Las Vegas took a hard look at Juan Garza last September. They knew the right-handed pitcher was going to be out of options come Spring, and they needed to see what he was truly capable of. In eight relief appearances for the Hustlers, Garza pitched 13.1 innings, allowed 23 hits, 12 runs, 3 homers for an ERA of 8.10 and a WHIP of 1.95. "The numbers are what they were," said Garza. "I'm not one to sit here and make excuses (commendable, given that a .420 BABIP certainly contributed to the bad numbers). I just knew that when I came to Spring I had to either pitch great or be gone. This was my one chance."
Garza pitched better than great. He was amazing. In 14 relief appearances, he pitched 17 innings, allowing just 8 hits and no runs, walking none and striking out 10 batters. Final numbers: 0.00 ERA, 0.47 WHIP.
Manager Henry Rectenberg took great joy in telling Garza he'd made the Hustlers Opening Day Roster. "Juan's a good kid, he's loyal and hard-working," explained Rectenberg. "Guys like that, you root for. I also told him that the battle isn't over. Now he needs to do it for real. The games count now."