Fields close to major league dream

Hungry Horse News

Josh Fields has a pretty simple plan when it comes to his baseball career: Make enough money so he can hunt and fish the rest of his life.

The Columbia Falls native just might be able to do that.

As a middle reliever for the AAA Charlotte Knights, Fields is just waiting for the day he gets called up to pitch in the major leagues.

The Knights are the top farm club for the Chicago White Sox, and just getting to this level has been quite the journey for the 1998 Columbia Falls graduate.

When he left high school, he went to Mesa Community College in Arizona to play baseball, but not as a pitcher-as a shortstop. While there, Fields was developed as a pitcher and, as luck would have it, in 2001 he was drafted by the White Sox organization in the 23rd round.

His professional baseball journey began in Bristol, Va., and then he went to the "low A" Kannapolis Intimidators for a month. Then he spent a year with the Winston-Salem Warthogs, where he was named MVP of their post-season championship run.

Last year, he had another solid year with the AA Birmingham Barons, and this spring he was called up to the AAA Knights.

It's been a long journey and a lot of bus trips. At least now he gets to fly to games and makes enough money so he can live fairly comfortably, he said.

Middle relief is the most thankless job in baseball. More often than not, you come in with men on base and few or no outs.

Just the other night against Toledo, he came in with one out and the bases loaded.

Fields got the ground-out double play. Inning over.

His method of success is simple.

"I've always kept my nose clean and done my business," the 25-year-old said last week.

He's been pitching well. Over the first eight games, he has an earned run average of 2.3 over several games.

"I'm learning a lot from the older guys," Fields said.

The Knights are a team of veterans who have been up and down in the major leagues, he said.

For example, his catcher is Ben Davis, who used to catch for the Seattle Mariners before he was traded to the White Sox.

"I'm starting to reap the benefits of all that work. It's good. It's tough. I have good days and bad days," he said.

Fields said he has a "wonderful" girlfriend, Tiffany Davis, of Reno, Nev., who keeps him in check. She's also going to law school.

So if baseball doesn't pan out, "I have a backup plan," he joked.

Fields said he's just going to keep on working and hope he gets called up. So far that plan has worked.

A typical day, if the game is at home, consists of lifting weights starting about 1 p.m., running, shagging fly balls, light pitching, infield and outfield practice, eating supper and then playing the game at 7:15 p.m. By the time it's over, it's 11 p.m. Go to bed, get up, do it over again.

"You get about one day off a month," he said.

Fields did get to pitch in a major league game during spring practice. He pitched against the Milwaukee Brewers and struck out four.

Only five percent of those who are drafted make the majors. Of the 50 players the Sox drafted when Fields started, only three are left.

Fields has already been the subject of Internet chat lines, where baseball fans argue the merits of players. The cyberfans like Fields and his career ERA of 2.5.

Making the majors would be so sweet.

"It's like you won the lottery," he said.

The paychecks are nice, too. The base salary is about $325,000 a year.

That's a lot of fishing trips.