Posted July 30, 2002
Beckstead loves having game on the line
By Mark McKenna
Herald staff writer
Jentry Beckstead has some of the best ski resorts in the world within an hour's drive of his home in Taylorsville, Utah.
There's Park City, Snowbird and Alta, just to name a few. It's like picking your own winter paradise for a day.
Unfortunately for Beckstead, he's not allowed to ski. He's been banned from the slopes since signing a professional baseball contract.
"The Rockies never told me directly that I couldn't ski, but I understand it's a rule," said Beckstead, a 22-year-old closer for the Tri-City Dust Devils, the Northwest League affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. "But that's OK. I get my thrills other ways."
Taking the mound in the ninth inning with the game resting on his shoulders is at the top of Beckstead's list. And in his second season as a professional, he's met the challenge more often than not.
Beckstead enters today's game against the Vancouver Canadians with a league-leading 11 saves and a 1.02 ERA. He's allowed only seven hits in 1723 innings and opponents are hitting just .117 against him.
"Jentry comes right at you every time he gets the ball," said Dust Devils manager Ron Gideon. "He's a competitor. He wants to be in there when the game is on the line."
Pitching under pressure is nothing new to Beckstead, who began his professional career last season in Casper, Wyo., the Rockies' Rookie League team in the Pioneer League. He finished 1-0 with a 2.89 ERA and 12 saves in the closer's role.
"I like the rush of pitching in pressure situations," Beckstead said. "You can't take a pitch off. You have to be focused every second you're on the mound or bad things can happen in a hurry."
Mike Snyder, Dust Devils pitching coach, said it takes a certain type of pitcher to be a closer, and Beckstead fits the bill.
"You need a guy who can come into tough situations and get outs, and you also need somebody who can handle it when things don't go his way," Snyder said.
"You have to be able to shake off an error, a bad call or a big hit and go after the next hitter. And if you have a bad game, you need to forget about it and be ready to pitch the next night."
Beckstead has answered every call, despite the fact he might not meet the image of today's big, flame-throwing closers.
He's 6-feet tall and pushing 170 pounds, but he pitches much bigger. He was clocked as fast as 93 mph earlier this season in a game at Boise and regularly throws 90-91 mph. He also owns an outstanding curveball.
"I owe a lot to Coach Snyder," Beckstead said. "He's worked with me on my mechanics and I've found some more speed. I still think I can get better if I keep working."
Gideon does, too. The Dust Devils manager sees his closer climbing the organizational ladder.
"He's a hard-working kid who is always paying attention and trying to learn the game," Gideon said. "He's got the talent to move up quickly, but he needs to work on his control and cut down on his walks (11). If he does that, I like his chances."
Beckstead admits he's a little surprised at how far he's come since being picked by the Rockies in the 38th round in 2000 as a draft-and-follow out of Salt Lake Community College.
"It's all happened pretty fast," Beckstead said. "But I'm just like all the other guys here, working hard and trying to do my best."
Beckstead, who was married in February, describes himself as somebody who "can't sit around and do nothing." He's an avid fly-fisherman and also enjoys hunting in the off-season.
"I don't miss the skiing too much because I do so many other things," Beckstead said. "But I'll probably start skiing again when I'm done with baseball."
That, he hopes, is about 15 years down the road.
Notes
The 21-year-old LSU baseball player who was found dead in his parents' home last Wednesday died of natural causes and had no drugs in his system, the Jefferson Parish (La.) coroner said Monday.
The autopsy on Wally Pontiff, college roommate of the Devils' Sean Barker, found an abnormality in his heart, which is still being tested, the coroners' report said. The determination of exact cause of death might take several more days.
There was also no evidence of trauma or foul play, Coroner Robert E. Treuting said in a statement.
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