After a fractured shoulder, things could have gone sideways for Machias pitcher Mickey Fitzsimmons. Instead, he went sidearm.
The junior right-hander at Machias Memorial High School now employs a distinct pitching style that has him standing out amongst other high school hurlers — and confounding hitters at the same time.
“I used to throw overhand, and I have a fracture in my shoulder actually, which has caused me to go sidearm,” Fitzsimmons said after a stellar outing in the Class D North regional championship game Tuesday. “And it’s definitely been a big learning curve.”
And he’s been learning well, if Tuesday’s regional title game was any indication. Fitzsimmons’ Bulldogs eventually fell to Bangor Christian in a shocking walk-off, but it wasn’t for lack of effort from him on the mound.
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Facing a potent Bangor Christian offense that has run over much of Class D North this year, Fitzsimmons worked methodically for the entire game, pitching all seven innings for Machias and giving up only three earned runs on six hits. A few seventh inning miscues from the Bulldogs and timely hitting from the Patriots saddled Fitzsimmons with the loss — but it was the kind of game and pitching performance that nobody deserved to lose.
Bangor Christian coach Tim Collins acknowledged after the game how Fitzsimmons’ different arm angle can cause problems for opposing hitters.
The Bangor Christian coach also called Fitzsimmons a “great kid” and a “heck of a pitcher” after that down-to-the-wire regional championship.
“He just pitches to contact, keeps the ball low,” Collins said.
Fitzsimmons is only in his second year throwing sidearm, and has tried to keep learning about the relatively new delivery.
“So I feel more comfortable every start,” he said Tuesday.
That is likely to be bad news for the rest of Class D North next year, as the junior pitcher from Machias will return with that difficult arm angle and even more experience. He was already looking pretty comfortable on the mound this week.
