JARVIS COMES TO TERMS WITH GIANTS
08/01/2008 12:41 PM
The Lincoln Saltdogs announced Friday that pitcher Jason Jarvis has come to terms with the San
Francisco Giants organization. The right-hander will report to Class A Salem-Keizer of the
Northwest League next week.
Jarvis, who was selected by the Giants in the 23rd round of the draft this past June, pitched well
as both a reliever and a starter for Lincoln in 2008. The former Arizona State closer went 4-6
overall, and his 2.98 ERA ranked him seventh among all pitchers in the American Association.
Jarvis went 0-3 with a 3.00 ERA and one save in 16 relief appearances, before moving to the
Saltdogs’ starting rotation. In that role, Jason posted a 4-3 mark and a 2.98 ERA in seven starts,
including a complete-game win at El Paso on Tuesday in his last outing for Lincoln.
“This kid has a chance to make it all the way to the major leagues,” said Saltdogs acting manager
and pitching coach Jim Haller. “When he first came here, he knew how to throw hard, but he
didn’t necessarily know how to pitch. Now he can locate his fastball and his changeup, and if he
keeps working on developing his offspeed pitches, he could have a really long career.”
Jarvis came to the Saltdogs after a brief career at Arizona State University. In 2007, he set an
Arizona State record with 11 saves despite not making his first appearance until mid-March.
Jason began the 2008 collegiate season with two saves in six appearances, but was then declared
academically ineligible over a dispute about an online exam. Jarvis was eventually cleared of any
academic dishonesty, but the university refused to restore his eligibility. Jason chose to turn pro
at that point, signing with the Saltdogs in March of this year and successfully petitioning Major
League Baseball to enter this year’s draft.
(Article from www.saltdogs.com)
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SALTDOGS HANG ON TO WIN GAME, SERIES
07/29/2008 9:37 PM
The Lincoln Saltdogs won a nail-biter Tuesday night, beating El Paso 3-2 at Cohen Stadium.
Lincoln wins the series over the Diablos two games to one, and finishes 5-2 on its seven-game
road trip through the South Division.
Lincoln starter Jason Jarvis (4-6) earned the first complete game of his professional career,
allowing two runs on eight hits. Jarvis struck out seven without walking a hitter, throwing 130
pitches in the contest. El Paso scored single runs in the first and fourth innings, but Jason saved
his biggest pitch of the night for the final at-bat. With runners on first and second and two men
out, Jarvis struck out Alex Derhak looking on a fastball (96mph) to end the game.
The Saltdogs, meanwhile, did just enough to win against El Paso starter Josh Neitz (7-7), who
turned in a fine outing in defeat. Matt Maloney hit a solo home run in the first inning, and
Lincoln scored a run without a hit in the second on Mario Delgado’s sacrifice fly, but Neitz didn’t
give up a second hit to the Dogs until the fifth inning.
Lincoln finally scored the game’s decisive run in the top of the seventh. Eduardo Rios led the
frame off with a double, went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Shawn McGill, and scored the final
tally of the contest on a wild pitch. Neitz threw two wild pitches in the game, both of which led to
runs for the Saltdogs.
The Saltdogs will spend Wednesday traveling back to Lincoln, before hosting Sioux City at 7:05
Thursday night at Haymarket Park. Vince Davis is scheduled to make the start for Lincoln.
(Article from www.saltdogs.com)
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Independent Baseball Chatter
This Blog is dedicated entirely to Independent Baseball
S A T U R D A Y , J U N E 0 7 , 2 0 0 8
JASON JARVIS'S DRAFT
Some leftovers from our weekly Independent Baseball Insider column
as well as developments that have caught our eye early this weekend:
Jason Jarvis, who was raved about in our May 29 column (see below - "Draft Lightning"), did get
drafted, likely bringing his time with the Lincoln (NE) Saltdogs of the
American Association to closure soon. But he will only enter the San
Francisco Giants' farm system as a 23rd round choice. Two terrific
outings against division-leading St. Paul, MN probably came too late to
boost him into a higher round.
Jarvis, who hopes to follow Luke Hochevar and Max Scherzer and give
the American Association three right-handers in the majors in the not too-
distant future, struck out the Saints in order in two consecutive
appearances Wednesday and Thursday. He has a 1.64 earned run
average with 12 strikeouts in 11 innings while posting an 0-1 record
with one save for Lincoln.
"His fastball is already major-league quality, and (pitching coach) Jim
Haller has really helped him to develop an outstanding changeup,"
praised Saltdogs skipper Tim Johnson. Jarvis had last pitched for
Arizona State. |
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By KEN HAMBLETON / Lincoln Journal Star
Thursday, Jun 05, 2008 - 12:24:16 pm CDT
Maybe Jim Haller’s glasses protected Jason Jarvis from the fire that flashes from the eyes of the Lincoln Saltdogs pitching coach.
At 6-foot-6 and the far side of 230 pounds, Haller can be intimidating.
A former first-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1970, Haller hopes he can say farewell to Jarvis soon.
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Jason Jarvis talks with teammates in the dugout during the Saltdogs' game against the St. Paul Saints at Haymarket Park on Wednesday. (Heidi Hoffman) |
Haller’s job was to see what Jarvis had, what he could learn and what he could handle.
“I gave him everything and it was one-sided, loud and confrontational, every day for three weeks and he handled it like a man who wanted to make a point,” Haller said of Jarvis, who joined the Saltdogs this spring.
The 20-year-old right-handed reliever enjoys Lincoln. He’s been just fine for the Saltdogs, striking out six and allowing just 10 hits in 10 appearances.
If predictions match reality, it won’t be very long before Jarvis is with a major-league organization after the first-year player draft today and Friday.
“Top three rounds is serious money,” Haller said. “I was a first-round pick (Dodgers) and I can say this kid has that kind of talent to be in the bigs in three to four years.”
Jarvis has done plenty to enhance his image for baseball scouts since he left Arizona State in March. He joined the Saltdogs in the independent American Association in April with the idea of learning some of the key aspects of pro baseball.
He’s matured as a person and as a pitcher. He’s adopted the nuances of throwing a devastating change-up that often makes opposing batters stumble awkwardly across the plate.
“Hitters look at his fastball and trust it at 94-95 (mph),” said Haller. “Then he throws an 83 mph change-up and it’s an unfair advantage.
“A great change-up is one that is 10 to 12 mph slower than the fastball. He’s throwing 15 to 16 mph difference with good arm speed and not giving it away. It’s just mean.”
Jarvis was drafted in the 25th round of the major-league draft out of high school in Scottsdale, Ariz. He eventually enrolled at Arizona State and set a freshman record with 11 saves in 2007. But in March this year, Jarvis faced charges of academic dishonesty that eventually were proven incorrect in March.
He was still ineligible academically, and instead of trying to regain his playing status at Arizona State, he petitioned Major League Baseball to enter this year’s first-year players draft.
“I don’t know what will happen now,” Jarvis said. “I’ve learned to like Lincoln and the guys on this team. The coaches here are great.
“I came here to show I was ready for pro baseball and this has been very good for me,” he said.
The changes in Jarvis have been as impressive off the mound as on the mound, Haller said.
“All I heard about before he got here was a lack of maturity, but I have not seen that as a problem since he’s been here,” Haller said. “Sure, he’s 20 and there are some things to constantly work on. But I don’t see anything that supports those stories about his maturity issues.”
Physically, the most positive change was learning to throw the change-up, by staying tall, so he gets more up-to-down movement on the pitch.
Haller said, “Once Jason learns to trust the pitch the way he can trust his fastball it will be even more effective than it is now.”
Jarvis has also shown a combative ability on the mound as he progressed through the first 24 games with Lincoln.
“He gets better with the better hitters,” Haller said. “He gets better with guys on base, too. He doesn’t give into batters. Best of all, he has the short-term memory that it takes to be a stopper or a set-up man. Give up a hit, a home run, and forget about it quickly and go to the next batter.”
Jarvis said he appreciates the opportunity given him by the Saltdogs.
“I’ve also learned I can be a little more aggressive on the mound because you can saw off a bat or two when they are made out of wood,” he said. “But college hitters, because of the metal bat, aren’t as selective as these guys are either.”
Reach Ken Hambleton at 473-7313 or khambleton@journalstar.com.
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The following Major League recommendation was written by Coach Pat Murphy, the Head Baseball Coach for Arizona State University.
Congratulations to Coach Murphy for his 3rd Pac 10 Coach of the Year Award!
From: Patrick Murphy
To: All Major League Baseball Scouting Directors
Sent: Tue 6/3/2008 5:11 PM
Subject: ASU/Jason Jarvis
I just wanted to bring to your attention that Jason Jarvis is eligible for the draft. Subsequently I'd like to emphasize that Jason is a tremendous competitor and a young man who accomplished a great amount in a short period of time in the extremely competitive Pac-10 Conference.
Jason had 11 saves in half of a season and lead us to a College World Series in 2007; 8 of 11 of the teams he had saves against were top 10 teams. He also had a very positive attitude in the locker room.
His positive attitude has continued with The Saltdogs and he has earned the reputation of being a model player with his coaches and teammates.
Coach Tim Johnson with the Lincoln Saltdogs said that Jason has consistently thrown the ball 94-95 with a much improved changeup and breaking ball. I feel confident that Jason has the ability and the drive to pitch in the major leagues.
While Jason's circumstance is unorthodox he certainly deserved better fate than his ruling at ASU. He was honest and was penalized because of that. I feel like Jason is a great prospect and I hope he receives full consideration.
Jason's off-the-field issues were blown out of proportion. While at ASU he never had legal issues nor did he fail to pass a drug test. Jason was a tremendous teammate and wanted the ball in every big situation. He was a very unique, honest, and competitive pitcher.
Jason is a talented and gifted pitcher who I recommend at the highest level for the upcoming draft. I remain available to answer any questions regarding Jason's character and baseball talents.
Best of luck as we enter the 2008 First-Year Player Draft.
Sincerely,
Pat Murphy |
The article below was written by Bob Wirz who has 16 years of major league baseball public relations experience with Kansas City and as chief spokesman for two Commissioners and runs his own sports consulting company in Stratford, CT. He does not have any connections, business or personal with Jason Jarvis.
Draft Lightening Could Strike a Third Time in American Association
Through Lincoln’s Jason Jarvis
By Bob Wirz
Luke Hochevar and Max Scherzer have given significant credibility to the American Association by jumping into key major league pitching roles in a very short time, and there is a chance a third highly-regarded right-hander may add to the aura.
Jason Jarvis does not command the same “can’t miss” attention of the two first-round draftees, but his image could escalate depending on where the 20-year-old Arizona State product now pitching for the American Association’s Lincoln (NE) Saltdogs ends up come the start of this year’s June 5 draft.
“He is going to be the same kind of pitcher,” proclaims Saltdogs Manager Tim Johnson, the onetime Toronto Blue Jays skipper whose Lincoln teams faced both Hochevar and Scherzer when they were with the Fort Worth (TX) Cats. “Their fastballs are the same.” Jarvis set an ASU freshman record with 11 saves in 2007, then became ineligible early this season and successfully petitioned to be eligible for this year’s draft even though he was only a sophomore.
Johnson pegs the 6-foot-2 Jarvis’s fastball at 94 miles an hour, which he combines with a slider and an “outstanding changeup”. “Outstanding”, Johnson repeated, for emphasis. “This kid has a chance to be in the big leagues.”
Don’t think the major league teams aren’t noticing, even though his draft ranking seems uncertain. Johnson says scouts were in Pensacola, FL and Fort Worth during Lincoln’s opening road trip, and he has “probably fielded 150 calls” asking this or that about Jarvis, who calls Scottsdale, AZ home. “He has no fear on the mound,” Johnson says. “He loves to be out there.”
Jarvis landed in Lincoln, where he has a 2.57 earned run average and alternates between setup and closing roles, because of a long term friendship between Arizona-based agent Oscar Suarez and Johnson. Part of the accord has been established in that Johnson has managed in Mexico during the winter for this entire century. Suarez, who was in Johnson’s Haymarket Park office part of the time we were talking, already has two major league relievers (Kansas City’s Joakim Soria and Houston’s Oscar Villarreal) as well as onetime Chico, CA infielder Howie Clark, now in the major leagues with the Minnesota Twins. He also stays close to the Independent Baseball scene because his son, Gabe, is an infielder in the Atlantic League (Camden, NJ).
Jarvis has gotten tougher in recent outings, allowing only three hits in his last five games (4.1 innings), although the .300 batting average against him for his young season’s work will not sit well with major league organizations.
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** Note from Saltdogs Manager, Tim Johnson on 5/28/08: "Since the below article was written, Jason has been averaging 92-94 and touching 96-97 mph when he's needed to."
From Baseball America on May 14, 2008 :
Learning In Lincoln
Jarvis joins Saltdogs to get ready for the draft
By J.J. Cooper
May 14, 2008
When righthander Jason Jarvis arrived in Lincoln, he brought with him a couple of suitcases, a glove and a whole lot of baggage.
There have been questions about his maturity and his decision-making that have followed him since his high school career. It's not possible to say that all of the makeup questions that surrounded him are behind him after just a couple of weeks with the American Association's Saltdogs, but there are signs that the professional life suits Jarvis pretty well.
To help get Jarvis ready for his future, Lincoln pitching coach Jim Haller decided that he'd put his new pitcher under plenty of pressure and see how he responded.
"I exploded on him," Haller said. "And he always came back and looked me in the eye and shook my hand. I was trying to see if the kid would break. He didn't. I'm becoming a fan of the young man."
As a senior at Chapparral (Ariz.) High, questions about his maturity and his price tag caused him to slip to the 25th round in the 2006 draft, despite the fact that he featured a 92-93 mph fastball as he went 12-0, 1.40 to lead his team to a state 4-A title.
After failing to reach an agreement with the Angels, Jarvis enrolled at Chandler-Gilbert (Ariz.) JC, but transferred to Arizona State midway through the season. With the Sun Devils, Jarvis saved an Arizona State freshman record 11 games, but then was declared ineligible early in his sophomore season.
That's where the Saltdogs came in. Jarvis' agent, Oscar Suarez, is also the agent for Lincoln manager Tim Johnson. Suarez was able to get Jarvis declared eligible for the 2008 draft, but he needed to find an independent league team that could help Jarvis get innings in the months leading up to the draft.
While Johnson and Jarvis may share an agent, the Saltdogs weren't exactly going to turn over the team to the 20-year-old. When Max Scherzer pitched for the American Association's Fort Worth Cats in 2007, the team set up his starts to ensure that scouts would get plenty of looks. Jarvis joined the Saltdogs bullpen as just another guy trying to help the team win—scouts can't be sure he'll pitch on any given day.
And Haller went out of his way to ensure that Jarvis would be treated just like any other young pitcher—because he figured that would help Jarvis prepare for his upcoming career in affiliated ball.
There were some clashes of opinion during Jarvis' first couple of weeks in Lincoln. But pretty quickly Jarvis buckled down, picked up a new changeup grip that Haller taught him and went out and became an integral part of the Saltdogs bullpen.
The changeup has given Jarvis a different look. When he was at Arizona State, he was a fastball/slider pitcher who used his lively 92-93 mph fastball to simply blow away batters. Every now and then he would show the slider to keep hitters honest.
With Lincoln, Jarvis has moved his release point up a little, which freed up his arm to command a changeup. Haller has also worked with Jarvis at turning a head jerk into a smooth head turn and at rotating his shoulders better to avoid pushing the ball. After just a couple of bullpen sessions with the Saltdogs, the changeup, which sits at around 78 mph, quickly became an asset.
"His third bullpen session he shows a changeup that was just filthy. It's his second-best pitch," Haller said. "The kid has gotten swings on the changeup so far where veteran hitters have had pitiful swings. The arm action is spectacular with the changeup . . . I would consider his fastball his bread and butter, but he can throw the changeup in any count."
The slider is still there, but it's now a third pitch that is more of a chase pitch than something he throws with regularity. There are times when Jarvis' fastball velocity has suffered as he adjusts to the new delivery—in one recent outing he was sitting 89-90 mph instead of the 92-95 mph he showed at Arizona State, but his command has improved and the fastball still has life. In other outings, it has sat at 92-93 mph. Jarvis was 0-1, 3.38 in his first 22⁄3 innings with Lincoln.
He's also shown his competitiveness and a newfound composure. In a mid-May outing, the first batter Jarvis faced hit a grounder that took a bad hop off a rock for a hit. The next batter laid down a bunt that should have been an easy out, but the first baseman failed to catch the throw, resulting in an error that put runners at second and third with no outs. On the first pitch of the next at-bat, Jarvis was squeezed by the umpire on a pitch that could have been called a strike. Jarvis wasn't affected by the bad luck. He just grabbed the ball and threw a strike on his next pitch.
"Everything that could have gone wrong did and he never showed anything." Haller said.
Jarvis also recently went to Haller and apologized for his pitch selection in a recent game—he threw a slider in a count where Haller had told him to stick with his fastball and changeup. While it was a minor moment, it said a lot about Jarvis' developing maturity.
"I'm not in awe of the kid, but I like what I'm seeing in his composure."
It's hard to get a read on where Jarvis will go in June's draft, but scouts who see him with the Saltdogs will have a reason to update their scouting reports.
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For Immediate Release 03/24/2008:
Major League Baseball announced today that Jason Jarvis was transferred from the "NOT ELIGIBLE FOR SELECTION LIST" to the "ELIGIBLE FOR SELECTION LIST", which means he is now eligible for the 2008 Draft this June.
In order to prepare for the draft, he will be playing in The American Association of Independent Professional Baseball league. He has signed a contract with the Lincoln Saltdogs and will report to spring training in mid April. Games begin on May 8th, 2008.
Click here for Saltdogs 2008 Schedule
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March 13, 2008
A short time ago I requested a hearing to appeal a grade change which resulted in the 'A'. that I rightfully earned, being dropped to an 'XE' on an Internet music course that I took in the fall of 2007. An XE grade indicates academic dishonesty, which I did not commit. My appeal was upheld and I was exonerated for the academic dishonesty. However, the Herberger College of the Arts will not restore my grade back to the A that I rightfully earned so I will get no credit for taking the 3 credit class. According to the NCAA regulations, I am now considered academically ineligible for the 2008 baseball season. I could stay in school and regain my eligibility next year, however, I am continually amazed with the inconsistent way the ASU administration randomly executes their rules to suit themselves with no care whatsoever for the student. So, rather than continue to struggle through the academic bureaucracy at ASU I have decided to pursue a career in professional baseball and I am currently in the process of petitioning the commissioner of MLB to approve me to enter this years amateur draft in June. ASU Baseball, my teammates, & especially Coach Murphy, are the BEST! I believe they will go on to win the College World Series and I, as well as my family will be rooting them on as though I was on the field with them. GO DEVILS!
Sincerely,
Jason Jarvis |
Date: March 4th, 2008
I would like to make a public statement that should help clarify rumors that have been going around the local news and baseball world. Recently there have been several inaccurate statements made to the press by former ASU baseball manager, Mikel Merino, about the academics and legitimacy of my grades a s well as some of my teammates. I am an easy target because it’s no secret that I have had academic problems throughout my entire school career. I was diagnosed with a learning disability when I was 6 years old. I worked very hard in high school to graduate with an overall GPA of 3.0 so I could attend college. Even though it’s much harder for me than other kids, I remained eligible through my Freshman year at ASU and I have again met all the NCAA requirements for my sophomore year. Now my grades are being called into question by none other than a disgruntled former manager , who lost his job at ASU recently . I have never even once had a conversation about school or school work with Mr. Merino. This person knows nothing about my classes or my grades yet I and my teammates have been called into question. Soon I must attend a hearing to defend myself against false charges. The process of taking online study courses and tests is well documented by others who take these classes at ASU. I am registered with the DRC at ASU and it was on the advice of my academic advisor that I study and take tests in this manner. However it is a possibility that my college career could be over because I followed the instructions of my ASU academic advisor. I love ASU, it's baseball program and my teammates and I am sure I will continue to struggle with my academics due to my learning disability, but I am doing the best I can especially during a very demanding baseball schedule. Hopefully now the readers know the facts and not just what others say. If you want to keep up with the facts of what’s actually going on and not just rumors please visit my website: www.jasonjarvisbaseball.com . I look forward to being vindicated.
Sincerely,
Jason Jarvis |
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