Part II of II parts. (Part I here)

Writers Note This is part two of a story on one-time Valley Center ballplayer Mike Leake.

So began an odyssey that would see Leake do some serious moving around, playing for a total of four teams in as many years.

Leakes stay in the Bay Area proved to be brief and not all that satisfying as he mustered only two wins in seven decisions.

Taking full advantage of his commendable body of work, Leake was able to sign a lucrative five-year $80 million dollar contract in December of 2015 with one of baseballs iconic franchises, the St. Louis Cardinals. Assigned a number 8 jersey like hed donned at ASU, Mike was hoping to replicate some similar good vibes but alas, it didnt work out that way.

During his first season in the River City, Leake struggled somewhat, registering just a 9-12 ledger that wasnt helped by a career high 4.69 ERA. He did manage to experience a meaningful achievement, however, when he fanned 10 batters in consecutive starts.

Better still, it appeared that his fortunes as a Card were definitely trending upward when he got off to a bag-up beginning in 17, carving out a 5-2 record and a spiffy 1.91 ERA in his first nine starts. But then it was as if he ran smack dab into a wall. From May 29 until late August, Leakes level dropped off noticeably and he was destined to lose 10 of his next 12 starts.

And so in a transaction not all that unexpected, the Redbirds swapped Leake to the Seattle Mariners in late August. Perhaps energized by the prospect of pitching for the team that he rooted for as a youngster, Leake bested Oakland in his first start for the Ms and finished the season strong, going 3-1 (2.53 ERA) in five outings with his new club.

For most of the next two campaigns, Leake was what hes almost always been, a tried-and-true performer, making 53 starts and nailing down 19 wins. The 5-10, 165-pound hurler also experienced a very close brush with baseball immortality. On July 19 in a contest against the Los Angeles Angels, Mike took a perfect game into the final frame, a mere three outs from forever etching his name into baseball lore. But alas, leadoff hitter Luis Rengifo pulled a groundball single into right field that ended all the drama and suspense. Leake would go on to pitch a complete game shutout but coming so close to accomplishing something so rare had to have been bittersweet.

Just over a month laterthanks to a deadline tradeLeake was packing his bags once more, this time heading back to Arizona where hed spent half his life. Fulfilling a dream to pitch for what he considered to be his hometown team, Mike was happy to return to the desert, which he claimed had a spirit to it.

Interestingly, Leake had been on the verge of signing with the Diamondbacks as a free agent in 2015 even though he wouldnt have collected near the cash he eventually received from the Cardinals. But a potential agreement with parameters already in place got scuttled when Arizona ownership balked and wouldnt pull the trigger on a deal.

So despite the fact that it had taken awhile, Leake was finally making his way back to the Valley of the Sun. From a family standpoint it couldnt have been a cozier arrangement since Leake resided in Paradise Valley with his wife and two children while both his parents and in-laws also had residences in Arizona.

As for the D-Backs, they valued Leakes consistency, durability, knack for throwing strikes and pitching to contact. And in his brief 10-game audition with Arizona, he demonstrated an adequate sampling of those skills while posting a 3-3 mark.

Going into the 2020 campaign, the veteran Leake was expected to compete for a back-end spot in the D-Backs rotation. But that never happened because Mike created a bit of a stir by becoming the first major leaguer to announce that he would be bypassing the shortened season due to concerns over COVID-19. After many heartfelt discussions and taking numerous factors into consideration, Leake decided to opt out. The facts suggest that this difficult decision was made primarily out of worry about the health and well-being of his close proximity family members and not himself.

Leake has indicated through his agent that he plans to return next season and looks forward to getting back on the mound in 2021, be that with the Diamondbacks or as a free agent if he is given a $5 million dollar buyout.

Over the years and throughout his career, Leake has often displayed varying looks, whether he was wearing a goatee or beard, was clean shaven, had closely cropped hair or favored long flowing locks that made him appear as if he were more surfer or radical than ballplayer. But one thing never changed. The guy always seemed to know what he was doing on the mound.

When Mike Leake first burst upon the prep baseball scene as an exceptionally promising and versatile athlete for the VC Jaguars, those that saw him knew he had the goods to standout but no one could be sure where it all might lead.

But Leakes path turned out to be a continuum from high school star, to collegiate great to consummate big league professional. And what a sturdy pro hes been. Over his lengthy career he has started 296 games, pitched 1,829 innings, won 105 contests and registered 1,231 strikeouts. Those are notable statistics not to be taken lightly. They reflect a pitcher whose rubber arm allowed him to answer the bell when called upon and regularly got results. They also speak to his uber dependability, staying power and competitiveness.

No matter the locale, wherever Mike Leake has pitched, he has generally done that place proud. Consider Valley Center lucky enough to be included among that fortunate group.

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Productive MLB pitcher Mike Leake has VC ties (Part 2 of 2) - Valley Roadrunner