Livermore Grad Adjusts to Life in the Minor Leagues

J.R. Graham, 21, after a standout baseball career at , was drafted by the Oakland A's in the 45th round.

But the right-handed pitcher turned down the chance to play as a pro in order to attend college at Santa Clara. It was an easy decision, said Graham, who grew up in Livermore.

"I don't think any high school kid is ready" for the grind of pro ball, said Graham, who added he was not mature enough at the time to begin life in the minor leagues.

His decision turned out to be a good one, as Graham was drafted this past June in the fourth round by the Atlanta Braves after a strong junior year at Santa Clara. While he may not be playing for the hometown A's, he is playing for an Atlanta organization that is known for developing young pitchers down on the farm for the past 20 years.

"It is amazing really. I don't have too many words to describe it," said Graham, who grew up watching former Oakland pitcher Tim Hudson, who is now in the majors with Atlanta.

Graham has a long way to go to reach The Show, but he is off to a strong start with the Danville (VA) Braves in the rookie advanced Appalachian League. "It is a great organization. They know what they are doing with pitching," he said of Atlanta.

In his first 12 games, and seven starts, this season for Danville he was 4-2 with an ERA of 1.92, which was among the best in the league. On Aug. 21 at Johnson City, Tenn. he allowed just one earned run in six innings of work.

This past season at Santa Clara, the Livermore High graduate allowed just 0.68 walks per nine innings, the fourth-best mark in the country. He struck out 45 batters and walked just nine in 23 games, with five starts, for a team that was 17-34. "I take pride in not walking people," he said.

Kurt Kemp, the director of player development for Atlanta, told Livermore Patch that the Braves are happy with the progress of Graham during his pro debut this summer.

"He has adjusted very well. We thought the best opportunity for him to develop was in the starting rotation," Kemp said. "Now he is in the starting rotation. He has a very good arm, no matter what radar gun you use. He has a plus-plus fastball and the making of quality secondary (off-speed) pitches."

Perhaps the biggest adjustment for Graham has been off the field, as he lives in rural southside Virginia in the old textile town of Danville just a few miles from the North Carolina border.

He lives with three other Danville players in an apartment a few miles from the home of the minor league team, Dan Daniel Memorial Park, where young boys talk with members of the bullpen during games, neighbors catch up on gossip between innings and, it seems, "everybody knows your name."

"It is definitely a little different being a California kid. We are not in five-star hotels. We get a bed and get a TV. The bus rides are long. The small-town feel of Danville is different than Livermore," he said.

But that is nothing compared to earlier events. Graham told the school paper at Santa Clara that he was born three months premature and weighed just two pounds. 

"They pulled me out and gave me to my dad and I stopped breathing. They took me away and everything, they didn't think..." Graham told the school paper. "I easily could have died, easily could have had some problems: brain issues, functions. I could easily not be here playing baseball so every day I'm out there is just a blessing."

He also told the school paper he hit his head during a basketball game and was involved in a car accident in which the car he was in was doing 85 miles per hour. But the Livermore High grad has endured.

After the minor league season ends in early September he is slated to fly home to Livermore and spend a week there, then head to Instructional League with other top prospects at the Braves' complex near Orlando, Fla.

Graham has been a starter and reliever at both the college and pro level. "I am suited for whatever they need me to do," he said. "I have a closer's mentality. Starting is a little different for me. It is nice to be on a schedule that starters have. It does not matter to me."

Graham was the Livermore High MVP as a senior in 2008 and led the Cowboys to a mark of 24-3 with a spot in the North Coast Section semifinals. It was the first title for the team in 29 years. Graham was the NCS player of the year and also garnered all-state honors as he hit .418 and was 4-1 with an ERA of 1.10.

The son of Brian and Julie Graham, he enjoys golf and music. The Sacramento native went from Livermore to Santa Clara, where he majored in communication.

Lucas LaPoint, another California pitcher with Danville, has been impressed with Graham, a 6-foot, 185-pound right-hander.

"He throws really hard," said LaPoint, who is from Palmdale and was drafted in the 23rd round by the Braves in 2009. "He has a really good fastball. He has really good control with it. He has a slider, too. That is what makes him super effective." LaPoint has charted pitches with Graham on the mound and has recorded fastballs at 98 miles per hour.

"He has a lot of natural ability," Kemp said. And waiting to turn pro after three years of college was also a good move.