John Koronka made his debut for the Chattanooga Lookouts in June 2001 as a 20-year-old, left-handed pitcher with promise in the Cincinnati Reds organization.
Koronka returned to the Lookouts last week as the team's senior citizen, now 29, and with big-league experience on three teams. He signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, his seventh organization, in January knowing that he has to make the most of his latest opportunity.
"It's at the point now where if I get called up, I have to do well no matter what," Koronka said. "I have to go up there and put together a few good starts to prove myself and show that I can pitch up there."
The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder made his 220th career minor league start in Sunday's 5-2 loss to Huntsville at AT&T Field, allowing three runs (one earned) in five innings. Lookouts pitching coach Danny Darwin described it as a solid first outing and praised Koronka's ability to change speeds.
Darwin, who spent 21 years as a big-league pitcher and led the National League in earned run average with the Houston Astros in 1990, believes Koronka has what it takes to return to the majors.
"Everybody wants to get there, and probably more so him because he's been there," Darwin said. "It's just a matter of him getting the opportunity. I know he understands the art of pitching and how to go about it.
"Our young guys see his work ethic and how he prepares for a game and how he competes. We can't teach that with somebody like him, who can come in here and do those things."
The Lookouts were off Tuesday and begin a five-game series at Tennessee tonight at 7:15.
Koronka struggled for much of his previous stint with the Lookouts, going 10-26 in 2001-03, but showed improvement after the Reds traded him to the Chicago Cubs late in the '03 season. He went 12-9 at Class AAA Iowa in 2004 and made his big-league debut on June 1, 2005, against Derek Lowe and the Dodgers in Los Angeles.
The Cubs won as Koronka had a successful start, and that experience remains the favorite of his career.
"I talked a lot to Greg Maddux when I was there, because why would you not?" Koronka said. "Their catcher hit a home run off of me, and Greg came in the dugout and said, 'Did you throw him a changeup in the at-bat before?' I'm pretty good at remembering what I throw guys, and I was like, 'I have no idea.'
"I was trying to lock in, but I couldn't. I was in awe. It was a great time."
Koronka spent most of the '05 season in Iowa but did go 1-2 with a 7.47 ERA in four appearances with Chicago. He was traded after that season to Texas, where he made the 2006 opening-day roster.
In 23 starts that year with the Rangers, Koronka went 7-7 with a 5.69 ERA. He made two more starts for Texas in '07, losing both, but spent most of the year in Triple-A Oklahoma before being traded to Cleveland and finishing the season in Triple-A Buffalo.
Koronka did not reach the majors in 2008, splitting that season between Triple-A with the Colorado Rockies and in Japan, but he made two starts last season for the Florida Marlins.
Since his first stint with the Lookouts, Koronka has made 30 big-league starts and more than $1 million. He now has a wife and a 2-year-old son in Orlando, and he has a desire to prove he still has what it takes to succeed on the grand stage.
"I think I can pitch another eight to 10 years," Koronka said. "Being left-handed will help, and staying healthy is the other big thing. Once I get my shot again, it's about that time not to worry about anything and just do what I do."