[It was July of 2003 when Carpenter wondered about his future.] I threw a Double-A game in Knoxville, Tenn., right before the all-star break and I couldn't play catch, ... I just wanted to go home, my arm hurt really bad, I knew there was something wrong. |
[It was] frustrating last year, not being able to be a part of it, |
[One of Carpenter's hardest pitches started with the softest of tosses. With the pitching coach who taught him the cutter, Mel Queen, Carpenter would stand about 15 to 20 feet away and fling the new pitch.] I was just lobbing it to the point Mel was catching it with his bare hands, ... I was just lobbing it to feel it come off my hand and feel the spin it was supposed to have. |