Brewers' McClung willing to assume any role
28 year old takes pride in his adaptability, but does not want to be known as "special teams player"
Anthony Witrado
Issue date: 3/30/09 Section: Sports
PHOENIX (MCT) - Seth McClung stands six feet six inches -- or 6-7, depending on who's answering - and weighs 262 pounds.
He has freckles all over his face surrounding can't-ignore blue eyes.
They are a complement to his glowing red-orange hair. Teammates dubbed him "Chucky" last season because he resembles the murderous doll from the "Child's Play" films.
With that kind of description, McClung isn't the likeliest candidate to blend into the crowd. But the Milwaukee Brewers' right-handed do-everything pitcher doesn't think it's a problem.
"I blend in well for a 6-foot-7 redheaded guy," he said.
But that became increasingly more difficult for him to do last season. Brewers fans screamed when he entered from the bullpen, loved his honesty when he pitched well and even more when he didn't. His size, appearance and willingness to help the team, in any way asked, made him a fan favorite and garnered a cult-like following.
"The longer it went into the season, it got harder and harder to go eat," McClung said. "I was really having such a great time with that team last year. It was exciting, everything that came with it, for everybody, because we were winning so many games."
And in order to do that again, the 2009 Brewers think McClung will have to take on a similar role, one that is ever-changing and never certain. One week McClung is asked to start, fill in for an injured guy in the rotation. The next he is asked to fill the long relief position . . . or be a set-up man . . . or close.
He has been considered for all of those things, and that's before spring training has ended. It's an identical situation to the one McClung occupied so successfully last season when he went 4-4 with a 4.24 earned run average in 12 starts and 2-2 with a 3.67 ERA in 41 2/3 innings out of the bullpen.
"He's kind of covered our (behinds), both in the rotation and in the bullpen," said manager Ken Macha, who also said McClung was "tremendous" in a five-inning relief stint Thursday and is in the running to take over as closer if Trevor Hoffman starts the season on the disabled list.
He has freckles all over his face surrounding can't-ignore blue eyes.
They are a complement to his glowing red-orange hair. Teammates dubbed him "Chucky" last season because he resembles the murderous doll from the "Child's Play" films.
With that kind of description, McClung isn't the likeliest candidate to blend into the crowd. But the Milwaukee Brewers' right-handed do-everything pitcher doesn't think it's a problem.
"I blend in well for a 6-foot-7 redheaded guy," he said.
But that became increasingly more difficult for him to do last season. Brewers fans screamed when he entered from the bullpen, loved his honesty when he pitched well and even more when he didn't. His size, appearance and willingness to help the team, in any way asked, made him a fan favorite and garnered a cult-like following.
"The longer it went into the season, it got harder and harder to go eat," McClung said. "I was really having such a great time with that team last year. It was exciting, everything that came with it, for everybody, because we were winning so many games."
And in order to do that again, the 2009 Brewers think McClung will have to take on a similar role, one that is ever-changing and never certain. One week McClung is asked to start, fill in for an injured guy in the rotation. The next he is asked to fill the long relief position . . . or be a set-up man . . . or close.
He has been considered for all of those things, and that's before spring training has ended. It's an identical situation to the one McClung occupied so successfully last season when he went 4-4 with a 4.24 earned run average in 12 starts and 2-2 with a 3.67 ERA in 41 2/3 innings out of the bullpen.
"He's kind of covered our (behinds), both in the rotation and in the bullpen," said manager Ken Macha, who also said McClung was "tremendous" in a five-inning relief stint Thursday and is in the running to take over as closer if Trevor Hoffman starts the season on the disabled list.
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