The guy who came out of three years toiling in the forgotten world of the independent Northern League, and after what had to be one of the greatest pitching performances at any level in the summer of 2007 to sign with the Marlins as an unknown last fall, now has the lowest starting ERA in the Southern League, 1.72 and has thrown 19.2 consecutive shutout innings with sixteen strikeouts and two walks, yielding a measely six hits total in the process.

 

Three games in a row, six innings of shut out ball each, leaving only to make way for relievers to get some work (the last two times now Ryan Tucker), he is at this point just playing with AA hitters. As the Mudcats' announcers have said five or six times tonight if Glen were 23 instead of 31 he'd have left his Mudcats uni in his locker long ago.

 

Glen credits his Northern League manager for his finally learning how to "pitch". Being left in games whether he had his best stuff or not, he had to learn how to cope, how to work out of jams that in organized ball managers were not willing to risk losses on Glen's learning curve.

 

I realize the exploits of a Willie Glen means little to many here but for me this is one of the best stories in the game and i've enjoyed his every start since he returned from the DL.

 

He just keeps getting better and better.

He would be in the majors if he did this last year, we needed him early in the year, now we don't need any pitching help, maybe if Logan Kensing sucks in replacing Weacther

He would be in the majors if he did this last year, we needed him early in the year, now we don't need any pitching help, maybe if Logan Kensing sucks in replacing Weacther

 

He was as good or better last season, the only thing is he was invisible to all but a Marlins scout as he dominated the Northern League in obscurity.