Austin Bizzle - 2017

[ashbury]

Austin Bizzle

 

 

http://www.bamastatesports.com/images/2016/2/10//bizzle_austin_011416.JPG

 

Born: March 16, 1995 (age 22 this season)

High School: Mosley HS, Lynn Haven, FL

College: Wallace Community College, Gulf Coast State CC, Alabama State

Signed via the amateur draft in 2017, fortieth round (1186th overall)

Height: 6' 1"

Weight: 205

Position: Pitcher

Throws: Right

Bats: Right

Pitching arsenal: TBD

Stats at baseball-reference.com

 

Austin Bizzle (no middle name that I could find) was the final pick by the Twins in the 2017 draft. He finished his college career at Alabama State after beginning at Wallace Community College in Dothan, Ala, and then Gulf Coast State Community College near his home town in the Florida panhandle. He has a variety of experience (and geographical broadening, I imagine) beyond that, via the Olean Oilers in the New York Collegiate Baseball League in 2014-2016 as well. Fun story on the trials and tribulations of piecing together a NYCBL championship postseason here.

 

 

_{^{(That's not mom and dad with their kids - it's the Olean team owners and two of their players, including Austin.)}}

 

As a college senior Austin racked up a 1.92 ERA across 61 mostly-relief appearances. He struck out 63 while walking only 17. Prior to this year, he was named the 2015 Florida JUCO Reliever of the Year. As a high-schooler, he tossed a no-hitter in his team's state semi-finals.

 

Austin will begin his pro career in Ft Myers, toiling in the bullpen for the GCL Twins. Here's rooting for an underdog 40th-rounder to succeed - fo' shizzle!

 

 

 

Sources:

http://www.bamastatesports.com/documents/2017/5/8//2017_ASU_BB_JSU_Troy_5_8_17.pdf

http://www.gcathletics.com/articles/baseball/2014/7-30-14.htm

http://nycbleague.wttbaseball.pointstreak.com/stats.html?leagueid=622&seasonid=26714&view=pitching

http://www.oleanoilersbaseball.com/2015-2016-highlights------.html

 

[Bob Sacamento]

I've had the pleasure of meeting his dad at the WWBA tourney in the past when the younger Bizzle (Weston) was pitching.  Daddy Bizzle is a character so I'm hoping the apple didn't fall far from the tree, a true hype man, had a complete little saying "The Bizzle, the dizzle, the snizzle, the shizzle..."

 

[ashbury]

Austin saw his first professional action on Tuesday July 4, and he sizzled in relief. Brought in with one out in the eighth after a four-run uprising by the visiting GCL Rays, he slammed the door with two strikeouts.

[Bob Sacamento]

Video of Bizzle, he pitches off his breaking ball(s) with different arm slot angles.  The Bizzle came into the game with runners on and only one out, he then proceeded to strike out the two batters he faced.  Fastball ~88 mph.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Pv4EEJC3W8

[ashbury]

I omitted mention of the wild pitch at about the 1:08 mark in the above video, which allowed the two baserunners to move up (but not score), but from the video it looks as if it could just as easily have been called a passed ball - like it glizzled off the catcher's glove right at the dirt. (Gotta stick up for my A-A-P guy. )

[ashbury]

Austin's second opportunity came against the GCL Red Sox on July 8, and he did not fizzle. He set the batters down 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh inning, and when allowed to come out again for the eighth he repeated the feat, this time with a strikeout. All five of the balls put in play were grounders, and (except for the first batter faced) it was against the top of the lineup.

[ashbury]

After two clean outings, Austin gave up a run when he came in to work the eighth inning on July 11 against the GCL Orioles, surrendering his first two hizzles of the season along with a couple of base on bizzles. To his credit, only the one run scored, even with all that traffic on the basepaths, and one of those singles was of the infield-variety. He walked the tightrope and didn't lose his nerve, and every pitcher will have games where the hits fall in, so it was good to get this under his belt and begin to see what he's made of.

[ashbury]

It has been kindly pointed out to me by the GCL Twins that they muzzled RHP Austin Bizzle by placing him on the 7-day disabled list retroactive to July 14, 2017. At this time there still is no specific timeframe for his return.

 

This explains the lack of activity since the 11th.

[ashbury]

Just when I had given up hope of seeing Austin get healthy enough to see the light of day the remainder of this season, he started the GCL Twins' game against their Red Sox counterparts, and puzzled their batters to the tune of a clean inning with one strikeout. The team went on to win 4-3.

[ashbury]

Austin saw action in the GCL Twins' game against the Rays at noon on Thursday August 17. As with his previous appearance, he was the nominal starter, again going one inning. I am guessing this reflects lingering concern about his arm's health, like rehab outings for a major league reliever where you want to give him some predictability so as to warm up precisely as he wants to - but that's just me talking. Anyhizzle... he walked the first guy who promptly stole second, struck out the next guy, gave up a run-scoring double, then retired the next two guys on grounders. So-so results, an unsightly in-game OPS-against of .900 if I did the math right (his season OPS for five games is a much nicer .471), but hopefully something to build off of.

[ashbury]

Austin pitched his longest outing of the short season so far, two and a third innings to finish the game against the GCL Orioles on Wednesday August 23. He benefited from a would-be base-stealer thrown out by the catcher when he was called in to quell the mildest of two-out rallies in the top of the seventh, and he then proceeded to throw two clean innings after that, striking out one batter. His team took the lead for good, 9-6, during his stint, so he was credited with his first professional wizzle. His season ERA stands at 2.25.