51s’ Beck continues improbable ascent

During an off day last season for Double-A New Hampshire, 51s closer Chad Beck had Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz, his childhood friend, leave him tickets for a game at Boston's Fenway Park.

Little did Beck know he'd return to the storied ballpark in September to make his big league debut for the Toronto Blue Jays.

"Two months later, I'm pitching against the Red Sox in the same stadium my buddy left us tickets at to watch the game," he said. "It was a proud moment for myself."

Beck's promotion to Toronto was the culmination of an improbable climb through the minor leagues last year, when he ascended from Single A to the majors after failing to advance beyond Single A his first five pro seasons.

The 6-foot-4-inch, 250-pound right-hander has continued to progress this season for Las Vegas (48-39), which notched a 5-1 win over Tucson (31-56) on Thursday at Cashman Field.

Converted to a reliever this season, the 27-year-old power pitcher has compiled a 1.21 ERA and team-leading nine saves in 29 2/3 innings.

The run he gave up in Wednesday's 3-1 loss to the Padres was only the second he has allowed in his past 23 appearances and fourth in 29 games this season.

"We're not necessarily looking at Chad as the closer of the future for the Blue Jays organization, which he may be," 51s manager Marty Brown said. "We've put him in pressurized situations in order for him to develop, and he's responded really well to that."

For his efforts, Beck was selected to the Pacific Coast League All-Star team, joining Las Vegas shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria and Brown, who will manage the PCL against the International League in Wednesday's Triple-A All-Star Game in Buffalo, N.Y.

"That means a lot to me, it really does," Beck said. "It means I'm finally where I need to be and I've fought hard for it, scratched and clawed every single bit of the way."

A talented tight end coming out of high school in his hometown of Woodville, Texas (population 2,415), Beck planned on playing college football for Louisiana-Lafayette before the Blue Jays drafted him in the 46th round in 2004.

"That was kind of like a curveball because I wasn't expecting it," he said. "I had never talked to a scout or anything. I had zero baseball scholarships. I was a football player."

At the urging of his mother, Tammy, Beck - whose younger brother Casey also plays in Toronto's organization - decided to pursue a baseball career.

"My mom didn't like me playing football," he said, smiling. "I had no decision in it. She made me go play baseball."

After toiling two years for a Texas junior college, Beck played a season for Louisiana-Lafayette - which originally offered him a football scholarship - before signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks, who drafted him in the 14th round in 2006.

Beck's confidence was boosted in 2008, when Toronto acquired him from Arizona in a straight-up trade for two-time World Series champion infielder David Eckstein.

Toronto recalled Beck in June, and he allowed two runs on four hits in 5 1/3 innings over three outings.

Someday, he hopes to be the one leaving tickets for his friends to Blue Jays games. "I'm waiting for my time to get up there and prove that I can pitch in big situations for them," he said.

■ NOTE - Toronto released 49-year-old pitcher Jamie Moyer, who allowed 10 runs on 17 hits in 11 innings over two starts for the 51s.

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354.