Experiences of Life Keep James Humble

Injuries, inconsistency and an inability to master a few off-speed pitches to complement his 94-mph fastball have all conspired to prevent Delvin James, a 27-year-old right-hander who is in Angel camp as a non-roster invitee, from establishing himself as a big league pitcher.

But when it comes to mental toughness, perseverance and an ability to deal with adversity, James is major league all the way.

In the summer of 2002, while he was pitching for the triple-A Durham Bulls, James and a friend, Monique McNellie, stopped at a restaurant in North Carolina to pick up a to-go order when they witnessed an altercation involving a customer and a cook.

The customer left to retrieve a gun from his car then began shooting. James and McNellie, who were sitting at the counter, were caught in the line of fire.

“I got hit three times – one bullet went through the left side of my chest and through my back, one hit me in the left elbow, and one in the shoulder blade,” James said. “Nine days later, I was pitching in a playoff game.”

McNellie wasn’t so fortunate. She took a bullet in the abdomen and has been was left paralyzed from the waist down.

“When I saw how seriously she was hurt, and how serious it could have been for me, it really put things in perspective,” said James, who speaks with McNellie several times a week by phone. “They told me on the way to the hospital they thought my lung had been struck and that I might not make it. That changes the way you look at life.

“I used to be really hard on myself after a bad game; I thought it was the end of the world. That whole experience taught me to enjoy the game. Now, if I have a bad game, it’s easier to swallow.”

James, who turned down a football scholarship to Oklahoma State to sign with Tampa Bay in 1996, has appeared in eight big league games over nine professional seasons, going 0-3 with a 6.55 earned-run average for the Devil Rays in 2002.

Shoulder tendinitis knocked him out of the Tampa Bay rotation that season, and after being released by Florida last March and signing with the Angels, James underwent season-ending shoulder surgery after four starts at triple-A Salt Lake.

This spring, James’ goal is to pitch well enough at Salt Lake to be considered a viable option should a starter on the big league staff go on the disabled list. “I want to be in the mix of guys who can step in and do the job,” James said.

Angel pitching coach Bud Black said he believes the potential is there.

“He’s a raw talent with good stuff, but he’s had some arm trouble,” Black said. “It’s interesting to see what a guy like that can do because he has shown a fastball with velocity and crisp, major league-caliber breaking pitches. Those kinds of guys are intriguing.”

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Adam Kennedy’s rehabilitation from knee surgery is progressing well, and the second baseman is scheduled to begin taking ground balls on March 1. Until then, he will continue to throw and participate in agility drills and treadmill workouts.

Kennedy, who tore two ligaments in his right knee while fielding a grounder against Seattle on Sept. 20, is scheduled to return in early June. With the talented Chone Figgins filling in, the Angels don’t want Kennedy to feel pressured to rush his return.

“You want to get back as soon as you can, and I’ll do what I can to do that, but I’m also pretty honest with myself,” Kennedy said. “I’m not going to come back if I can’t do the things I want. I don’t have the luxury of being less than 100%. I don’t want to hurt the team.”

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Negotiations between the Angels and Jered Weaver, the former Cal State Long Beach pitcher whom the Angels selected in the first round of last June’s draft, appear to be heating up. “We’re close, and I’m optimistic we’ll get something done soon,” Weaver told the Long Beach Press-Telegram Sunday. “I’ve been anxious to get going.”