MiLB.com will be visiting each Spring Training site in the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues this month to report on the most significant stories involving each club's Minor League system as players get ready for the 2008 season. We'll find out who's impressing the organization, who's hot, who's not and sit down for an exclusive Q&A with a top prospect.
Team name: San Diego Padres Burning Question Did Cedric Hunter get caught up in his own hype last year? That's a very difficult question to answer, especially if you're just looking at numbers. Hunter put together a solid season in the Midwest League, hitting .282 with seven homers and 58 RBIs against much better competition than he faced in 2006, when he won the Most Valuable Player award in the Arizona Rookie League. It's hard to say what goes on in the mind of a teenager, but at least one member of San Diego's staff felt that Hunter needed to be steered back on course. Bill Bryk, one of the club's advanced scouts and special assistant to the general manager, had been the Padres' longtime Minor League field coordinator prior to changing assignments this winter. He has been one of Hunter's most vocal supporters but admits that perhaps the youngster's ego did get the best of him at some point last year. "I think we'll see a much different Cedric this spring," Bryk said. "We rode him pretty hard in instructional league last fall and we didn't let him get away with things. It was his first long season, so not only was his body tired, but he was brain-dead, too. He's a good kid, but did he have a misconception about where he should be? Yes. "You can't blame him. He went to Triple-A for a couple of days as a replacement. But with kids, you just don't know. I was in South Bend when he went to Triple-A and I told him that he was going up there to get a taste, but that he was still an A ballplayer." Bryk said that, unlike many of the other players, he never let Hunter leave early during the instructional league. "When he came to instructs, he thought he was there on a Major League rehab," said Bryk. "I had him in the office often. You reap what you sow." Byrk remembers years ago he had a similar situation with Barry Bonds, when he took him out of an instructional league game because of an infraction. #ques_include {width:300px;float:right;margin-left:5px;} #ques_content {border-top:1px solid #000000;border-left:1px solid #000000;padding-left:5px;} .ques_schedule {margin-top:5px;font-size:11px;} .ques_dates {font-size:11px;font-style:italic;color:#999;} 
"You have to learn respect," Bryk said. "Everyone is the same." Having said all that, Bryk believes Hunter will "tear up the California League this year." Hunter just needed a nudge in the right direction, one that Bryk believes he and the staff have provided. "I love the kid and he's going to be a good big league player some day," Bryk said. "If we let him get away with this stuff, though, it may take him longer for him to be the player we think he is. I was very high on him, and I still am, but he got a little full of himself. I thought he should have hit 10 to 15 homers and stole 20 to 25 bases, and he didn't reach those goals." This conversation should, however, be much different at this time next year. Other News of the Day Greg Maddux occupies the locker in one of the corners of the clubhouse at Peoria, leaving him in a good position to see much of what's going on. Colt Morton sits right next to him, and while he shares the same view as the 300-game winner, his focus is generally on what's going on to his left. The young catcher has spent much of his first Major League Spring Training playing the role of sponge and absorbing what Maddux has to offer. "The man is a genius when it comes to baseball," Morton said. "I'm learning about understanding his approach toward the hitter. You know the game moves about 2 miles an hour to him. And I've been able to learn about how to go about dealing with different pitchers. He has more knowledge than I can pinpoint." While Spring Training gives youngsters a chance to shine, the veteran Minor Leaguers are in camp fighting for jobs as well. IF Marshall McDougall is such a player. He's a free agent thhe Padres added last fall to provide some possible bench depth. McDougall, who has battled injuries on and off throughout his career, has made strides this spring in terms of staying healthy. "My main problem has always been my hamstrings and my legs," said McDougall, who played in the Dodgers system last year. "This spring, I've learned a good way to stretch and not have them hurt. They're doing yoga and pilates here, and that's helped. They also have a posture person come in to teach you how to use your muscles the right way. They came in and showed me how to use my hip flexors more and taught me a new way to run. I paid attention, and it's amazing what one or two small adjustments can do." McDougall split last year between Double-A Jacksonville of the Southern League and Triple-A Las Vegas of the Pacific Coast League, hitting .283 with 22 homers and 95 RBIs. He may be best remembered from his time at Florida State, particularly the 1999 game against Maryland in which he went 7-for-7 with six home runs, 16 RBIs and 25 total bases. "My numbers have always been decent," he said. "So if I can stay healthy and play a full season like I did last year -- I don't think I've ever been healthy two years in a row -- I'd like to have a chance at the utility role with the Padres." Five Questions with Chase Headley MiLB.com: If you could have dinner with one person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why? CH: My first response would be Jesus Christ, but I'll give you something a little less obvious. How about Ted Williams? He was tremendously gifted and obviously a student of the game. And I'd like to think he and I have a similar approach, wherein you worry about the pitch you're going to hit rather than what you're doing mechanically. And obviously, he knew a lot more than I ever did. MiLB.com: Being a Tennessee grad, the big question is, gun to your head, who do you want coaching a big game, Pat Summitt or Bruce Pearl? CH: Now you're putting me on the spot. As much as Pat Summitt has done for basketball in general, I really enjoy watching Coach Pearl. He's so upbeat and enthusiastic and into the game. I love the way his teams go up and down the floor. That's definitely fun to watch. And I know they lost after beating Memphis, but that wasn't too much of a surprise. You go on the road and beat Memphis and then they play their biggest rival at their place. I know it was disappointing, but hopefully it will be their last loss. MiLB.com: Like so many other young, prominent players around the league, the Padres have moved you off your position [third base] and into the outfield. How's it going? CH: I definitely have a way to go, even though I've learned a lot. You just have to take your time and get used to it, though I think I'm further along than what the expectations were. We'll have to wait and see how things play out, but I feel really good. I'm confident I can play there in the big leagues. We just have to wait and see. It's definitely a change and it takes some work getting comfortable with it. The biggest thing I'm going to try and do this season is not be too impatient out there. In the infield, if you see something hit, you react. In the outfield, if the ball is hit in the gap, just go get it. I have to work on getting a good read and not being too aggressive, then you wind up running in a big circle just to get where you were going. You just have to be patient and not take off right away. MiLB.com: Of what accomplishment are you the most proud? CH: It's hard to beat my first game in the big leagues at Wrigley Field. That's one of the best places to break in and I had never been there before. Off the field, I'd say it was being the valedictorian of my high school class. MiLB.com: If you were not playing baseball, what would you be doing? CH: I'd definitely be doing something sports-related. I've played my entire life, so I'd probably either be coaching or in sports medicine, something like that. Lasting Impression Wade LeBlanc is no shrinking violet in the Major League clubhouse. While some Minor Leaguers or prospects sit quietly during Spring Training and try not to draw any attention their way, LeBlanc goes right about fitting in, gravitating toward veterans and rookies alike. "I don't want to take anything for granted," he said. "I want to take advantage of every minute I have here. You can't walk around waiting for them to send you down or hiding from the coaches." LeBlanc has clearly gotten much out of his time with the parent club this spring after being part of the Texas League championship team with Headley last season. He was 13-8 overall but went 7-3 in 12 outings (11 starts) after moving up from Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore. He won his last four starts, posting a 1.17 ERA over 23 innings. If you include the playoffs, he was 6-0 with a 1.03 ERA in his final six starts, striking out 41 and walking nine along the way. "He's very good at locating the fastball," Headley said. "And, obviously, he has a devastating changeup. It's one of the best I've seen, period, at any level. The biggest thing, though, is that he's a warrior on the mound and gives you a chance to win every game." That said, the southpaw isn't resting on his laurels. He's been spending a great deal of time working on location and command this spring because "if there is a chance I get called up, I need to be at the top of my game." "I'm just trying to get a better feel for my release point and perfect my mechanics," he added. "Little things make a big difference." Parting Shots The Padres have a nice blend of players in the Minor Leagues, many of whom could prove to be helpful this season in the big leagues. The bulk of the team that captured the Texas League title could be moving up to Triple-A Portland in the Pacific Coast League, and it will be interesting to see how they handle that circuit, which has more seasoned competition and a great deal more travel time. Led by guys like Headley, though, the transition from Double-A to Triple-A for most of these players should be relatively seamless. Kevin Czerwinski is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs. |
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