Padres' Bush set to show true abilities

PEORIA, Ariz. -- It didn't take Matt Bush long to figure out that no target is larger or more inviting than the No. 1.

Starting at the top of the heap doesn't mean it's going to be easy to stay there.

Selected No. 1 overall by his hometown Padres out of Mission Bay High School in the 2004 First-Year Player Draft, Bush has found the transition from carefree scholastic life to the intense professional world challenging, to put it mildly.

He struggled in the low Minor Leagues in 2004, batting .192 at two stops (Peoria and Eugene) after signing a $3.15 million bonus, and continued to scuffle last season, batting .221 at Class A Fort Wayne.

His .216 average and 23 extra-base hits in 552 at-bats have critics questioning the Padres' decision to pass up more mature (and expensive) prospects such as Stephen Drew and Jered Weaver at the top of the '04 draft.

Defensively, the shortstop showcased his most visible asset -- a cannon of an arm -- but made more errors than he and the organization would have preferred.

"I had an up-and-down year last year," Bush said, arriving in Major League camp with blistered hands from a winter spent hitting hundreds of baseballs. "This offseason, I sat down and realized some things.

"I wanted to do so much right away, I was inconsistent. My swing would be there and it wouldn't be there."

The confident manner that had made him so appealing to scouts gave way to self-doubt, as Bush made the not-uncommon mistake of dwelling on pleasing people rather than having patience with his ample talents.

"I was thinking about being the No. 1 pick, people wanting you to tear it up," he said. "I was trying to do too much.

"I remember what I was in high school -- confident, knowing I can do this. I kind of lost my confidence. I wanted to be a big-league All-Star right away, and that's not going to happen. It takes time and work."

Bush, who turned 20 on Feb. 8, has time to work things out. He figures he'll start the season at high Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore, closer to home, closer to the roots that made him a phenom as a kid.

At 12, Bush enjoyed Little League performances in El Cajon, outside San Diego, that other kids could only dream about.

He recalls one tournament game in which he struck out every hitter he faced and lost a perfect game on what he called a "3-2 pitch on the black, a professional pitch." He went 4-for-5 with the bat, drilling a pair of homers.

"I felt like Alex Rodriguez," said Bush, the first high school shortstop taken No. 1 overall since A-Rod by Seattle in 1993. "I hit 17 home runs and was throwing in the 70s. By Pony League, when I was 13, 14, I was close to 90 on the gun."

He hit 95 mph with a heater that dominated hitters while leading his high school team to a pair of section championships, generating speculation that his future eventually could be on the mound.

Acknowledging that he could go back to pitching -- "I know I can do that," he said -- Bush, who set state records for hits and runs scored in high school, is committed to making it happen as an everyday player.

"Shortstop is one of my best positions," he said. "You're involved in every pitch. You have the best angle, you can see the location of pitches, where the ball's going to come."

"I remember what I was in high school -- confident, knowing I can do this. I kind of lost my confidence. I wanted to be a big-league All-Star right away, and that's not going to happen. It takes time and work."

-- Matt Bush

And, of course, he can showcase his powerful arm from the hole and while turning double plays.

"He has a plus arm," Padres manager Bruce Bochy said, having given Bush some early playing time with veteran Manny Alexander late to camp because of visa problems. "This is a big jump -- he was in A ball last year. But it should be good for him."

Bush hasn't hit with enough discipline or power yet, but he's still growing into what Cubs manager Dusty Baker calls an athlete's "man muscles." A lot of superior talents, Baker included, wait until their mid-20s for their full strength to surface.

"I've worked on my hitting a lot," Bush said. "I feel I'm realizing how to go about the professional game. It's a great opportunity for me to be around these guys in the Major League camp and get comfortable with it, to see how everybody does everything.

"I've noticed how guys joke around in the clubhouse, but on the field, everyone's serious."

Bush hasn't had a lot of time to observe Khalil Greene's work ethic and approach, but he has watched the Padres shortstop play the game and sees how high the bar can be set at his position.

"He goes about the game in a real professional manner," Bush said. "He has great hands, great footwork and he's real smooth out there. Just the way he carries himself, he's real quiet and confident. He just goes out and plays."

Bush said he'd have no problem converting to another position if that time comes, having played second and third, the outfield, even catcher in his youth.

"As long as I'm playing the game," he said, "I'm happy."