Louis Coleman is so close to reaching his ultimate dream that he can taste it.
Craving an opportunity to play Major League Baseball since was old enough to throw a strike, the Schlater native believes he will get that shot this season. For the former Pillow Academy standout, the only question is whether he will start out in the big leagues or move up later in the season.
Coleman, 24, a fifth-round draft choice out of LSU by the Kansas City Royals in 2009, is going through spring training with the Royals after completing the 2010 season with their Triple-A affiliate in Omaha.
About 55 players started spring training in Surprise, Arz., with the Royals and about 45 are still there. That number will be cut to 25 a couple of days before Kansas City's season opener on March 31.
"This has been just a great experience, learning from the big leaguers and pitching against them, whether I break camp with the major league team or not," Coleman said. "I definitely think I will break though into the majors this year, whether it's in two weeks or two months.
"I feel like I've got a little better than a 50-50 shot to start out in Kansas City based on what's been going on and the little bit of feedback I've gotten. They just don't tell you much about the future."
Based on the way he has raced through the minors and the way he's been pitching in spring training, the 6-foot-4, 195-pound right-handed relief pitcher has plenty of reasons to be optimistic about his future
In 41/2 innings of work this spring, Coleman has eight strikeouts, a team high going into the weekend, and hasn't walked a batter. He has given up two hits.
His most impressive outings so far came last Monday in a three-up, three-down outing against the San Diego Padres as Coleman struck out the No. 3 and 4 hitters and got the No. 5 hitter to pop out, and Thursday against the Oakland A's as he struck out the side in the top of the order.
Coleman remembers growing up a country boy, a farmer's son dreaming of one day playing on baseball's biggest stage. Now that he's on the verge of finally doing that, Coleman calls it a "pretty cool deal."
He credits his father, Hal, for getting him started in baseball at a young age and coaching him until he reached high school.
Hal started his son on the basics, throwing and hitting, at the age of 4. He says he knew Louis could be a special player as early as age 9 while pitching in the first year of Minor League.
"We had a plastic ball hanging from a rope off our back porch, and we would sit up there and watch him hit. It all started right there," Hal said. "But for the longest time I thought his best sport would be football. He played quarterback and had a strong arm, had a big frame and was smart.
"But when he was a senior in high school throwing 91 miles per hour in the seventh inning, I knew he had a chance to play pro ball."
Hal said his whole family is excited about Louis' potential major league debut this year.
"It's kind of unreal in a way," he said. "We've known for a while this was a possibility. It's quite humbling to know Louis is on the doorstep of doing something that so many people have failed to do through their careers."
Louis said going through spring training at the Major League level is great for several reasons.
"Obviously, it's a great experience for me as a pitcher, learning from great players and coaches," he said. "I have my foot in the door because I know our big league players, and I understand the pecking order.
"It's a lot of fun because everything at this level is a lot nicer, from the food to the guys in the clubhouse who do everything for you, like booking rental cars and doing things that make your life a lot easier."
After helping lead LSU to a national championship in 2009, Coleman began his minor league career a the Single-A level in Burlington, Iowa, and closed the year in High-A ball in Wilmington, Del.
In 2010, Coleman started out the Northwest Arkansas Naturals at the Double-A level and finished up in Omaha. He combined for a 7-3 record last season with 103 strikeouts and 25 walks in 92 innings.
Coleman uses an unorthodox delivery - a slinging, crossfire motion - that makes it harder for hitters to pick up the ball out of his hand.
In 1132/3 innings in the minors, he has held batters to a .181 average and has walked just 29 in that span - giving him a better than four-to-one strikeout-to-walk ratio.
That's the kind of command major league teams look for in a relief pitcher. Consistently hitting 91-93 miles per hour with his fastball is also a big plus.
• Contact Bill Burrus at bburrus@gwcommonwealth.com.
