Chaffee impresses in Kernels loss to West Michigan

Just label him "The Man of A Thousand Arm Slots."

Ryan Chaffee will come straight over the top on one pitch. Then it's pure sidearm. Sometimes it's more of a three-quarters delivery.

It's about deception for the Cedar Rapids Kernels pitcher, changing the eye level of an opposing hitter. It's about getting outs, which he gets by doing what he does.

Chaffee gave the Kernels six shutout innings against West Michigan Thursday night at Memorial Stadium. The Whitecaps rallied late for a 2-1 win, but that didn't take away from what the right-hander from Chipola (Fla.) Junior College did in just his second professional outing.

"When I was younger, me and my dad, I always threw sidearm completely ... I didn't really do the three-quarters like I'm doing now," Chaffee said. "It's just something my dad and I liked to do. It works, it's pretty effective."

The second time around was much better for Chaffee, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound righty, who was the parent Los Angeles Angels' third-round draft pick last year. He was touched for four runs in four innings last week against a Peoria team that is second in the Midwest League in hitting, but was able to tame the MWL's leading hitting team (.283 average) last night to the tune of two singles.

Chaffee's velocity was nowhere near that of fellow Angels prospect Tyler Chatwood, who also joined the Kernels last week from extended spring training. He sits around the 86 to 87 mile-per-hour mark.

But it's not strictly about velocity in this case.

"He can throw strikes from (the different slots)," said Kernels pitching coach Brandon Emanuel. "It definitely gives the hitters some problems, as long as he's throwing strikes. If he's not throwing strikes, then they can eliminate some of those arm slots. But he worked very effectively tonight, mixed his pitches in very well."

"I came in more ready to pitch (tonight)," said Chaffee, who walked three and struck out four. "I knew what to expect because I watched them (Wednesday night) against Chatwood, and he had a good approach against them. Besides that, it was just one of those days where everything worked out right ... It was a satisfying outing. I wish we would have won."

The 20-year-old Nebraska native pitched at Chipola with a broken left foot last year, winning the NJCAA Division I championship game, but didn't throw at all after getting drafted. He had surgery last fall and is attempting to make the daunting jump straight to low-Class A.

"I try not to think about being in low-A, because if I do, I get a little overwhelmed," Chaffee admitted. "I've been keeping my head about me a little bit better. My first outing, it kind of hit me a little bit. Peoria had a few more fans there. But I've just got to remember to have fun."

The Kernels (10-10) broke a scoreless tie with a run in the sixth inning, but West Michigan (14-5) scored twice in the seventh against reliever Francis Cabrera (0-1) to win the game. Cedar Rapids had just four hits. The teams complete their three-game series Friday afternoon at 12:05.