Lions in the Pros - Greg Mullens
2/21/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Greg Mullens, a right-handed pitcher from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, is looking ahead to his second year as a professional baseball player. Mullens was signed by the New York Mets organization after his junior season at Columbia in 2005.
He pitched three years at Columbia from 2003-2005, striking out 95 batters in only 99.2 innings.
Mullens began his professional career with the Kingsport Mets of the Appalachian League (Rookie League) last spring and prospered quickly. He was named the opening day starter at Kingsport, and led the team in wins with seven, which was also second best in the league, and paced his club with a 3.06 ERA in 12 games. The right-hander also struck out 38 hitters in 61.2 innings pitched.
He was rewarded with his performance by being called up to the Brooklyn Cyclones (Class-A affiliate) twice last summer. In two starts, Mullens had a 2.61 ERA in 10.1 innings.
"Moving through the minors made me realize two things," Mullens says. "First, it is incredible to be playing baseball everyday. I get to play with and against some of the best coaches around and I get paid to do it.
"Second, I also quickly realized that if I wanted to take advantage of these opporunities, I had to focus on them and not get caught up in the fact that I had made it to the pros. I think some players get complacent and take for granted the chance to make it to the big leagues. I promised myself I wasn't going to do that."
Mullens also had some interesting and exciting experiences in his first year in the minor leagues.
The first batter he faced in a game was in an extended spring training game, and the hitter happened to be Jose Offerman, a 15-year major leaguer. More than ten pitches into the at-bat, and with a full count, Mullens threw Offerman a curveball which went for a called strike three!
He also had the opportunity to join the Brooklyn Cyclones in their playoff run after the season with Kingsport. Mullens learned that he would be an emergency starter if someone got hurt. The Cyclones' playoff chances came down to the final game of the regular season on September 7 against the Vermont Lake Monsters. The team sat a 1/2 game back in the standings and had to win to make the postseason.
The Cyclones elected to start Mullens, who threw five solid innings, surrendering only one run. The game was tied, 3-3, in the 12th inning when the Cyclones scored a run to earn a playoff berth. "We got to rush the field and everything," Mullins remembers. "It was straight out of a movie."
When Mullens looks back at his three years at Columbia, he appreciates the experience of playing college baseball. "I am so lucky to have been able to spend three years with a team in a great atmosphere and at a great school, which helped me get to the level I'm at now," Mullens notes.
"My first year (in pro ball) was good, with minor bumps in the road, and I know that the future probably holds some very big challenges and obstacles for me. All I can do is learn from all of these experiences and continue to work hard."
With working hard in mind, Mullens has spent the winter improving the pitches in his repertoire, which now includes a change-up, a sinker and a curveball. He begins camp in two weeks and will probably start the 2007 season in Brooklyn or with another Class-A affilitate in Savannah.
