Published: July 01, 2008 10:13 pm         

Welty aiming for big leagues

BLUEFIELD — Ronnie Welty’s grandfather was a part of the Brooklyn Dodgers’ organization, but never got a chance to pitch in the major leagues.

Welty hopes to get that chance in a few years.

“I’m hoping to make it to the bigs,” said Welty, an outfielder with the Bluefield Orioles. “Just keep working real hard and hopefully it works out my way. Stay healthy and hopefully I’ll be there one day.”

A 20th round draft choice last month from Chandler-Gilbert Junior College in Chandler, Ariz., Welty had played in 10 of Bluefield’s initial 13 games through Monday, batting .220 (9-41) with two doubles, a triple, one home run, eight runs batted in and eight runs scored.

Welty does have a string of three straight games with two RBIs apiece, and also has a pair of two-hit games for the Orioles.

“Everything could always be better, but I’m pretty pleased,” said the 6-foot-4, 180-pound Welty. “Coming out of Arizona, and the first time playing pro ball, I am pretty pleased with what is going on.

“Always when I was a little kid this was my dream. It’s tough to take stuff when you fail at times, but not everyone can do this so you have to take the good and the bad.”

Welty’s grandfather, Tommy Tivnan, had his dreams of a professional career shortened by war. Welty would like to get to the big leagues for him.

“My grandpa played pro for the Brooklyn Dodgers for a while and he got drafted into World War II,” Welty said. “Then he got shot in the leg so he couldn’t play anymore.

“It’s always been my thing to try and play mostly for him, and I love this sport, it’s always been my thing.”

Welty has shown the ability to do his “thing” quite well. He batted .429 (85-198) for the Coyotes at Chandler-Gilbert in the spring, collecting 22 doubles, nine triples, nine homers and 35 RBIs. He also swiped 24 bases in 28 attempts.

After a ‘pretty good’ workout in Los Angeles, Welty — a Seattle native and an avid Mariners fan — wasn’t surprised when the Orioles selected him. He had other options, but chose to become a professional at age 20.

“I was pretty pleased with it, no one ever expects to be in the top five, the scouts tell you whatever, but 20th round is fine with me,” said Welty, who batted .354 as a college freshman with 44 RBIs. “If I didn’t sign I would have gone to Oral Roberts, but I’m pleased. School is not really my thing.”

Welty quickly signed and wound up in Bluefield as the first stop on what he hopes is a long professional career.

“It’s kind of like a reality hit. Once you sign a contract you don’t feel like a pro ball player,” Welty said. “Once you get here and you see that everyone is from somewhere else and then you get that first check and you’re like, ‘Wow, this is really what I do.’”

As a youth in Seattle, Welty become a staunch fan of the Mariners and Ken Griffey, Jr. and that hasn’t changed, despite the current struggles in the Northwest.

“I was born and raised there, they’ve always been my team,” said Welty, who moved to Arizona at age 11. “Even though they’re the worst team right now, but I’ll always be their fan.

“I idolized Griffey, hitting left-handed, but I gave up left-handed a long time ago, and I followed A-Rod a lot.”

As for his future, Welty wasn’t upset when it wasn’t the Mariners that drafted him.

“It wasn’t really a priority, any team was good with me,” he said. “Just get in a league and in the system and just make a name for yourself.”

Bluefield has already done that Welty, who likes the small town environment that provides the ability to focus on baseball.

“It reminds me of Seattle with how it rains a lot, but I like it, and I love this park,” said Welty, of Bowen Field. “My town is like 200,000 people so this is a small town, but I like the atmosphere.

“It’s just nice, it’s a baseball town and I like that. There’s no distractions, you just come out here and do your job and I really like that a lot.”

He hasn’t always liked some of his early-season results. Breaking balls and curveballs will do that to the best of hitters.

“Mostly they hit their spots, you’re faced with a 2-1 count and you’re expecting a fastball up and in to bust you on the inside of the plate and then they give you a hammer (breaking pitch) outside,” said Welty, who plays the popular video game, ‘Guitar Hero’, in his spare time. “God, it’s just so frustrating.”

So far the competition hasn’t been overwhelming to Welty, although there’s little doubt that the pitching is on a much higher level.

“It’s not too big a jump, it’s just that the game is quicker, it’s faster and everyone that is out there can throw 85 and they’ve got a nasty hammer,” he said. “It’s just like when you’re facing a junior college pitcher that might have one good pitch.

“Here they have three good pitches and they can throw them at any spot in the count.”

Welty, who gave up basketball in middle school before spurting to 6-4, knows there’s much to learn, and is excited to have the assistance of a veteran Bluefield coaching staff that includes Orlando Gomez, Lenny Johnston and Jim Saul, a trio with nearly 150 years of experience.

“They tweak some things, it’s not anything drastic like moving my hands,” Welty said. “It’s more like how your approach and your thoughts at the plate...

“I love them (the coaches), they’ve got a lot of years behind them. They definitely have tons of experience and they have a lot to offer.”

That’s good since there’s plenty to learn on the professional level.

“Really everything. I need to shorten my swing up a little bit, and work on a little accuracy from the outfield,” Welty said “I’ve got a good arm, but sometimes a little erratic.

“You can always get bigger, faster and stronger. Other than that, just polish the other stuff up.”

One advantage that Welty has over some of his new teammates is that the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference already uses wooden bats.

“We were in a wooden bat league so I’m pretty used to the wood bat already,” Welty said. “It’s just mostly getting used to the pitching and knowing when to trust your hands and trust your abilities, that’s the main point.

“That’s something that is going to take a little time, and you can only get better as the years go on.”

As for how long that takes, Welty is just going to enjoy the ride.

“Whenever they want me to move up,” Welty said. “I’m just going to work hard and hopefully it will be sooner than later, but you’ve got all the big leaguers and different levels.

“I’m pleased where I started out at and hopefully I move up from here.”

—Contact Brian Woodson

at bwoodson@bdtonline.com

     

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