Josh Collmenter is a D’back favorite because of his willingness to take the ball at any time. Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports
Joe Jacquez got our 2014 player profiles of the Arizona Diamondbacks rolling with a post about Patrick Corbin which can be found here. Today, I would like to focus on another pitcher, a guy who might just be my favorite D’back. He is one of the more unsung players on this team and is not well-known at all except for fans of the Snakes. I like Josh Collmenter because of his willingness to take the ball at any time, starting, long man, short man, it doesn’t matter. The fact that he is so effective in any role assigned to him makes him one of the most valuable members of not only the pitching staff but the team. It also helps that he has a really cool beard.
How 2013 went: It started off with two appearances totaling 6 2/3 innings of one run ball in the opening series against the St. Louis Cardinals. He was the winning pitcher in the 16 inning marathon against the Redbirds on April 3rd. In another extra inning game against St. Louis on June 4th, Tomahawk threw four shutout innings to pick up his second victory of the season vs. the Cards. After Trevor Cahill departed a June 19th start after only one inning, Collmenter came in to throw six shutout innings against the Miami Marlins allowing only one hit and one walk while striking out seven in a 3-1 D’backs’ victory. In all, in 21 of his 49 games (all in relief) he pitched two or more innings. His record was 5-5 with a 3.13 ERA in 92 innings.
Outlook for 2014: Expect Tomahawk to remain in his role and remain an extremely valuable weapon for Manager Kirk Gibson. It is hard to think of a non-starting pitcher making only 49 appearances and being so important to a club. Yet, when a guy can pitch three times in four days then be idle for a week before coming in to throw a couple of innings and be effective in each of those outings, it gives a boost to not only the staff but the entire team. Expect Collmenter, armed with a new two year deal, to remain under the radar to the rest of baseball while delighting fans and teammates with some outstanding work.
Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @venomstrikes