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Around pro baseball: Consistency is key for Keuchel; New Rockies catchers may play for Drillers
Published: 1/27/2013 7:26 PM
Last Modified: 1/27/2013 7:38 PM

Former Bishop Kelley lefty Dallas Keuchel gained valuable experience in his first major league stints with the Houston Astros last season.

Keuchel was 3-8 with a 5.27 ERA in 16 starts for the Astros after being called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he was 6-4 with a 3.90 ERA.

When I visited with Keuchel a couple weeks ago at Claremore's Field of Dreams Baseball Banquet, I asked him what was the biggest thing he learned from his rookie season in the majors.

"Consistency," Keuchel said. "Consistency is one of the toughest things to master as a pitcher and now that I’ve got my foot in the door, I think this next year is going to be a good one. The experience I got last year is huge.

"At every level I’ve been at you take your lumps, but after you get your foot in the door you kind of get more comfortable with what you’re doing."

Keuchel said his top moment with the Astros last season was picking up his first major league win in his second start, a six-hitter against Cleveland. He added that his major league debut -- a strong performance in a no-decision at Texas, also was a special moment.

Keuchel, who won two of his last three starts last year, will be making the jump with his Astros teammates to the American League in 2013. That will mean fewer at-bats for Keuchel, who was a good hitter at Kelley. He was 2-for-20 with an RBI with Houston last year.

"I’m kind of bummed out I won't be hitting as much," Keuchel said. "But the AL West is a nice opportunity for us to show the talent we have coming in. I'm looking for a good year." ...

The Colorado Rockies have signed two minor league catchers this month and each has a chance to play for the Double-A Tulsa Drillers this season.

James Skelton, 27, has played in Double-A in parts of the past five seasons. Last year, he batted .290 in 45 games split between Double-A and Triple-A, primarily in Washington's farm system.

Steve Domecus, 25, batted .277 with eight RBIs in 22 games for high Single-A Rancho Cucamonga. He was released a few weeks ago by the Dodgers. Domecus can also play other positions.

-- Barry Lewis


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Pro Baseball

Tulsa World sports writer Barry Lewis joined the newspaper in September 1993. A University of Tulsa graduate, he covered high school sports for the Tulsa Tribune from 1983 to 1992 and has been in charge of the World's high school coverage since 2004. He remembers well the excitement of attending his first high school football game, Edison at Booker T. Washington, before a capacity crowd at S.E. Williams Stadium in 1973. He also has reported on Tulsa Drillers baseball at both newspapers for almost 20 years.

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