ROY candidate Fulmer spends his offseason as plumber

Michael Fulmer took the baseball world by storm after getting his call to the big leagues at the end of last April, and even though he's primed to receive some attention as the favorite for American League Rookie of the Year, he still enjoys a simple blue-collar life in the offseason.

The 23-year-old hurler, who shattered a Detroit Tigers record for most consecutive innings pitched by a rookie without allowing a run, revealed in an exclusive interview with Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press he spends his offseason as a part-time plumber.

Fulmer works for Larry Wright, the uncle of a good friend, at Cyrus Wright Plumbing in Yukon, Okla. Fenech writes Fulmer initially got into plumbing after he helped out in a pinch, and he decided to come back after enjoying it.

"He called me, and I said, 'All right, we’ll see how it goes from here,'" Fulmer said of working for Wright. "And I’m still doing it, so it’s fun."

Wright described the work Fulmer does as no joke, having him dig six-foot ditches and change sewer lines.

"Generally, it’s hard," Wright explained. "When he’s working with me, he’s usually digging in or working on jackhammers. It’s pretty physical work, but he’s a great worker. He always wants to know more, he wants to know what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, and he never complains."

During his rookie campaign with Detroit, Fulmer - a former first-round draft choice - finished 11-7 with a 3.06 ERA in 26 starts.

He'll contend with Gary Sanchez of the New York Yankees and Tyler Naquin of the Cleveland Indians for the Rookie of the Year award, which is set to be announced Monday.