Duvall looking to cook up some wins for Bluefield

BLUEFIELD — Myles Duvall is looking to cook up a long professional career, and some good food along the way.

His path to the big leagues will begin Myles from the big leagues. He’s willing to put in the time to get there.

“Everybody out here has been playing baseball since we were toddlers and it is every kids’ dream to get an opportunity to play professional,” said Duvall, an aspiring chef and right-handed reliever with the Blue Jays. “I feel so blessed and feel so lucky that I have gotten this opportunity and I intend to make the most of it.”

A native of Missouri City, Texas — just outside of Houston — Duvall grew up a baseball fan, following the exploits of the “Killer B’s” — Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio.

Yet, his ticket to professional baseball was with his right arm.

“My favorite player growing up — I played infield in high school so I would probably have to say Craig Biggio, but my favorite pitcher is Justin Verlander,” said Duvall, of the Detroit Tigers’ fireballer. “He is something else, those guys are good. That is why they are in the big leagues, those guys are good.”

Very. Duvall hopes to get to the same point. He was a standout performer at New Mexico Junior College, and later transferred to Richland College in another big city, Dallas.

No wonder Bluefield has been a form of culture shock for Duvall.

“I like it, the field is beautiful, the scenery is beautiful,” Duvall said. “I am from Houston, from a city that has about six million people so I am not used to all these scenic mountain views, but I like it.

“I am an outdoorsman guy myself, I like to hunt, I like to fish so it is cool up here. The weather is nice, it has been raining a lot, but it clears up at the end of the day and it is nice. I like it out here a lot.”

The 6-foot-5, 220-pound Duvall expected to be drafted in June, but his name was never called. At least not until after the draft when his phone rang with good news.

“The Mets actually said they were going to draft me on the second day of the draft and it didn’t work out,” Duvall said. “I got a call about 20 minutes after the draft was over by (Toronto area scout) Michael Wagner in Dallas and he said we’ve got a jersey for you, we’ve got an opportunity for you to play now and I jumped right on it.”

No wonder. Who could turn down an opportunity to play baseball, and get paid to do it?

“That is what I have been living for, that is what we have all been working for so I am excited,” Duvall said. “I am 22 years old and I am just a big kid playing baseball.

“It doesn’t ever change from being a toddler. This is a kids game and I feel very fortunate that I am an adult getting to play a kids game.”

His first outing for the Blue Jays was in their inaugural game in Elizabethton, with Duvall earning a save.

“Everybody throws hard here, but my first outing against Elizabethton I was throwing 90 to 93 so I can run the ball up there 94, it’s just trying to get healthy,” Duvall said. “I don’t care if I throw 86 as long as I get strikes and get outs. That is really all that matters.”

He pitched again three days later, and was then shut down with a tired arm, having to take a cortisone shot and then rest to let it heal.

“I threw like 90 innings this spring for my college and I was just tired from being overworked a little bit,” Duvall said. “They shut me down for about a week and gave me a cortisone shot, but I feel much better now, I am ready to start playing.”

Duvall worked a simulated game on Thursday at Bowen Field, preparing himself for a return to the mound.

“It is just 25 or 30 pitches working fastball, working down, changing speeds, working on your breaking ball,” said Duvall, who turned 22 on April 23. “No infielders, it is just you and the hitters and it just gives the hitters a chance to see live pitching when a guy needs extra work on the mound.

“It gives you an opportunity to tune your mechanics, tune your breaking ball, work on changing speeds and all that good stuff.”

There is other good ‘stuff’ that Duvall likes. Food. He can cook up some grub, having worked on degrees in business and culinary arts in college.

“I would like to be a chef, if I ever get a chance to get around a kitchen, I like to cook some things up,” Duvall said. “I like to cook on a grill, a big pit, barbecue ribs, steak, quail, chicken, all that stuff, I am a big pasta guy too so Italian food, chicken parmesan, I like anything I can eat.

“I am 6-5, 220 pounds, I like to eat just about anything that is put in front of my face.”

With his health having returned, Duvall would now like to cook up something on the mound.

“I would love to move up just as fast as I can, but my main focus is just getting better with every outing, every appearance getting better, getting outs,” Duvall said. “That is the important thing, keeping the ball down in the zone, having command of three pitches.

“My main focus this year is just every outing, every appearance, is to work on my mechanics and just keep fine-tuned into everything, just to get better every outing.”

His Blue Jays have tried to do the same, but have been slowed by a 4-9 record in one-run games. Still, Duvall likes what he sees.

“It is tough, but I have been around baseball a long time and we have got a great group of guys here, everybody likes everybody, everybody gets along with everybody,” Duvall said. “That is baseball, you win some and you lose some and the great thing about professional baseball is you get to come out the next day and you get to play.

“You get a chance to redeem yourself, rather it is hitting, rather it is fielding, catching fly balls or pitching. That is the good thing about this sport is you can come out and redeem yourself the next day. We are going to be all right.”

While Duvall has been limited to pitching just two games this season, he’s enjoyed the experience, and hopes to be back on the mound as soon as today.

“I should be up live tomorrow or the next day so I am excited to get back in and excited to help my teammates win,” Duvall said.

He has enjoyed working with the coaching staff of Dennis Holmberg, pitching coach Antonio Caceres and hitting coach Kenny Graham.

“I am just enjoying it, I am soaking it up right now,” Duvall said. “Being a rookie, I am sitting back watching and learning a lot and talking to the guys that have been here a year before me.

“I feel so fortunate, Dennis and Tony and Kenny, they are great coaches and great guys to be around. I feel real fortunate to be around such a good group of coaches my first year so I feel lucky.”

He’s also focused on team goals. He thinks the Blue Jays can bring an Appalachian League title to Bluefield, something that hasn’t happened since the now-departed Orioles won it all 10 years ago in 2001.

“We are going to put some things together, our hitters are going to hit, look at Art Charles, he just loves hitting the baseball, and we have some other good guys that can throw it,” Duvall said. “I think we are going to be just fine.

“It is still early and I think we have got a chance to make it into the playoffs and make a run. I really do.”

— Contact Brian Woodson

at bwoodson@bdtonline.com

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