Tiny taste makes Newman hunger for big leagues

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Josh Newman got that little taste of the show, and he's hooked, wants more, wants to be a part of it again, even if it's only a little part. The Colorado Rockies' 24-year-old left-handed pitcher played in all of two games, two total innings, during the Rockies' late-season run in 2007. Those six outs were enough. 'Being up there, that atmosphere, it's just something you can never explain,' Newman said, sitting at his locker in Hi Corbett Field, site of the Rockies' spring training camp. 'That's what I want to get back to. I want to help this team, even if it's just a little part, but I want to help this team not just get to the World Series, but win it.' You can't do that in Colorado Springs, which is where, unless Newman has an amazing spring, he will start the season. But wanting to contribute, having the talent to contribute and contributing are three distinctly different things. Newman has talent. He has had 271 strikeouts in 236 innings, and opponents are batting .231 against him in three full seasons. That talent remains stunted or one sided. Left-handed batters can almost forget about hitting Newman. While pitching with the Sky Sox in 2007, lefties batted a paltry .189 against him. Right-handed batters loved Newman, batting .355 against him. Newman is a situational reliever, as many are. But Newman, unlike other relievers, has yet to prove that he won't be too much of a crutch when the opposition puts a right-handed batter in the box. 'Last year, I was terrible versus right-handed hitters, bottom line,' Newman said, laughing. 'But that was last year. It's very easy to get caught up in stats and the previous years. I was talking with some of these other guys about putting the past behind you. Forget about what you did yesterday, it's what you do today. 'As you progress in this game, you learn how to handle failure. It took some time, I ain't gonna lie.' That learning process isn't over. The Rockies have a lot of veterans in the bullpen, making spot duty tougher for Newman. So, odds are good that Newman will be making numerous trips between Colorado Springs and Denver. 'It took me a couple years,' reliever Brian Fuentes said. 'For two years I was up and down in the minor leagues. And once I was out of options, I was like, 'It's either now or never.' 'Every time he goes in to pitch in the fifth or sixth inning, that's it. That's Game 7 of the World Series. That's the way I looked at it. He'll be looking over his shoulder, 'Aahh man, I don't wanna get sent back down. ... I gotta pitch well. ... Ohh man, Pujols is coming up, I'm gonna have to face him. ... Oh a big lefty, I'm going to have to face Barry or somebody.'' Unless Newman is somehow wired differently, that's what he'll face. He'll split time between Denver and the Springs. He'll dislike Triple-A ball but say it's a learning opportunity. When he faces big-league batters, he'll be anxious to prove that he deserves to continue facing them. It's all part of a process that boils down to one thing, according to Fuentes. 'Just get guys out,' Fuentes said. 'You might go in there and throw 15 fastballs and get three outs and nobody scores. Who cares? Who really cares? Once they start hitting your fastball, then you can switch to something else. Just get outs, period. 'I had dinner with him last night, and told him not to worry about getting guys out the way the chart says to get them out. A lot of times coaches will come and say, 'We'd like to see you use your breaking ball more. We'd like to see you use your change-up more or fastball or whatever it may be.' Look, just get them out, and nobody will care.' Just get them out ' lefties as well as righties ' and Newman will be back where he wants to be.