ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, March 1, 1996 TAG: 9603010060
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: TUCSON, ARIZ.
SOURCE: Associated Press
THE PITCHING PROSPECT, who is likely to return to Salem this year, shows his stuff in a Colorado Rockies intrasquad game.
Doug Million didn't get much sleep Wednesday night. He was up until 1 a.m. thinking about pitching against the likes of Dante Bichette, Larry Walker and Andres Galarraga.
Less than 12 hours later, Million was feeling like ... well, at least a thousand bucks after overcoming nerves and wildness to pitch two scoreless innings in the Colorado Rockies' intrasquad game Thursday.
``I was waiting all day and last night. It seemed like it was taking forever to get out here,'' he said. ``I've been waiting for this my whole life - to finally come out and throw against a bunch of big-leaguers. I was a little nervous, but if I want to do this, I have to go out and perform.''
Colorado's first-round draft pick in 1994, Million struggled last year with the Class A Salem Avalanche. Shoulder problems held him back for much of the season, and he finished the year 5-7 with a 4.62 ERA.
Million likely will start at Salem again this year as he tries to gain control of a live fastball that went to the backstop twice Thursday.
``He has a good arm. There's no question that he has a good arm,'' said Don Baylor, Colorado's manager. ``But he has to learn to apply the good-arm syndrome into getting outs.''
Million, a 20-year-old left-hander, was effectively wild Thursday, getting two strikeouts with his curveball. He struck out lefty John VanderWal in the first inning, then got Larry Walker on a curveball that bounced about four feet in front of the plate.
``I only threw two innings,'' he said, ``so I can't let this go to my head.'' he said.
LENGTH: Short : 43 lines KEYWORDS: BASEBALLby CNB