March 10th, 2017 at 6:00 am 
by Jacob Rudner In the words of the great Vin Scully: “There will be a new day, and eventually a new year. And when the upcoming winter gives way to spring, rest assured, it will be Time for Dodger Baseball.”
Alas, spring training is here just as Scully assured us it would be, and Dodger baseball is once again in full swing.
As with every spring training, there is always an abundance of players in big league camp. Everyone on the 40-man roster is there – at least those who are healthy – along with a slew of non-roster invitees; in the Dodgers case, 22 of them this spring. But in addition to the 40-man roster and the non-roster invitees, teams also utilize players from their minor league spring training camps to augment their major league spring training games – many of whom fans have never heard of before. But for these players who are lucky enough to be added to what is commonly referred as “the travel squad,” this is the perfect time to be seen by those who need to see them and to (hopefully) make a name for themselves.
One such player is 22-year-old Shea Spitzbarth, who has already made four major league relief appearances with the Dodgers this spring; a pretty big deal when you consider that he has made a grand total of 39 minor league relief appearances and only one above the Low Single-A level since being signed by the Dodgers as a non-drafted free agent in 2015. This is the Staten Island, New York native’s first-ever major league spring training experience and he is definitely making the best of it.
In his four one-inning relief appearances thus far, Spitzbarth has allowed no runs and only four hits while striking out five and walking one. But despite his successes against major league hitters, Spitzbarth knows full well that he will not be among those on the Dodgers Opening Day roster or even the 40-man roster when major league camp breaks on April 1.
After four major league spring training relief appearances, Spitzbarth has yet to allow a run.
(Photo courtesy of LA Dodgers)
But instead of being disappointed or depressed by this, Spitzbarth looks at it as a blessing. He gets to pitch on baseball’s biggest stage without the pressure of having to fight for a roster spot. But at the same time, he gets to show the Dodgers front office and Dodger fans exactly what he is capable of.
“It’s a time for me to open some eyes,” the 6′-1″ / 195-pound right-hander recently said, during an exclusive interview with ThinkBlueLA this past Tuesday.
Spitzbarth has the distinction of having earning that first Dodgers save of spring training 2017 – even before Dodgers star closer Kenley Jansen has recorded one.
When asked what his major league spring training experience has been like thus far, Spitzbarth left no uncertainty in his answer.
“It’s an opportunity for me to learn every day. I just get to learn.”
With this learning theme in mind, Shea shared what he hopes to accomplish this coming season.
“I want to stay ahead in the count,” he said. “Statistically and throughout baseball history, most batters tend to struggle when they fall behind in the count. That’s something that I can capitalize on.”
Asked if there is anyone who he looks up to and would most like to emulate, he picked a good one.
“Adam Wainwright,” Spitzbarth answered. “He throws a big 12-6 curveball which is his main strikeout pitch.”
Like Wainwright, Spitzbarth also throws a big 12-6 curveball. But while Adam Wainwright is certainly an excellent role model for Spitzbarth – or anyone else for that matter – he has another one; one that may come as a bit of a surprise to most Dodger fans. Then again … maybe not.
“Ross Stripling,” Spitzbarth said. “Ross is someone I like to go to for advice. Whenever he is around and I have a question, I like to go to him.”
Like Wainwright and Spitzbarth, Stripling also has a very effective curveball, although not quite the 12-6 curveball that has made Adam Wainwright one of the premiere pitchers in the game today.
After spending some time talking with Shea Spitzbarth, and even more so after witnessing the success that he is enjoying in major league spring training games, it is abundantly clear that he is someone who Dodger will want to keep an eye on moving forward. His attitude on and off the field coupled with his lethal pitching suggests that it will not be long before he finds himself on the hill at The Ravine – and probably sooner rather than later.
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Shea has been a favorite of mine since signing as a non-drafted free agent following the 2015 draft in which the Dodgers selected several high profile players.
He comes right after hitters, not nibbling hoping for the best. He is not afraid to throw his pitches where he wants and challenges the batters to hit them. In his fourth ST appearance he had a bases loaded with one out situation. He calmly induced a routine double play to get out of the inning unscathed.
I certainly expect him to be pitching as high as Tulsa at some point in 2017,and as you say, sooner than later.
Nice interview Jacob and good job Shea.
Thank you for reading! I would like to see Shea in Tulsa this year. If all goes well I think he has an opportunity to be moved up to Triple-A during september call ups as a roster filler.
This is one of those incredibly rare success stories that comes along every once in awhile.
I have a feeling that I’m not going to be seeing Shea at Rancho this season. #sigh
Good stuff, Jacob. Thanks.
You absolutely might not see him at RC but I wouldn’t be surprised to him make a few appearances at RC and then on to Tulsa.
I can only hope.
A number of players in 2016 made a few appearances at a given level and were quickly popped up to the next level. Shea was one of them with six appearances with the Raptors and then on to the Loons. You might get an opportunity to meet him at RC but the window might be small.
Thank you! I don’t see Shea sticking on the Rancho roster for very long so you might want to get out to some games early on in the season.
I am not certain Shea even considers whether he is fighting for a roster spot or not. His attitude and demeanor are never going to change. He is a fighter. This is a kid who has had to fight his entire baseball amateur and professional career just to get noticed, and now he truly his. Remarkable story as Ron said.
Unlike Harold, Shea did not register with me when he signed. I began to notice him when he started with Ogden only because I was truly interested in following Mitch Hansen, and Shea made an impression. Then when he, Istler, and Kremer, formed the nucleus of a great bullpen, and pushed to make that remarkable late season and playoff run for the Loons, I was hooked.
You got to love a reliever when asked to come in the 9th inning in a save situation with the tieing run on 3rd and less than two outs, knowing one of those 12-6 curves could bounce away, and not register any fear of throwing that pitch. He has the perfect makeup for a late inning high leverage situation reliever. No fear and no memory.
I am with Harold in that Shea begins the year in RC and gets the quick bump to Tulsa. I think the FO would like to see him in a hitter’s league. I look forward to Ron’s articles on Shea from Rancho. I think the sooner or later date is late 2018 season in LA. If there is a minor leaguer that truly needs to be followed, Shea Spitzbarth is that guy.
As Jacob noted, Shea is not even concerned about fighting a roster spot – not yet, that is:
“There will be a new day, and eventually a new year. And when the upcoming winter gives way to spring, rest assured, it will be Time for Dodger Baseball.”
As you said, Jacob, that time is now. Spring training is progressing as normal. But April 3 is coming, with all the hope and optimism of a new season. That’s the day we can no longer ignore the inevitable. Vinny will no longer be telling us about the game.
I don’t know if I would have come to love the game so much without all those games I saw through Vinny’s eyes. I may have gone along with the trend of the time and thought football was life itself.
Hold on to the memories. Nobody can take them away from us. We can’t feel a loss if we had nothing to begin with.
Jacob, I’ve gone totally off the subject and I apologize for that. That first paragraph just hit me right ‘tween the eyes.
I wish the best for Joe and Orel. It’s not easy to replace a legend.
I am not going to be as realistic as everybody else after watching Toles and Stewart start out 2016 close to the bottom and wind up with the Dodgers that same year.
If an opening in the Dodger relief corp becomes available after July, I think Spitzbarth can pitch his way into that opening. He might only get a 10 day opportunity, but an opportunity just the same.
BR – I don’t think they will overly rush with Shea. However, there is precedence with rapid movement in Paco Rodriguez’s 2012 season. That was under a different player development team. At this point there is every reason to think he will hang his hat in Tulsa at some point in the season and as Jacob suggested, make an appearance at the AAA level.
However, we all have to keep in mind that this game is fickle and can turn on you at any time.
Looks like the game turned on both Shea and Andrew in their last appearances. The important thing now is to see what they do in their next outing.