Adopted: Jonathan Kountis

[Guest The Second Spitter]

From: Akron, Ohio.

Born: March 15, 1988.
Birth date karma: None, but shares birthday with several famous Greek sportsmen and Bobby Bonds.

High School: Firestone.
College: Embry-Riddle (NAIA), Ohio Dominican.

Bats: Right, Throws: Right
Height: 6' 3", Weight: 220 lb.

Nickname: "Count John"

Girlie: Unknown

Real parents: Demetrios & Noula (married 31 years)


Speaks street: Greek and Spanish.

Describes himself as: "a power finesse pitcher".

Drafted: 19th round in 2010 (572nd overall); Drafted by the Indians in 2009 (42nd round (1,265th overall pick), but didn't sign.

Reaction when drafted: "I�m on cloud nine. In my mind it�s part of the American dream. It�s just a hell of a feeling to know that I can still go on after college and put on the cleats and go play. That�s the best feeling, knowing that I can keep on with my career.�
Mother's reaction when drafted: "My Baby Boy just got drafted by the New York Mets Yeah!!!"

On being drafted by the Mets: Not really surprised because he attended Mets draftee camp and "did really well there".

Professional role-model: John Smoltz. Modelled his delivery on him.

Growing up supported: The seriously, I just used a racist word when I really meant "Guardians".

Social networking: None found.

CPF poster likely to provide the greatest indignation: Fman99.

The high school & college years:
Over his high school career Kountis gathered school records in both strikeouts and wins and was named to three Akron All-City and All-District first teams.

Kountis spent the 2007-08 seasons with the Ohio Dominican Panthers where he recorded an ERA of 1.49 as a freshman and an overall record of 20-9 where batters hit .204, .245, and .255 in 2007, 2008, and 2009 respectively.

In 88.0 innings of work during his 2010 season with the Eagles Kountis went 7-4 with 90 strikeouts and a meager 31 walks. Kountis faced off against 349 batters that year surrendering 32 earned runs to amass an ERA of 3.27. Ranked 4th by BA among peers.


2010 Stats:

Team	Level	W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	GF	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	BK	WP	BF	WHIP	H/9	HR/9	BB/9	SO/9	SO/BB
Kingsport	Rookie	0	1	0.000	4.35	5	5	0	0	0	0	20.2	21	13	10	3	10	0	16	5	0	0	94	1.500	9.1	1.3	4.4	7.0	1.60
Brooklyn	A-	1	1	0.500	5.95	9	4	1	0	0	0	19.2	23	14	13	2	14	0	23	2	0	2	95	1.881	10.5	0.9	6.4	10.5	1.64

The good: Solid delivery (modelled on John Smoltz case you missed it the first time). Fastball peaked in the mid-90's, and is consistently in the 92-93 mph range when he brings his A-game. Slider has the potential to be a dominant out-pitch. Whiff rate is fantastic.

The bad: Tends to struggle with command, and when behind in the pitch count lets up on fastball in an effort to throw strikes�and gets hit.

The ugly: Walkies (was never a problem at college where scouting reports say he was throwing harder.)

Best moment in 2010: 6-innings, 2-hit shutout in Verrazano-Narrows Bridge Series (aka Single A Subway series) after walking 3 out of the first 4 hitters faced, in a game the Cyclones ultimately lost.

Sounds like: the kinda pitcher the Omar administration went barmy over.

In 2011:

• Needs to find his command or else DePodesta's gonna toss him like a Greek salad.
  
• Need needs to work on his change-up which, by his own admission, is nearly indistinguishable from his slider (82-83 mph).
  
• Will probably start the season in Savannah.

By the numbers: 23 (Kingsport), 22, 45 (Brooklyn), 42 (Embry).

Cheese:

[Edgy MD]

Those eyebrows look projectable.

[Guest The Second Spitter]

I've asked Mrs Kountis if she can arrange an interview with her son. If I get it, I'll share the question around.

(I may eventually need to return to my fb account, cos its a bit [crossout:53ry0tyv]less creepy[/crossout:53ry0tyv]more personal asking that way.....I think)