Modica: Focusing on the bottom part of the zone, not about school

Good article from 2009 24th Round pick Mike Modica's hometown Gloucester County Times on his career to this point.

Modica:
"Our pitching coach has really just harped on shooting the bottom part of the zone. It's something I've been working on, trying to get a little bit of movement, to get guys to keep the ball on the ground and limit walks. Command was always my issue through all of college. The pitching coaches this year have really harped on (control). I've taken the approach where I'd rather give up a double in the gap or a homer than walk somebody. If you're falling behind in the count you need to get the ball over, and it needs to be a quality pitch. It doesn't really matter how hard you throw, it's how much of a quality strike you're throwing."

On how he went from Tri-City to Lancaster:
"They have so many players and so many roster spots to fill. It's just how things work out sometimes, I guess. There's a list of people who are kind of backups or reserves that didn't make the full-season rosters but are a couple of guys away, either an injury or if someone's not doing very well.

After I found out I was in extended, they told me, 'You may not be here very long. We're going to try and get you on a full-season team.' Then somebody had gotten hurt, and I was out the next day. I had a really good spring training, so that was frustrating. I thought I had made the team, but I just kept doing what I was doing and it all shook out for me."

And on finishing that last semester at George Mason:
"I'm almost done college, I've got (a semester of) classes left. (I'll finish) either when I stop or if I can get back one fall, I would consider doing that. I can play as long as I want, not really worry about school and see how far I can take it."

Pounding the bottom of the zone seems to be working, getting ground balls or line drives in 74.4% of the time. His BAA is .287, propped up by a .319 BABIP. He's been pretty unlucky against righties (.354 BABIP) and at home (.346 BABIP), and particularly in July (.395 BABIP), but his GB rate is at a season high 60% in July.