Amid the rubble of the New Britain Rock Cats’ lost season lies a seed that still shows promise of flourishing. The Rock Cats’ closer, veteran left-hander Ben Julianel, has had a hand in more than half of the team’s wins. Julianel has saved 23 games, good for fourth in the Eastern League and just three behind league leader Eddie Kunz of Binghamton going into Friday’s action.

Julianel leads the circuit in appearances with 46. He is the only Rock Cats pitcher to be among the league’s top five in any positive category. Losing is never easy, especially when the defeats pile up the way they have this summer. “It’s really, really frustrating for everyone,” Julianel said. “We’re trying to figure it out and it seems like it’s not happening and I think a lot of us are pressing. … As a team, we’ve got to focus on the positive things. We have to salvage the rest of the games as opposed to burying ourselves.”

With 30 games left, Julianel, 28, recognizes that every opportunity on the hill could be of the utmost importance to his career. “I’m interested in my own statistics because I’m a free agent after this year but at the same time, it’s a very empty thing to play for yourself and play a whole baseball season like that,” he said. “That’s one thing I’ve learned and I have to try and put the team before myself and try to enjoy the game for what it is.”

Julianel’s name isn’t detectable on Baseball America’s preseason list of the top 30 Twins prospects. He was originally drafted by the Cardinals in 2001 and was dealt to the Yankees in the trade for Sterling Hitchcock in August, 2003.“I grew up a Giants fan and if you didn’t grow up a Yankee fan, you hate the Yankees,” Julianel said. “In 2003 I was sitting in low-A for the second year. I was having a great year. Just after the trade deadline, I got pulled in my manager’s office so I knew something was up.”

He wasn’t happy at first but he learned that life with the Yankees can be wonderful when you’re performing well. His numbers at Class A Tampa in 2004 – 2.58 ERA, 70 strikeouts in 59 1/3 innings – brought some media attention.“Everything they do is a step better than everyone else,” he said. “It’s better because they have more money. If you have money in this game you can afford to do things in a nicer fashion.” The Yanks sent him to Arizona Fall League in 2004, indicating that they considered him a prospect.“ At that time, I was the guy,” he said. “I was really excited. I was going to get to the big leagues. When you’re in the Arizona Fall League, you’re right there and that’s the way you’re treated.“ The next year when I came back there was a lot of press about me on the internet and in magazines about getting to the big leagues that year. I think I put too much pressure on myself.”

When his numbers fell off, the media moved on to the next guy. “They kind of lost their love for me,” he said. “Another guy pitched better than me and jumped right over me to Triple-A. I stayed in Double-A (Trenton) the rest of the year and that kind of soured out my experience with the Yankees.” He was traded to the Marlins for pitcher Ron Villone in Dec. 2005. After two seasons between Double-A Carolina and Triple-A Albuquerque, he signed with the Twins and has been with the Rock Cats all season.“

Earlier in my career I’d be a little anxious about it but now, you just kind of go with it,” Julianel said. “I like to think of myself as a man of faith so I just know that God’s got a plan for me. If it’s to be here for the whole year, then that’s it. To get called up to Triple-A for a month, a week, a day, then that’s it, too. “I’ve just got to continue to dig my feet in to where I’m at and pitch where I am and not try to pitch to be where I want to be.”