Leek Still The Ducks Ace

By Brian Bohl on May 31, 2010

CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y.— Randy Leek said he is confident that he can get batters out at any level. The Ducks’ ace has a track record to support that faith, logging a career 86-63 record in 11 seasons since entering the professional ranks as a Detroit Tigers 18th round draft pick in 1999.

Leek isn’t as sure in his ability to make it back to a club affiliated with a major league franchise. The 33-year-old lefty said his age might preclude teams from signing him since his last full season at Triple-A came with St. Louis’ top farm team in 2006.

“I think I’m a little old and I don’t scouts are really looking at me,” Leek said two days after pitching seven innings without allowing an earned run against the two-time defending champion Somerset Patriots. “I always believe in the back of my mind that there’s a chance. I still believe I can get big league hitters out.”

Leek’s performance might make it difficult for scouts to ignore the local Levittown, N.Y. product. The southpaw leads the Atlantic League in wins thanks to a 6-1 start that has him on pace to set career-highs in victories and strikeouts.

Against the Patriots, Leek struck out three and walked just one in lowering his ERA to 3.28. The effort was indicative of his career—Leek’s has a strikeout-to-walk ration of greater than 3-to-1.

Compared to other Atlantic League players who have signed with major league teams this season, Leek is also relatively young. The Oakland Athletics signed John Halama, the 38-year-old former Ducks starter, off the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs roster earlier in May.

Leek is in his fourth season with the Ducks and surpassed Lance Davis for the most wins in team history, carrying 36 into his next scheduled start on Wednesday. But milestones haven’t enticed teams to come calling yet, forcing Leek to see if a need arises that will bring a phone call and a trip to Double or Triple-A.

“A lot of times that’s beyond your control,” Leek said. “At this point in my career, it’s going to be tough to get back and I understand that. I still enjoy playing and I’m going to try and finish out the year on a positive note.”

Leek’s previous chance to make an impression came in an abbreviated two-start outing for Toronto’s Triple-A Syracuse squad late in the 2007 campaign.

Despite going 5-1 with a 2.83 ERA down the stretch for the Ducks that year, Leek was rocked for 10 runs in 8 1/3 innings in two no-decisions before being released. Leek has gone 29-14 for the Ducks since then.

He shrugged off the difficulties of creating a positive impression in less than a fortnight’s time and said his only regret was the poor timing of his struggles.

“What was frustrating about them was how poorly I pitched,” Leek said about his time in Syracuse. “Those were my two worst starts of the year. I just picked a bad time to have them.”

Dave LaPoint has managed or coached Leek every season since joining the Ducks. LaPoint said Leek’s ability to throw strikes (876 career strikeouts versus 267 walks) has earned the trust of his teammates

LaPoint also said Leek and Joselo Diaz have anchored a rotation that features three starters—Sidney Ponson, Jake Dittler and Rick Bauer—who are trying to become consistent fixtures as the Ducks aim for its first championship since 2004.

“With him [Lee], the team is confident and basically what that means is that they’re relaxed and go about their job without any pressure on them,” LaPoint said.

Ray Navarrete joined the Ducks one season before Leek. Like his long-tenured teammate, Navarrete also broke a major team record when he moved past Doug Jennings for the most RBIs in Ducks history.

Navarrete said Leek’s on-field track record and his background as a Long Island native makes him a leader-by-example. Now all that’s left is to clinch a seventh straight postseason appearance and its first playoff series victory since 2004.

“I’m sure he takes pride in wearing the uniform too, especially growing up here,” Navarrete said. “It’s a special place and it seems like Randy and I have accomplished a lot. The one thing on the resume that we haven’t won together on Long Island is a championship.

“We’re excited about whatever records we get but we want to win a championship and I’m sure Randy feels the same way.”

Leek said outside of a major league job, pitching for the Ducks allows him to live at home and stay with his wife and son.

“I can have fun with them and even when I go on the road, it’s close by. I’m not traveling across the country so this is definitely the best situation for me,” Leek said.

Like Navarrete, Leek said he views himself as a leader. But the soft-spoken hurler added that he prefers to inspire his teammates with his on-field actions.

“I try and go about my business and do things the right away and if people look up to that, great,” Leek said. “I’m not a loud rah-rah, ‘let’s go get them’ guy. I get my work in and I try to be a good teammate as well.”

LaPoint pitched 11 major league seasons and has worked with Leek for nearly a half-decade. Both experiences helped developed a rapport between the two.

“He knows my mechanics now really well,” Leek said. “He sees that I might be dropping my arm a little bit or just doing something a little wrong out there that’s not me and he picks it up right away and comes over and says something. He’s been a big part of my success here.”

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