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Friday, March 20, 1998

Work ethic keeps Witt in big leagues

By MICHAEL A. LUTZ / AP Sports Writer

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (AP) -- Bobby Witt had the best start of his career last season and one of his worst finishes.

Witt provided stability in the Texas Rangers rotation with a 7-0 record through May 25. Then came the 5-12 finish for a 12-12 record and 4.83 ERA. He won only two games after the All-Star break.

The second half fizzle has Witt in spring training this year doing what he does best: work.

"Growing up, my Dad always worked two jobs and I think the way he went out and worked instilled in me at a young age that to get to the next level you have to work," Witt said.

Witt's good start last season was a bright spot in an unstable rotation that was hampered by injuries to Ken Hill and Roger Pavlik and an off-season by John Burkett.

"Bobby's been around so long because he works so hard," general manager Doug Melvin said. "There are guys who came up with him that may have had more talent but they're gone and Bobby's still here."

Witt, beginning his 12th season, still can pop a 90 mph fast ball but he's learned better control over the years and still regularly strikes out 100-plus batters. He had 121 strikeouts last season.

"I credit my work ethic for still being here," Witt said. "Just because you make it, doesn't mean you've got it made. You can't just kind of put it a roller coaster and ride out the rest of your career."

But Witt's 1997 performance was like a roller coaster ride, with a big dropoff at the end.

"I'm trying to forget about last year," Witt said. "I started well and I was 10-4 at the break," Witt said. "Then it got to mid-August and things weren't going right. I think maybe I wasn't concentrating as much as I should have been."

Witt started the season as the fifth starter. Expectations rose with his 7-0 start, but more victories didn't follow.

"I was letting things around me distract me from what I was trying to do and that wasn't a good situation," Witt said. "I shouldn't have been doing that."

Although he's pitched for Oakland and Florida, most of Witt's career has been with the Rangers and he's well-represented on the club's all-time leader lists. He's second among Rangers pitchers with 99 victories, 100 losses, 1,375 strikeouts, and he's the all-time walks-allowed leader with 968.

He still enjoys going to work.

"This is my work period, down here, getting ready for the season and I enjoy it," Witt said. "I still get that little pre-game feeling, not nervous but more like butterflies."