Chaffee hopes to build major league career

The Web site from Florida's Chipola Community College lists him as an engineering major, a bit of information that makes Ryan Chaffee laugh.

"That's totally wrong," the Cedar Rapids Kernels pitcher said.

Wrong?

"Well, I went to JUCO, and I thought I was going to be able to do all the math courses and all that," Chaffee explained. "I could have stayed with that major if I would have maintained the mindset I had in high school. It changed. I actually turned into a general studies major. But I'm going to get back into engineering, civil engineering, when I go back to school this offseason. I'm looking forward to it."

Civil engineering focuses on the design, construction and maintenance of public works, if you didn't know. Right now, Chaffee is more focused on the design, construction and maintenance of his professional baseball career.

The 21-year-old from Niceville, Fla., is one of six Kernels selected for tonight's Midwest League All-Star Game at Clinton's Alliant Energy Field. He's one of four pitchers, joining rotation mates Tyler Chatwood and Manuel Flores.

Reliever Mike Kohn, outfielder Tyson Auer and second baseman Alexi Amarista (a starter) make it an even half-dozen all-star Kernels. It's a just reward for a group that helped their team finish 40-30 in the first half and clinch a playoff berth.

"(This season) was definitely something I was striving for," Chaffee said. "I didn't expect it at all. Coming out here and being able to have the success I've been able to have ... I've gotten a little lucky, too. It's great. I've been real surprised."

Chaffee has been the most consistent of the Kernels starters, something kind of surprising considering he's a first-year pro. The parent Angels drafted him in the third round last year and immediately signed him, only to shut him down because of a broken bone in his foot suffered while at Chipola.

Chaffee, a right-hander, had surgery and came to spring training healthy. He was assigned to the Kernels from extended spring training in late April and has compiled a 6-2 record and 2.83 earned run average in 11 starts.

His velocity hasn't been as advertised, with his fastball usually sitting in the mid to upper-80s. But he has a variety of arm slots that cause great deception.

In 60 1/3 innings, Chaffee has given up just 36 hits, a .176 opponent batting average. He has fanned 66.

""He needs to make a lot of changes," Kernels Manager Bill Mosiello said. "He needs to not try and trick every hitter and pitch around everybody. Like the other day, he gives up one run but throws 98 pitches in five innings. If he continues to do that, he's not going to be able to pitch very long.

"But he's been good since day one. Sometimes in their minds, they are developing. Maybe they're not physically showing it, but I think he's learning ... He's going through the process, still learning. It's like I told him, it's pretty neat to learn like that giving up only one run. Hopefully he'll make the adjustments in his next start and as he gets older."

As he gets older, Chaffee hopes he keeps climbing the minor-league ladder and eventually winds up in Anaheim. If not, there's always engineering, right?

"I've always been interested in architecture and stuff like that," Chaffee said. "But architecture is more along the lines of mind blowing for me. I don't like the thought of (doing) architecture. With civil engineering, you can still work on houses, help build and stuff. I think it's going to be fun."