In 2008 the Mariners used their first pick (20th overall) in the draft to select Josh Fields, a closer from the University of Georgia. Fields had been selected by the Braves in the second round of the 2007 draft, but elected to return to college for his senior year. He set an SEC record at Georgia with 41 career saves, and was named Stopper of the Year by the Collegiate Baseball Writers along with being a first team All-American in his senior season.

While some questioned selecting a reliever with a first round pick, many in baseball believed Fields could be pitching in the big leagues as a September call up.

It never happened.

Fields, represented by super agent Scott Boras, held out and did not sign a contract with the Mariners until the following spring. He began his professional career unimpressively at AA West Tennessee, giving up 33 runs in 33 appearances. Fields appeared to be back on track in 2010, only to see his season derailed after suffering a muscle strain in his right forearm in June. Since then, Fields has been rehabbing in Arizona where he is currently playing fall ball with six other Mariners' prospects.

I recently caught up with Fields in Arizona, to talk about how he sought help from a college trainer to help fix his mechanics.

"I knew something was off," Fields said. "I had a little bit of soreness, the ball wasn't moving like it normally did. I saw it but I didn't really know what adjustment I needed to make. He (trainer) had seen me the last four years, when I had success and when I didn't. I started throwing and he came up to me and said, 'What are you doing?' I looked at him and said I have no idea, I need your help. At that point we just started from the ground up, started trying to flush everything from the year before and tried to start back with the basics. It was feeling great all year until the muscle strain which I think was just one of those things that happens but it is feeling good now and feeling strong and I am ready to go."

While Fields admits he not only struggled with his mechanics last year, adapting to the rigors of a long season took its toll on the young reliever. Dustin Ackley echoed those sentiments, saying the adjustment from college to the pros is quite difficult.

"Early on when it was all new to me" Ackley recalled. "It was pretty tough, especially in the Southern League where you are having six or seven hour bus rides and you are getting up in the morning at 6:00 and then playing a game that night. It was kind of tough because early in the year I was getting up for early work, early hitting and I think it was taking its toll on me. Now I have learned how to manage my time and my body feels better as the year had gone on rather than get tired. I had to figure out how to adjust."

While Ackley made the adjustment from college to the pros quickly in having to deal with the expectations of being the second overall pick in the 2009 draft, it has taken longer for Fields to become acclimated to life in the professional ranks.

"Making the jump, the transition, being blessed and being fortunate enough to make that jump, I knew that was asking a lot of me because the game is a lot faster in pro ball" said Fields. "Making that jump to a level where you are really close to playing in the big leagues, I felt that was a little bit of pressure that I might not necessarily had prepared myself as much as I should have. Seeing that and coming in here and starting out in big league spring training and suiting up with all of those guys who have been playing for years and years in the big leagues having established their careers, it was overwhelming a little bit. I think that once I was able to get that focus down and realize that if I can continue to keep working hard, I can be here someday too. It helped me step back and say you know what? I have got to keep my focus and basically know who I am. It was a big key of it to realize this is who I am. Kind of relax and do my thing and not try to be someone I am not, not try to do too much out on the field."

In talking with Fields that day in Peoria, I got the impression that perhaps if he had signed after being drafted in 2008, it might have been a mistake to bring him up in September. While his pitching may have looked ready coming out of college, he wasn't ready emotionally. It struck me this past spring that although he put his head down and worked hard, Fields didn't seem to be a guy that was scrambling to make up for lost time. Despite the expectations that were put on him early, that he could pitch at the big league level almost right off the bat, he seemed to be focused on where he was at the time and the steps he needed to take to get to where he ultimately wanted to be. This appears to still be his mindset as he told me that hearing that he could have been up sooner is something that he tries to put out of his mind.

"It is impossible not to hear those comments when they are said about you and it was a little bit of pressure, but I am the type of person that I like to go through the process and enjoy it because there is a lot to learn. I feel like now I am more prepared than I ever was to play at the big league level but at the same time I know there is a lot of learning that needs to be done before I am ready to do that. Unfortunately I missed half of the season this year but I am hoping this fall league will pick up for that a little bit. Hopefully as a stepping stone, an opportunity to learn a little bit more. To work with different coaches, trying to pick different people's brains and trying to get as much wisdom and knowledge about this game and hopefully I will continue that learning process and this will be another step to getting there someday."

With the injury behind him and the confidence of knowing he is healthy, his mechanics are sound, and he had picked up valuable experience, Fields is pitching well in fall ball. The Mariners will need help in the bullpen next season and Fields could be a candidate.