. This will be his sixth major league season, and his second with Colorado after agreeing to a one-year, $3.6 million extension.
“I used to be more of a thrower, and now I have become more of a pitcher to set up hitters a little better and manage the game better,” Fogg said. “I spend a lot more time watching games than I used to.”
He said he is asking more questions and studying more hitters than he used to.
“I used to watch games more like a fan than a student. As you get older you realize there are a lot of things you can pick up throughout a game,” Fogg said.
“If you pick up one little thing in a week’s time it can help you in your next start. It can be the difference between a win and a loss,” he said.
Last year, he signed with the Rockies as a free agent just a week before spring training after four years with Pittsburgh. He left an impression, going 11-9 with a 5.49 ERA last season.
He has a 50-51 career record with a 4.89 ERA.
If the Rockies have any doubts about his capabilities, they can look to a June 30, 2006, game against Seattle.
Fogg pitched his first complete-game shutout, defeating Seattle and Jamie Moyerwith on a two-hitter for a 2-0 victory in one hour, 52 minutes, the shortest 9-inning game in Rockies history.
“It was a good game. It was one of those games where I was pitching well. Moyer was pitching well. Before you know it the game was over. It was a good feeling,” Fogg said.
Fogg, a possible No. 4 or 5 in the Rockies’ starting rotation, is looking for more games like that, and so is manager Clint Hurdle.
He started out last year with a 7-5 record and a 4.44 ERA, but in the second half of the season dropped to 4-4 with a 6.94 ERA.
“We have seen him battle and we have seen him pitch very, very good ball games,” Hurdle said. “We have seen him pitch some games were he has struggled. We look for him to take the next step. We are looking for more consistency.”
Fogg has not taken full advantage of his offensive support, which averaged 6.44 runs per outing last year, second-highest among National League pitchers.
