PORTLAND – Ryan Reid began with a series of warm-up tosses. Then catcher Andrew Giobbi backed up and Reid began applying some heat to his pitches. The pop of Giobbi’s glove filled the Frozen Ropes indoor training facility one evening last week.

Reid, who will turn 26 in April, is still pitching — still trying to complete that climb from Deering High to college to the minors and, finally, to the major leagues.

Additional Photos

Former Deering star Ryan Reid is in spring training camp with the Tampa Bay Rays hoping to prove he is ready to move up to Triple-A and even the major leagues this season. John Patriquin/Staff Photographer

He has headed to Port Charlotte, Fla., to begin another minor league camp with the Tampa Bay Rays.

But before he went down, Reid spent an offseason in Portland, training and getting ready. Some of those sessions were spent with Giobbi, Reid’s catcher at both Lincoln Middle School and Deering.

“He was my catcher in high school. He knows what he saw then and what he sees now,” Reid said. “He’s helping me make the adjustments.”

Giobbi, who has his own minor league camp to tend to with the Mariners in Arizona, likes what he sees in the older Reid.

“He’s definitely more refined,” Giobbi said. “Everything is just a little more crisp.”

Crisp is good. For the past two years, Reid has felt anything but. He was drafted by the Rays in the seventh round in 2006, out of James Madison University. In 2008, Reid thought he was on his way when he was promoted to Double-A and then offered an invitation to the prospect-rich Arizona Fall League.

In Arizona, Reid felt discomfort in his elbow — a feeling that always brings alarms. The diagnosis was not the horrible one — ligament damage — but a stress fracture was detected.

“I could not do anything for five months,” Reid said. “During spring training (in 2009) I was on my own program.

“When I got into the season, I probably rushed myself. I wasn’t 100 percent, physically. Mentally, you always think you are.”

Reid wanted to tough it out. Wasn’t that what winners do? Reid had been a tough player for Deering’s state football (2003) and baseball (2004) champions.

But his arm did not have the same strength and, worse, Reid could no longer snap off his trademark slider.

Reid has remained with the Rays’ Double-A team, the Montgomery (Ala.) Biscuits, the past two seasons, recording ERAs of 4.17 and 3.98 out of the bullpen.

“I’ve been there long enough, they call me the mayor,” Reid said. “I like Montgomery. I would love not to see Montgomery again.”

But the Rays’ minor league system is deep. Plus, Tampa Bay signed several free agents while it looks to rebuild its bullpen. Some of those pitchers will be sent to Triple-A Durham (N.C.).

Relief pitching jobs in Durham will be sparse and Reid knows he is in for a battle. But, for the first time since 2008, Reid feels ready — and healthy.

“Last year, my velocity finally came back and toward the end of the season, I was trusting being able to snap my slider,” he said.

If there is one positive about the past two seasons, Reid has had to work on his pitching more because his “stuff” was compromised. He developed a change-up and focused on pitch location.

And now Reid believes he has his stuff back.

“I’m excited to get down there and see what’s up,” Reid said. “I’m feeling good with my slider. I’m feeling healthy.” 

WHILE REID hopes to work his way beyond Double-A, Giobbi, 24, will be competing for a full-season Class A job. Drafted last year out of Vanderbilt, in the 32nd round, Giobbi played in the short-season Appalachian League last year, in Pulaski, Va., batting .291 in 32 games. 

Staff Writer Kevin Thomas can be contacted at 791-6411 or at:

kthomas@pressherald.com

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