He has taken the ball on Opening Day, anchored the rotation of playoff teams and been fawned over by scouts and opponents alike. But at 31, the pitcher who once received his mail on top of the baseball world is in danger of dropping off its face.
Shawn Estes still has talent, but no longer commands interest. He went largely ignored this winter as a free agent before signing a $600,000 minor-league deal with the Colorado Rockies, where he will attempt to revive his once promising career.
“I am at a crossroads,” Estes said. “People ask me, `Why in the [heck] did you sign to play in potentially the worst ballpark in America for pitchers?’ Well, they wanted me, and secondly, I believed I would have success wherever I pitched this season.”
Watch Estes throw a bullpen session, and it doesn’t take much convincing. His pitching mechanics are textbook. He throws four pitches, including two that are considered well above average, his late-life fastball and over-the-top curveball.
“Trust me,” left fielder Jeromy Burnitz says of his former Mets teammate, “he still has the stuff.”
So why can’t he win? From an All-Star season with the Giants in 1997, when he went 19-5 with a 3.18 ERA, Estes has gradually descended into obscurity, winning just 13 games over the past two seasons.
“I feel like I have wasted the last two years of my career,” said the typically candid Estes. He has battled injuries and added, “I didn’t have the right focus.”
That hasn’t been a problem this spring. When the Rockies signed Estes–stressing opportunity over money in a wide-open rotation–they hoped he would arrive with an edge, a hunger absent in recent seasons.
Charles Johnson caught him and came away impressed. “You are talking about a veteran who can really help us,” Johnson said. “He knows how to pitch.”
Pitching coach Bob Apodaca said Estes is throwing as well as anyone in camp so far. He promised a committed approach and has delivered. Taking nothing for granted–“I have to make this team,” Estes said–the left-hander routinely finishes first in his conditioning drills.
“He’s doing things,” Apodaca said, “where you can see he’s starting to believe in himself.”
Confidence is at the root of Estes’ problems, or challenges as he prefers to call them. For years teams have talked about his potential, but by this winter the talk had grown stale after his failure with the Cubs last year.
All signs pointed to a recovery in Chicago, where Estes reunited with former Giants manager Dusty Baker. He finished 8-11 with a 5.73 ERA, defined by a loss of control and lack of mental toughness on a playoff team.
“I didn’t deal with adversity well,” Estes explained. “I needed to do better at finding a way to compete. Instead, I used excuses.”
Estes’ transformation began over the winter. He moved to Phoenix from the Bay Area, worked out regularly and threw more than usual to get a feel for his changeup. That pitch, Estes believes, can trigger a turnaround. But Rockies who have faced him say he needs to give himself more credit.
“He’s a guy who’s very difficult to hit, with that fastball and big curveball,” shortstop Royce Clayton said. “When we played against him, guys would come back to the dugout talking about how he was giving us a chance because he’s trying to be too fine.”
Burnitz, without hearing Clayton’s comments, practically picked up where Clayton left off, saying “Shawn just needs to pound the strike zone. Fastball command is important for any pitcher, but it really is for him. If he gets ahead, he’s no fun to hit against.”
Estes, who has a reputation for being coachable, seems a good fit for a Rockies team that focuses daily on the frosted side of life’s mini-wheat. They employ a mental skills coach, Ronn Svetich, whom Estes would like to continuing meeting with before each of his starts.
“Winning 19 games was a double-edged sword. Ever since then people always think I have more in me,” Estes said. “But I wouldn’t change that. That was the best time I have ever had in baseball. I set the bar high and I have the desire and motivation to get back there.”
