When It Clicked: Joe Smith, New York Mets

It's not hard to pinpoint when it all clicked for the sidearm bullpen specialist. In 2004, as a conventional right-hander with a mid-80s fastball, he had to walk on to make Wright State's baseball team. But in 2005, pitching coach Greg Lovelady made a suggestion that changed Smith's career trajectory. A year later, the Mets picked him in the third round of the 2006 draft, and in 2007 he became the

"Obviously, for me that moment came when I started throwing sidearm. It was my third year in school -- I was a redshirt sophomore. My coach told me he wanted me drop down [to sidearm]. I wasn't too happy with it, but I ended up going through with it. I told him I'd try it for a little while, and if it worked I'd stick with it.

"I don't want to say it was immediate, because I still have a long way to go. But as soon as I started doing it, I knew it was pretty good. I used it in fall ball, and then tried in the winter. I decided I'd go into the [2006] season with it and see how it goes. Fortunately, it went pretty well.

"I don't know what it was about me that made him suggest it. It was probably something where, 'You might as well try it.' There wasn't much to lose. I had just come back from shoulder surgery two years before, so I needed something to get me noticed. And, well, that definitely did it.

"My delivery now is a little different than the way I threw in college. In college, the delivery was putting a lot more stress on my arm. Now, there's not as much stress on my arm, so I don't feel as sore. I'm still learning how to pitch to big league hitters. I don't think I'll ever stop trying to learn more about how to do this."

-- Interview by Dave Sheinin