Local pitcher chases big league dreams from state to state

By Steve Ames Special to The Moorpark Acorn

RICH CARTIER-Thousand Oaks native has dreams of pitching in the major leagues.

Coors Field, the Denver home of the Colorado Rockies, is not exactly what one would call a pitcher’s paradise.

Because of the city’s location, 5,280 feet above sea level, the thin, Rocky Mountain air has been known to turn an inning-ending flyball into a base-clearing home run.

But Rich Cartier, 24, a right-handed hurler who was born in Thousand Oaks and this season plays on the Rockies’ Visalia Oaks Class Single-A California League baseball team, believes he can use the stadium’s eccentricities to his own advantage.

"I have a dream," Cartier said last week at Visalia’s Recreation Park, home of the Oaks. "It’s a dream of pitching in Coors Field, disproving the theory that hitters can hit very well there. Hopefully I can get some hitters out there (and) prove the theory wrong."

Playing at Recreation Park, Cartier said, offers no advantages to the pitcher either.

"It’s a hitter’s league," he said. "It’s kind of a small park, but that’s what you have to get used to if you’re planning to be pitching at Coors Field. That’s definitely a hitter’s park."

Cartier, in his third season of pro ball, graduated from Moorpark High in 1997, attended Moorpark College and Ventura College and then transferred to Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo where he played two years for the Cougars.

Cartier was born at Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks and has lived in Moorpark his whole life. His dad, Rich senior, moved to Simi Valley while Cartier was at Cuesta. His mother, Carol, lives in Thousand Oaks.

Selected by the Colorado Rockies in the 29th round of the 2002 June draft, Cartier played his first season for the Casper (Wyo.) Rockies of the rookie Pioneer League.

At Casper he was 5-3 in 33.2 innings pitched with a 4.28 ERA, 33 strikeouts, six walks and six saves as a reliever in 29 games.

The greatest challenge for Cartier turned out to be surviving the long road trips out of desolate, central Wyoming.

"It wasn’t nice, but it was fun," he said. "It was my first year in pro ball. The travel wasn’t nice. Our shortest bus trip was 5 1/2 hours, where here (at Visalia) the shortest is an hour away, so the travel is nice and the fields are nice.

Cartier recalled one bus trip from Casper to Medicine Hat in Alberta, Canada.

"That was like 18 hours (one way)," he said, "and we had the smallest bus of the year with no air conditioning, so there were three people who had their own seat and everyone else had two to the row. That was miserable. Some were sleeping on the floor, sleeping up in the luggage racks."

After a season at Casper, Cartier was promoted to the Single-A South Atlantic League Asheville (N.C.) Tourists for 2003, where he was 12-5 in 140 innings pitched with a 4.11 ERA, 104 strikeouts and 43 walks while starting 20 of 30 games.

The move to North Carolina was perfect for the California native, who was much more accustomed to warmer climates.

This season at Visalia Cartier is 2-3 in 46.1 innings pitched with a 5.24 ERA, 25 strikeouts and 20 walks in 20 games including seven starts through Sunday.

Because of the relative closeness of eastern Ventura County and Visalia––3-plus hours––and five of the league’s team’s being in Southern California, Cartier said that it isn’t unusual for his friends to visit him.

"I have friends come up and most of them come down south. That’s nice. And my family comes up (to Visalia). And when the Oaks play against Southern California teams the games are an hour or two from Ventura County. They’re all close–at least a lot closer than last year. At least they (friends and family) don’t have to fly."

The games are also closer for Cartier’s fans than they might be the next several seasons. While he does not look ahead, his possibilities for continued play in the Rockies organization are for the Tulsa (Okla.) Drillers of the Double-A Texas League, the Colorado Sky Sox of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League and finally at Coors Field, the Colorado Rockies.

"It’s good. That’s what you want to do is move up levels. That’s all you can ask for is to move up. As long as I keep moving up levels, I will stay satisfied.

But how soon or whether he’ll advance to and through the next two minor league levels is not one of Cartier’s immediate concerns.

"I really don’t think of that because that’s when you start getting sidetracked," he said. "If I keep doing well, then I’ll move up. If not, it’s up to me pretty much how I perform."

Cartier pays passing attention to the Colorado Rockies’ day-to-day, week-to-week play.

"I saw a lot of them during Spring Training (Tucson, Ariz.). I worked out with them. That was cool. It’s definitely fun working out then seeing them on TV hitting home runs."

Meanwhile, he’s enjoying his Cal League season that includes games in Southern California. The Oaks have already completed their road games schedule this season against the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes and Lancaster JetHawks.

Remaining Oaks games in Southern California will be against the Lake Elsinore Storm, July 23-25, the High Desert Mavericks in Adelanto, Aug. 3-5, and the Inland Empire 66ers in San Bernardino, Aug. 6-7. The 140-game season ends Sept. 6. California League Playoffs begin Sept. 8.