By JOSEPH KELLARD
Weitzman was chosen in the 37th round in the 2002 draft, and the Mets held the rights to him until this past June 1. As he began his second season with Briarcliff College in February, however, when scouts were to get a better look at him, rainy weather dampened his prospects. Of Briarcliff's 52 games, 19 -- most of them at home -- were rained out, and the team played more road games (in Arizona, Texas and Georgia), all of which made Weitzman slip under the radar.
Despite spring showers, Weitzman ranked sixth in most strikeouts per inning among junior-college pitchers. With less leverage to work with other than this achievement, Weitzman's father, William Sr., negotiated a deal with the Mets before the June 1 deadline.
"I took the offer the Mets originally gave, which was a signing bonus and that they would pay a certain amount for two more years of school," Weitzman Sr. said. "I took that because no one had seen Billy in the rain."
Last year, Weitzman, 20, was offered a spot in the Mets farm system, and the University of South Carolina offered him a full scholarship for his junior and senior years if he turned down the Mets. Weitzman joined the Mets and returned to Briarcliff for the 2003 season.
"Right now, he looks fabulous and he's on a roll," Weitzman Sr. said. "But you know, you never know. Everything has got to be aligned just right."
This "roll" of which Weitzman's father speaks began when his son entered the Mets' training camp in Port St. Lucie, Fla., in May. As if the wet weather hadn't already diluted his prospects enough, Weitzman competed there against 30 other pitchers. Each pitcher received limited innings, but Weitzman made the most of the five he pitched, achieving a 0.0 ERA. He and 18 other pitchers were sent up to Tennessee to play with the Kingsport Mets, a rookie team in the Appalachian League managed by former Met Mookie Wilson.
To date, Weitzman has pitched 10 more scoreless innings with Kingsport and is the only pitcher among the 18 (some of whom are high draft picks) to maintain a flawless ERA.
"The team called me the other day, and they are starting to really recognize him," Weitzman Sr. said. "The next day they gave him 2 1/3 innings, which was double what some other pitchers were getting."
When Weitzman played for OHS, the right-hander won the New York State Championship game in 2000, and the next year he returned from an arm injury to pitch relief in the team's second straight county championship. His fastball fell in the 87- to 90-mph range. Today, he consistently throws between 89 and 92, topping out at 94.
Weitzman's fast ball cuts, which has always given him an edge. But at the level he's at now, batters are better able to hit the pitch. His father says he's learned that velocity is not everything, and has since developed a repertoire of pitches, his best being a slider and curve ball, which helps him confuse more batters.
"There are pitchers who throw 85, but they're getting everyone out, too," Weitzman said from Kingsport last week. "It's also about location and how you mix up your pitches. We go over little things every day, and polish up things that you really don't think about, like pick-off moves."
Each day, he wakes up at 10:30, eats breakfast, watches ESPN's Sports Center, and is at the ballpark by 2:30. Games don't begin until 7 p.m., and his team often travels to Virginia to play. This is his daily routine for all but three days this summer.
If, of course, he keeps playing well and certain circumstances line up just right, Weitzman's next stop could be the Brooklyn Cyclones, the Mets' single-A team. If he succeeds there, then it's off to the team's double-A team in Columbia, S.C., where he can be called at any time to play at Shea Stadium.
"I feel that if I can make my pitches where I want them, I can go to the next level," Weitzman said about his prospects. "Control has a lot to do with it now, on this level."
Many ballplayers stay in the minor leagues for years -- five, six, seven or more -- after which some of them still get a shot in the majors. "If I don't make it right away, I'm definitely going to stay in the minors a little while," Weitzman said. "But I think I have a much better chance of making it sooner than later."
