Processing the Process

CORPUS CHRISTI - Over three decades ago, then-University of Houston football coach Bill Yeoman was addressing media who covered Southwest Conference football. The league's summer press tour was in town, and a writer wanted to know if Yeoman, who was returning an experienced offensive backfield, was concerned about an unproven line.

"They're not freeze-dried soup; you can't just pour hot water on them and watch them grow up before your very eyes," Yeoman said. "They have to play."

That's just it with young players. You can be a first-round pick like Carlos Correa or Jio Mier, or sign as an undrafted free agent to a Latin American academy or enter the pro ranks as a high-round college senior sign. It doesn't matter. Pro baseball is a democracy - and, with all due respect to Crash Davis - strikeouts are every bit as fair as ground outs.

In the end, it's about ability, hard work, and competition.

Many like to pontificate about who will wind up where in what capacity. That's the fun of sports. But the landscape is full of converging factors, variables. That's the way life works, in any occupation.

So, it's best to enjoy one game at a time… as it is to take one day at a time, and Mier is there with the 2015 Corpus Christi Hooks. That wasn't always the case.

"Two years ago, I was 22 and in Double-A for the very first time," he recalled. "I put an insane amount of pressure on myself. When you first reach Double-A, you can taste the majors. Guys around you get called up.

"But, I was in one of the worst places I've ever been as a person and a player."

Though he led 2013 Texas League shortstops in total chances (492), assists (309), and double plays (82), Mier batted .194 in 104 games. He repeated at Corpus Christi last season, playing 79 games before a promotion to Oklahoma City. In Triple-A, his offensive numbers improved.

When Astros minor league camp broke in March, Mier was ticketed for the Sparkling City a third time. With Correa at shortstop and Tony Kemp across the bag, the Californian of German-Spanish-Mexican descent spent much of April and early May in a utility role.

But, he was reunited in Florida with Rodney Linares, who managed the infielder during his first four seasons of professional baseball.

"For me, it always starts at the top. I've had him for five years," Mier said. "The way he's able to get us to play the way we do, you can't teach that. He gets us to do what we need to, but makes it fun. We have such a good clubhouse. We really don't take things too seriously. We're able to go out, have fun, and win. It's fun to be part of this team.

"2009 was my very first year. I showed up in Greeneville, and right off the bat, we hit it off. He's taught me a lot about the game. From day one, he instilled confidence in me. I had him as a manager in '09, '10, '11 and '12. To grow up like that with one manager definitely made a difference for me. I am very grateful to have played for him, to have been around him."

Mier also cites a spiritual maturity.

"Faith is essentially what drives me now. Once I started being true to myself and true to God, he showed me the person I was and the path he wanted to lead me down. I'm a huge believer that God makes no mistakes. I'm here for a reason, whether it's mentoring some guys or imparting wisdom to someone who might need Christ in his life. There's a reason I'm here and it's been easier to play."

Mier was selected by Houston with the 21^st overall selection of the '09 June draft. For the three-sport (football/soccer) star at Bonita (Calif.) High School, it was a daunting adjustment mitigated by Linares and good teammates.

"Being away from your family for six months as an 18-year-old, you don't know what to expect. You grow together with your teammates and really become family. You learn everything about them. You know them better than their friends back at home do. The most important thing in baseball is having a good locker room. You're all chasing the same dream, and it's fun to do it with people in the same boat as you are."

Mier had a typical youth/high school baseball experience when you're the best player around.

"Before coming into pro ball, I was a leader," Mier remembered. "But, I didn't look to take on that role, I just always wanted to win. I was always told growing up that I was a natural-born leader. Once I got to pro ball, I saw guys who are natural-born leaders and I tried to follow suit.

"Early on, I lost that trait. I kind of got away from the habits I had when I was younger. As time went by, I got back to those roots. I took after my brothers and how they went about their business. The way my dad does his work and goes about his business - that's something I've strived for and worked hard to develop."

Fausto Mier and his two oldest sons, Jessie (30) and Robert (29), put Jio on an early sports track and kept him there. Mother Leticia made it happen for all of them.

"We were consumed by sports. My poor mother, three boys in three different sports at the same time, and she drove us everywhere. I was very serious about sports. Being an athlete has always come naturally to me, but it's God-given ability. All the fundamentals I learned from my brothers, but that was my dad."

Mier has long held a reputation as a top-flight defender. His versatility has been key in Corpus Christi's run to the Texas League South Division's best record (28-13). Mier has played 11 games at shortstop, 10 at second base, and two at the hot corner. He's batting .273/4/21 and has an OPS of .873.

"I was a defense-first young player," Mier noted "Everything written about me, whether it's in Baseball America or a scouting report, says defense first. But, everyone knows that if you're going to make it, you have to hit. Defense has always been my bread-and-butter.

"I hate with a passion making errors. I hate making errors more than anything. That started when I was about 11. My family knows I'm not going to be happy if I make an error. Those mistakes can lead to bad things for your team, cause your pitcher to throw more pitches."

He admits pro ball has taught him what hard work is, and that wife Kristen has been his rock behind the scenes.

Their first date was the 2009 Bonita prom; they married last fall.

"We hung around the same group of kids in high school, but never really talked. We had an anatomy class together, and I sat in front of her. We became good friends. It wasn't until the very end of the school year. I told her I wanted to go to the prom with her, and we've been together ever since.

"Behind every strong man is a stronger woman."

The Miers own a shih tzu/dachshund mix, five-year-old Peanut. Jio acquired him for $20 from a man who breeds both, but one of Peanut's parents got out… and

"I think Kristen loves Peanut more than she loves me," Jio said. "He's her baby."

Mier would admit that he was just a pup, too, when the professional baseball world beckoned him.

With the right clubhouse and Linares at his side, he just keeps playing. And growing.