OCALA -- When the phone rang, neither player was awake. That in itself spoke volumes of the trials of minor league life. No, neither Dave Mastrolonardo nor Kevin McGlinchy had risen by the hour of 11 on a mid-summer morning.
While the two slumbered at virtually mid-day, both former Central Florida Community College pitchers could be on the rise of their lives. It isn't a rapid rise. It's more of a tedious, slow, monotonous movement through the ranks of the minor leagues.
Of course, neither knows when or if they'll ever even make it to the Big Show. But through the day-to-day grind of baseball, both McGlinchy, with the Braves' single-A team in Danville, Va., and Mastrolonardo, at the same level and in the same league (the Carolina League) with Baltimore at Frederick, Md., will find out in due time.
If either McGlinchy or Mastrolonardo does make it to baseball's Promised Land, they will both look back on totally different paths. McGlinchy was the high school stud. At Malden (Mass.) High School, he dominated local hitters.
The Atlanta Braves selected McGlinchy in the fifth round of the 1995 amateur draft. Word is he would have been a first-rounder had he not had a slight injury.
But McGlinchy gambled. He decided to hold out and take a year at a junior college. The Braves kept upping their offers, keeping McGlinchy out of his first day of college class. But in the end, he became a Patriot.
It was a short stint at CFCC, but a profitable one. McGlinchy put together an 8-2 season in 1996 and helped CFCC to its first Mid-Florida Conference championship in five years.
"He had a fastball, and he had good control and threw strikes," said CFCC pitching coach Bob O'Brien. "He had no breaking ball and never heard of a changeup. We taught him those, and he threw strikes for us. He was fun to watch. He didn't look like he was throwing 92 because he was so smooth."
Added McGlinchy, "I went (to CFCC) just to experience college pretty much and get myself ready to sign. I was going to sign anyway; it was just a matter of time. CFCC really helped in getting myself ready and fine-tuning my skills."
The Braves retained McGlinchy's rights through the 1996 season and had 10 days at the conclusion of CFCC's season to sign him, less he be returned to the available pool for the next draft.
He signed to the tune of $435,000 plus college, which amounted to a $485,000 package. His decision to attend CFCC paid off, as he got first-round money despite being a fifth-round selection.
Mastrolonardo, or "Mastro," wasn't as lucky or as talented as McGlinchy. After graduating from Satellite Beach High School, the right-hander had nowhere to go. Tallahassee Community College coach Mike McLeod saw Mastrolonardo throw but didn't think he had the stuff to play college ball.
Earning their money, however, CFCC head coach Marty Smith and O'Brien took a chance on Mastrolonardo.
He was perhaps one of O'Brien's biggest projects that came up golden, and there have been a number of them. On arrival, Mastrolonardo threw overhand with little effectiveness.
O'Brien changed both.
"When I came out of high school and got to CFCC, (O'Brien) dropped me down in the fall season. At the time, I didn't really care. I just wanted to get people out.
"(O'Brien) helped me out mentally and physically. Central Florida is just one of the places that I'll always remember."
O'Brien had learned the mechanics of an effective sinker-baller in his college days at Miami. Rick Raether's career with the Hurricanes coincided with O'Brien's. Raether was a side-wheeling closer who earned a ticket into pro ball with the motion taught to him by pitching coach Red Berry.
O'Brien, although not a side-armer himself, learned the finer points of sinker-balling at the time.
"Every year (at CFCC), I've had somebody that I've dropped down," said O'Brien, speaking of pitchers Jerrod Payne and Mark Frole, among others. "I learned at Miami. I used to just sit in bullpen and watch and listen.
"I saw it right away. I saw a three-quarter pitcher. He was throwing over the top, and it was ugly. So, right away, I said, 'Let's drop him down.’ "
Mastrolonardo, like Raether, turned into a quality pitcher and a great closer. In fact, he recorded the national junior college record for saves in a season with 17 in 1995.
The switch in motion transformed Mastrolonardo from an average pitcher nobody wanted into a University of Miami signee following two years in Ocala. Mastrolonardo eventually finished his career at an NAIA school before signing with Baltimore as a free agent.
McGlinchy, 21, and Mastrolonardo, 23, now have nearly crossed paths twice -- once at CFCC and now in the Carolina League -- although the two have never played together.
McGlinchy probably has a better chance of realizing the Majors, being younger and reportedly one of the Braves' top prospects. Still, Mastrolonardo's chances are far from over. He's still just 23 and has made progress in the Orioles' system.
"They've put two miles per hour on my fastball," said Mastrolonardo, who is now back to throwing over the top. "Last year, I was topping out at 88 or 89, but now I'm up to around 92, and my slider is a lot sharper. I'm 10-times the pitcher I was a year ago."
Unfortunately, the improvement hasn't carried over to Mastrolonardo's numbers yet. Through July 8, the right-hander had a 1-4 record with a 5.97 ERA. His 13 saves rank him fourth in the Carolina League, and he has struck out 38 in just over 31 innings of play.
"I've been working on some new stuff," said Mastrolonardo. "I've also been working more as a setup man as of late."
McGlinchy, meanwhile, has been living up to billing. After signing in the summer of '96, McGlinchy moved up the minor league ladder quickly. In fact, the Braves assigned him to the high-A Carolina League when he was just 19.
"I was kind of surprised they did that, but I kinda had a feeling I'd be there," McGlinchy said. "They said I was mature enough to go there at the time, and it helped me out a lot as far as this year's gone."
After going 3-7 with a 4.90 ERA last season, McGlinchy has adapted to the higher level this time around.
"I could say (I didn't do as well) stat-wise (last season)," said McGlinchy. "But, I pitched fine the whole year, I thought. It was just a little tougher league, and I had to try to get my feet wet."
McGlinchy is 9-6 with a 2.57 ERA in 20 starts this year at Danville, a marked improvement in the numbers department. He's pitched 129 innings, surrendering 106 hits while striking out 114 and walking just 27.
McGlinchy's performance earned him a spot on the Carolina League All-Star team. He is currently ranked fifth in the league in strikeouts and tied for second in the league in wins.
"It's just getting innings right now," said McGlinchy. "It's pretty much a guessing game. You don't know where you're going until they tell you. You just have go out there every day and battle and earn your way up through the ranks."
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