Asadoorian: A fish in fresh waters; Former Red Sox draft pick finds new life as a reliever.

Byline: Dan Darcy

COLUMN: 2009 FARM REPORT: AREA ATHLETES PLAYING IN THE MINORS

Rick Asadoorian's lengthy minor league career started in 1999 when he was drafted in the 17th round by the Red Sox.

"It was awesome," he said. "As a kid, I didn't just dream about playing pro ball, I dreamt about playing for the Red Sox. So, when I got drafted, it was a dream come true."

His dream of playing for the hometown team never materialized, but 10 years and several organizations later, the former Northbridge High outfielder hasn't given up on his goal of someday playing in the major leagues - but as a relief pitcher.

After spending time last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers' Double-A affiliate in Jacksonville, Fla, the 29-year-old Asadoorian is currently 0-3 with a 3.91 ERA for the Bridgeport (Conn.) Bluefish of the Atlantic League, an independent team that has employed the likes of Carl Everett, Esteban Yan and Keith Foulke.

No doubt, Asadoorian's career hasn't turned out the way he thought it would when he received the largest signing bonus ever by a Red Sox draft pick - over $1.7 million.

After a promising start in the Gulf Coast (Rookie) League, where he batted .264 with 31 RBIs, Asadoorian struggled in his first full season of pro baseball. At Class A Augusta, he hit just .212 with 139 strikeouts. The Sox subsequently traded him to the St. Louis Cardinals for Dustin Hermanson.

In 2002, Asadoorian played well for the Cardinals' Class A affiliate, batting .265 with eight home runs and 55 RBIs, but a rough start in 2003 had him packing his bags once again. He was traded to Texas, where he worked his way up to Triple A before being selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the Rule 5 draft after the 2004 season.

After a brief stint with the Triple-A Louisville Bats, Asadoorian was sent down to the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts. That's when his career took a drastic turn.

On June 5, 2006, Asadoorian was asked to pitch in the 12th inning of a game against the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx. He pitched two scoreless innings, struck out five, and got the win in his first minor league appearance as a pitcher.

Asadoorian had thrown a few side sessions before, but it was his first time on a mound since his senior year of high school. He appeared in two more games that season, and was switched permanently to pitching in 2007.

"As an outfielder, I was always more of a defensive guy anyway," said Asadoorian, who had 54 career assists at the time of his position change. "I never really got comfortable because I was always starting over again. But when I started pitching, it was a new breath of fresh air. It brought more excitement and brought fun back to the game for me."

The switch made things easier on him mentally, too.

"Maybe it's because I'm older, but I guess I feel like, as a pitcher, I have more control over what happens," Asadoorian said. "It's easier to accept the results."

Though he has started a few games, Asadoorian said he prefers coming out of the bullpen.

"When you start, it changes your approach," he said. "You have to save yourself and extend yourself through the game. I like to come in and try to get guys out quick.

"I'm inexperienced as a pitcher. I'm not too proud to listen to my teammates or coaches. These are good guys to listen to."

As for the future, Asadoorian plans to live in Florida this offseason and work for a software development company with one of his teammates, as well as work on his pitching.

"As a minor leaguer, I've seen a lot of stuff," he said. "I've learned a lot about the way pro ball is. It's been kind of like a college experience each year, and you really see what it takes to move up the ladder."

Rick Asadoorian

Age: 29

Hometown: Whitinsville

Position: RHP

Team: Bridgeport Bluefish (IndependentAtlantic League)

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CUTLINE: Rick Asadoorian