ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

Josh Booty on making the Diamondbacks: ‘I think there’s a chance’

Feb 22, 2013, 11:36 PM | Updated: Feb 23, 2013, 1:11 am

Follow @theAdamGreen...

LISTEN: Josh Booty, "The Next Knuckler" winner

The contest over, Josh Booty’s next goal is to make the Arizona Diamondbacks out of spring training.

No big challenge, right?

The winner of MLB Newtork’s The Next Knuckler, Booty told Arizona Sports 620’s Burns and Gambo he thinks he has a shot.

“I think that there’s a chance, even if it’s small,” Booty said.

Booty, 37, has MLB experience. The number five overall selection in the 1994 draft by the Florida Marlins, he reached the big leagues as a shortstop.

Now, though, he’s aiming to be a soft-throwing knuckleball pitcher. A soft-throwing knuckleball pitcher who happened to reach 90 MPH on the radar gun at camp Friday.

“I’m not saying there’s a real chance for me to make a team out of camp, but if they’ll keep me here and extend it and do some work I think with 30 or 40 different sessions I would have an opportunity,” he said. “If you can throw that knuckleball for strikes; it’s such a change of pace on what everybody else is doing it will throw people for a loop.”

That it would, and if he can harness the pitch, the Diamondbacks may have something. Not many pitchers have had success with the knuckleball in the majors — especially in recent history — though the 2012 NL Cy Young Award winner, R.A. Dickey, throws it.

So it can be done, and Booty hopes he’s next in the line of players who have reinvented themselves by way of the the pitch.

“Every knuckleballer has an unbelievable story,” he said. “Everybody, because they had arm trouble or something, something someone saw…every knuckleballer has a weird story, so why not?”

Arizona Diamondbacks

Ketel Marte celebrates...

Tyler Drake

Ketel Marte to lead off Arizona Diamondbacks’ Opening Day lineup

The Arizona Diamondbacks' Opening Day lineup is set ahead of their matchup against the Colorado Rockies on Thursday.

30 minutes ago

Jordan Montgomery throws a pitch...

Tyler Drake

Hall: Diamondbacks’ addition of Jordan Montgomery ‘made a lot of sense’

The Diamondbacks' addition of Jordan Montgomery puts a bow on a rotation that should be in the conversation for the top spot across MLB.

2 hours ago

Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno...

Arizona Sports

Roundtable picks: One Diamondbacks young player to watch in 2024

Which Arizona Diamondbacks player should continue an upward trend in 2024? Gabriel Moreno, Brandon Pfaadt and Alek Thomas are possibilities.

3 hours ago

Chase Field flyover...

Damon Allred

Diamondbacks’ Hall ‘battling’ to keep Chase Field roof open for Opening Day

The roof at Chase Field continues to be a hot button topic, especially after an exhibition game was rained out on Monday.

3 hours ago

Merrill Kelly throws a pitch...

Alex Weiner

Meet the Arizona Diamondbacks’ 2024 Opening Day roster

The Arizona Diamondbacks finalized their 26-man Opening Day roster on Thursday ahead of their matchup against the Rockies.

4 hours ago

Manager Torey Lovullo speaks with Corbin Carroll...

Arizona Sports

Roundtable: Expectations, predictions for the 2024 Arizona Diamondbacks

What are the expectations for the 2024 Arizona Diamondbacks? Arizona Sports show hosts and editors make their predictions.

6 hours ago

Josh Booty on making the Diamondbacks: ‘I think there’s a chance’