Patience pays off as 51s reliever Rice waits for next big league chance

After spending 14 years in the minor leagues without an appearance in the majors, 51s relief pitcher Scott Rice finally made it to the big leagues in 2013 with the New York Mets.

“It was a big monkey off my back, more than anything,” Rice, 33, said Friday before Las Vegas’ 4-3 win over Reno before 7,126 at Cashman Field.

“Throughout my career, I’ve put up good numbers everywhere I’ve been; but there’s always been that one question mark people had on me, which was, ‘If he’s done so well, why hasn’t he ever gotten a chance in the major leagues?’ ” the left-hander said. “It was nice to get that one question mark off my resume.”

After bouncing around six big league organizations and three independent league teams, Rice — who had two strikeouts in a perfect inning vs. the San Diego Padres in his big league debut on Opening Day — did more than just reach the majors.

He opened the season with the Mets and stayed with them all year, compiling a 3.71 ERA in 73 appearances, which led the majors at the time of his last outing. After waiting so long to get to the big leagues, Rice became one of the fastest pitchers ever to make 30 appearances, reaching the mark on May 29, 58 days after his April 1 debut.

“Something I take pride in is coming to the ballpark every day and being able to help the team win a game,” he said. “I prepare myself every day to be ready.”

Rice has a 1.29 ERA in nine games this season for the 51s in his comeback from season-ending elbow surgery last year. He pitched only one year as a senior in high school before he was drafted with the 44th overall pick in 1999 by the Baltimore Orioles.

In eight seasons with the Orioles, Rice never advanced above Double A.

“I was raw as a pitcher and was in an organization in a transition phase with the Orioles,” he said. “That instability didn’t allow me to blossom maybe as quickly as other guys. For the most part, I just needed time to learn how to pitch.”

After leaving Baltimore’s organization, Rice pitched for parts of two seasons with a torn flexor tendon that wasn’t properly diagnosed until 2008.

Desperate for a job in 2010, by which time he was healthy again, Rice contemplated quitting the game.

“I had to scratch and claw my way to get jobs for years,” he said. “I was coming off surgery. I was a man without an organization. I was just trying to pitch somewhere and was looking for anyone to give me an opportunity.”

Rice was finally invited to a tryout with the Colorado Rockies the day before minor league camp started.

“I had to practically beg them to let me throw,” he said. “The only reason I got there was because I knew the pitching coordinator. He says, ‘We’ve got 22 left-handed pitchers in camp, and you’ve got to beat out all of them to make the team. I ended up having a pretty good spring training, and I was like, ‘Shoot, if I don’t make this, I’m probably going to think about retiring because I can’t get callbacks from people or get anyone to offer me a job.’ ”

Rice earned a spot in the Rockies’ farm system and had a solid season in Double A and Triple A.

“That kind of springboarded my career from there,” he said. “Everywhere I’ve gone, I’ve always been one of the more reliable relievers on the team. I just needed an opportunity to show I could do it on the major league level.”

Mets manager Terry Collins gave him that chance.

“TC called me the offseason before I signed with the Mets, and he really encouraged me,” Rice said. “He told me, ‘I know you’ve heard this before, but you really do have a shot. Come to spring training ready, throw strikes and you’ll have a very good chance to make this team.’ ”

After setting New York’s single-season franchise rookie record for appearances in 2013, Rice had season-ending surgery Sept. 10 to repair sports hernias.

He returned to the Mets last season, but struggled to a 5.93 ERA in 32 games before getting optioned to Las Vegas, where he was shut down in June with elbow problems and had surgery in July to remove a bone spur and relocate his ulnar nerve.

“It just kind of progressively got worse throughout the season. My control wasn’t there,” he said. “It got to the point where one of the last pitches I threw here, I threw it on a fly to the backstop. At that point, I decided to be healthy for this season.”

Less than 10 months removed from surgery, Rice said he’s almost back to his top form.

“I feel great. I’m feeling stronger every day,” he said. “Right now, I definitely feel like I’m getting over the hurdle.”

A groundball pitcher with a stellar sinker, Rice appears fully recovered to 51s manager Wally Backman.

“He’s 100 percent healthy. He looks really good,” Backman said. “Scotty’s probably going to get another opportunity (in the majors) if he keeps pitching the way he’s been pitching.”

■ NOTE — Matthew Bowman pitched five strong innings, and Johnny Monell and Cory Vaughn had three hits apiece as the 51s (14-8) won their season-high eighth straight game.

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournl.com or 702-383-0354. Follow him on Twitter: @tdewey33.