Carroll, WCU Product Gailey Throwing Well In Texas
By Matt Leon
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Frank Gailey has made a lot of stops during his seven-year pro baseball career. From Florida to Michigan to Reading, Pa., and now Texas, Gailey has been all over the map.
But no matter the setting, Gailey has always done a great job of getting people out.
A product of Archbishop Carroll and Division II West Chester University, the 27-year-old left-handed reliever is a member of the Midland RockHounds bullpen down in Midland, Texas. The RockHounds are the Double-A affiliate of the Oakland A's.
"I feel strong," Gailey tells KYW Newsradio. "Every year you kind of hope you get stronger and stronger and this year I feel like more pieces are fitting together for me so it's nice."
Frank Gailey Interview
Gailey has 2.13 ERA in 31 games this season for Midland to go along with a 1-2 record, 3 saves and 45 strikeouts in 50 2/3 innings. For his career, Gailey has a 2.57 ERA in 245 appearances and he has averaged nearly a strikeout per inning (396 in 414 innings) since being drafted by the Blue Jays in the 23rd round back in 2007. Since that day, Gailey says he has come a long way as a hurler.
"My secondary pitches got stronger, got to throw them in key counts late in the game," Gailey says. "Also just mentally, just get frustrated pretty early when you first get out there because you always want to do good, you'll be pretty hard on yourself. But I think now I'm more even on the mental side of it, which kind of keeps me ready to go just in case I do have a bad outing. My next outing, it's not going to affect it."
Despite all his minor-league success, Gailey has only pitched one inning above the AA level (one frame in AAA with the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs during a stint in the Phillies' organization in 2012). While he says it is a little frustrating that he hasn't gotten a real opportunity to play at a higher level yet, he is focusing on getting better.
"There's always another pitch to fine tune," Gailey says. "Right now I have three (pitches) with the fourth pitch being a split-finger. That needs to get fine tuned as well. So if I get all four pitches, where I want it and located anytime I want it, (anytime) in a game whenever I want it, I feel like I can definitely put my name out there and definitely be a force to be reckoned with. And they'll have to do something with me once I get there!"
Gailey went 24-9 during his career at West Chester from 2004 through 2007 and he still holds the school career record for strikeouts with 242.
You can follow Matt on twitter @mattleonkyw.
