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June 7, 2005Cairns awaits his shot at prosScouts compare TC Central grad to Steve TrachselByRecord-Eagle staff writer  Photo courtesy of CMU Sports Information Central Michigan University's Jason Cairns (TC Central) fires a pitch to the plate during a game this season. That's just fine with Cairns. He'll take a 14-year Major League career. Cairns' career in professional baseball could begin today with the first day of the 2005 MLB first-year player draft. "I've been getting a lot of calls," said Cairns, who completed his college career last week with Central Michigan University. "I've been hearing a lot of good things. "The scouts ask me where I'd like to go and I say, 'I'd like to be in the top 10.' They all say that's doable." That projection would have Cairns being selected on the first day of the draft, which begins at 12:30 p.m. On the Web site mlb.com, comments from scouts about the 6-foot-4, 205-pound right-hander said he has "broad shoulders, tapers to slim waist. Similar to Steve Trachsel." "They thought I threw like him, I guess," Cairns said. Cairns will gladly take any comparisons to a pitcher that's in his 14th year in the big leagues. "Exactly," Cairns said. "I wouldn't complain." Cairns also isn't particular on which team selects him in the draft. That being said, Cairns wouldn't mind going to a warm climate. "I just want a chance to play," he said. "It doesn't matter to me. Hopefully, I go somewhere warm, that would be nice. Somewhere hot. "I like to pitch in hot weather." Central Michigan University's pitching coach, Mike Villano, said Cairns has the arm to go early in the draft. But Villano, who played in professional baseball for nine years - including a couple of months with the Florida Marlins - said somewhere in the sixth to 10th round is probably more accurate. "He has one of the best arms - in my opinion the best arm - of anyone in the area or around the state," Villano said. "It's a matter of consistency with Jason. "He'd have some absolutely dominant outings and then he'd have outings where we wasn't consistent. "When he puts it together, he's a real high pick, like the third or fourth round." Cairns, who spent his sophomore season at John Logan (Ill.) Community College, got off to a slow start this season with CMU. But he turned it around and won his last six decisions to post an 8-5 record with a 3.09 ERA. "It went real well," Cairns said. "I started off a little slow. I had a few mechanical problems. When I fixed them, it was all uphill from there." In addition to comparing him physically with Trachsel, the scouting report on mlb.com said Cairns throws his fastball 90-91 mph and has "a two-seamer with sink, bore action." Villano said that sinking fastball could will be Cairns' trademark in professional baseball. Villano, a catcher in college who was converted to a pitcher in the minor leagues, said his ground ball to fly out ratio at CMU was 4 or 5 to 1. "He has great velocity," Villano said. "He has excellent movement. He has a real good sinking fastball. "In professional baseball, where they use wood, he's really going to break a lot of bats. To do what he did with aluminum bats, where the ball just jumps off the bat, makes his numbers even better." Cairns, who will follow the draft online with friends and family in Traverse City, estimates he's heard from "about 90 percent" of MLB teams. "I know I'm on a lot of their draft boards, I'd say close to all of them," Cairns said. "It's been crazy. My phone's been ringing off the hook." Cairns has already had two workouts for professional teams. He showed his stuff for the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday and with the Detroit Tigers on Saturday. Cairns said he wasn't even thinking about the next level until the Chippewas' campaign came to a close on May 28. "I didn't really hit me until the season was done," he said. "Then I stated to think about it. "It was like, 'Wow, I'm going to be in the draft.' Then I saw my name on some draft boards. "It's pretty neat. I'm going to be pretty excited and nervous."
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