Brewers sign Nic Ungs to 1-year AAA contract

[wisportswriter]

(Dubuque) Telegraph Herald link

Nothing Earth-shattering. I just thought it's cool because he's from my newspaper's area (Dyersville, Iowa -- that's right, hometown of the "Field of Dreams") and we've done tons of stories on him over the years.

He has been in the Marlins system for 7 years with a career 3.65 ERA and 54-45 record while being shuffled back and forth between the starting rotation and the bullpen.

[sbrylski]

I like him because it seems like parts of his name are missing...

[Mass Haas]

Thanks for the heads up!

 

Baseball Cube Career Statistics (low walk counts, other secondary numbers middling)

 

Baseball Bio from the Albuquerque site for the now 28-year old

 

Very helpful Scout.com link, even if it's from May 2004

 

2005 No-Hitter Coverage

 

Game Pics

[Mass Haas]

Ungs signs free-agent deal with Brewers

Pitcher expected to start at Triple-A

By JIM LEITNER, Dubuque (Iowa) Telegraph Herald Sports Editor

 

Nic Ungs entered the offseason with only one item on his free-agency wish list.

 

He just wanted a Major League Baseball team to give him a fair shot at fulfilling his lifelong dream. And he didn't have to look very far to find someone willing to do it.

 

The 6-foot-2, 220-pound right-handed pitcher from Dyersville, Iowa, signed a one-year Triple-A contract with the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday afternoon. Ungs became a free agent after spending the first seven years of his career in the Florida Marlins organization.

 

"I learned a lot with the Marlins, and I really enjoyed my time with them," Ungs said. "But, it all comes down to opportunity. The Marlins have a lot of good players, who, in two or three years, are going to be great players. They know they're not going to contend right now, so they're willing to give those opportunities to the young guys they have a lot invested in and let them develop at the big-league level.

 

"Milwaukee is one of those teams that has a good shot at winning right now. So, if they have an injury at the big-league level, they're going to go with the guy who's hot at Triple-A. Now, it's up to me to show them I can be that guy. That's all I can really ask for. I'm excited and energized."

 

Ungs, a 12th-round draft pick in 2001, produced quality numbers throughout his career in the Marlins organization but never earned a promotion to Miami. He owns a record of 54-45 with a 3.65 ERA, 614 strikeouts and 204 walks in 907 2/3 innings. Of his 173 appearances, 150 have come in a starting role.

 

Ungs went 5-5 with a 4.98 ERA last season, his second at Triple-A Albuquerque. The organization bounced him from the rotation to the bullpen, and the Isotopes never used him in a consistent pattern.

 

The Brewers told Ungs to prepare for a spot in the rotation at Triple-A Nashville before he reports to camp in Arizona next month. But, he will prepare for a variety of roles, based on Milwaukee's instability and injury problems throughout its big-league pitching staff a year ago.

 

"Durability and flexibility are what really made Nic attractive to the Brewers," said Bob Lisanti, Ungs' agent with Chicago-based RMG Sports Management. "He's been in pro baseball for seven years, and he's never been injured. Knock on wood.

 

"The Marlins used him in several different roles, and he excelled in all of them. He's the kind of guy you can use in the rotation, long relief or a spot start, so he gives a manager a lot of flexibility. Teams are always looking for that. Plus, he's a strike thrower. Nic may not be overpowering, but he knows how to get you out in different ways.

 

"It's a good fit for Nic and for the Brewers."

 

Within the last week, the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox expressed interest in Ungs. Texas, Atlanta and Cleveland also made inquiries. More than half of the 602 minor-league free agents this winter were pitchers.

 

"It's been an interesting offseason. Very nerve-wracking," Ungs said. "The whole time, I've been preparing for the season. But, at the same time, you have to ask yourself, 'What am I getting ready for? Who am I getting ready for?'

 

"It was stressful, but I think that made me work harder. I had a comfort level with the Marlins. Now, it's a fresh start, and I have to prove myself all over again. I have to show the Brewers that they made the right decision in signing me. I'm excited. And I'm interested to see a different philosophy from an organizational standpoint."

 

Although Ungs enjoyed living in New Mexico the past two seasons, he could do without pitching in high altitude. Last summer, he went 3-3 with a 7.84 ERA at home and 2-2 with a 2.73 ERA on the road.

 

"When I first got there, our manager (Dean Treanor) told me, 'If you can get us to the fifth inning allowing only five earned runs, we'll have a chance to win the ballgame,'" Ungs said. "I thought he was nuts, but that's exactly how it turned out.

 

"It was so difficult to adjust between pitching at altitude and pitching at sea level every other start.

 

"You're always trying to tweak your mechanics to get the same movement on your pitches.

 

"I love Nashville. It's an amazing city, and I've always pitched well there. I'm going to love pitching in that humidity, because my ball always moves a lot in those conditions."

 

Ungs will work with fourth-year pitching coach Stan Kyles, whose staff led the Pacific Coast League with a 3.57 ERA and set a club record with 1,148 strikeouts. The Sounds went 89-55 and finished 10 games ahead of the Iowa Cubs to win their third consecutive American North Division championship.

 

Because Iowa and Nashville play in the same division, friends and family will have more opportunities to see him play. And, it will be much easier for them to make a quick trip to Milwaukee if Ungs gets a call to "The Show."

 

"It's kind of nice to have him closer by," Ungs' father, Don, said. "But the most important thing for our family was seeing Nic get the opportunity he really deserves. When you see someone put in that much time and effort, you'd like to see him rewarded for it."

[JJ Hardy Har Har]

He seems to add that marginal depth you might need to dip into after making those risky trades that thin out your pitching staff at the MLB level.

[TheBrewer]

He seems like hes got a good head on his shoulders.

[Tbadder]

I like the idea of missing letters in his name. Do you think his real name could be Nicotin Lungs?