Baseball Guru
03-27-2002, 01:22 AM
By NANCY ARMOUR
AP Sports Writer
March 26, 2002, 8:47 PM EST
MESA, Ariz. -- Chicago Cubs phenom Bobby Hill is going to have to wait a little longer to make his major league debut.
Hill was sent back to minor league camp Tuesday night, despite having a spring most major leaguers would envy. He'll stay with the Cubs through the end of the week and then report to Triple-A Iowa.
"No disappointment. It's more reality than anything," he said. "The spring training I had gave me all the confidence in the world that I know I belong. I'm going to take that with me down to Triple-A, continue to do my best and work my butt off to get back here."
The Cubs also returned non-roster invitees Kevin Orie, Luis Ordaz and Mike Mahoney to minor league camp. Chicago's roster is now at 30 players.
It's no secret that Hill, the second round pick in 2000, is the Cubs' second baseman of the future. And the way he played this spring proved he's ready for the majors.
Despite intense scrutiny on him, he hit .300 with four homers and 10 RBIs, committing only three errors in 22 games.
"We all think the world of him and don't have any doubt he's going to be an everyday major leaguer for us for a long time," said Jim Hendry, the Cubs vice president of player personnel.
"It's a situation clearly where we want Bobby -- when he is introduced here -- to play every day and not just get half-time work," Hendry said. "When he comes up, we want to play him every day."
Hill, who will turn 24 on April 3, hasn't even played two full seasons of professional baseball. He was drafted by the Angels in 1996 and then again by the White Sox three years later, but didn't sign with either team. Instead, he spent three years at the University of Miami, leading the Hurricanes to the College World Series title as a junior.
He played one season at Newark of the Independent Atlantic League, where he hit .326. He also spent 57 games last season with Double-A West Tenn., where he batted .301 despite missing two months with a groin injury. He then hit .345 in the Arizona Fall League.
The Cubs wanted to see if he could duplicate those numbers in spring training, and he did.
"I did all I could," Hill said. "I played the way I needed to play. I hit the ball the way I needed to hit. I got on base the way I need to get on base. I scored the runs the way I need to score runs for guys to hit me in.
"I showed every game that I know how to play."
But the Cubs also have a veteran second baseman in Delino DeShields, which meant there wasn't a place for Hill.
"What am I going to do with him?" Cubs manager Don Baylor asked. "I've gone over every scenario you can imagine."
Though DeShields was .444 as a pinch-hitter last season, Hendry said he's earned the right to play every day. DeShields, who is going into his 13th season, also has more experience as a leadoff hitter.
"There's no timetable. It's not like, 'Oh, Bobby, you're going to be the guy next year.' That's not the case," Hendry said. "We feel he can help the ballclub in 2002. Things can change in short periods of time."
And Hill intends to be back. He doesn't know when, but he's sure he'll be back with the Cubs before too long.
There won't be any pouting in the meantime, either.
"I've got to be a grown-up about it," he said. "If I let it get to me too much, then all I'll do is go down and fail and it's going to take me longer to get back to where I need to be. This is where I want to be. This is my goal, my dream.
"Someone told me you'll know when you're close. You'll taste it, you'll smell it, you'll be able to feel it. And boy, I felt it this spring."
AP Sports Writer
March 26, 2002, 8:47 PM EST
MESA, Ariz. -- Chicago Cubs phenom Bobby Hill is going to have to wait a little longer to make his major league debut.
Hill was sent back to minor league camp Tuesday night, despite having a spring most major leaguers would envy. He'll stay with the Cubs through the end of the week and then report to Triple-A Iowa.
"No disappointment. It's more reality than anything," he said. "The spring training I had gave me all the confidence in the world that I know I belong. I'm going to take that with me down to Triple-A, continue to do my best and work my butt off to get back here."
The Cubs also returned non-roster invitees Kevin Orie, Luis Ordaz and Mike Mahoney to minor league camp. Chicago's roster is now at 30 players.
It's no secret that Hill, the second round pick in 2000, is the Cubs' second baseman of the future. And the way he played this spring proved he's ready for the majors.
Despite intense scrutiny on him, he hit .300 with four homers and 10 RBIs, committing only three errors in 22 games.
"We all think the world of him and don't have any doubt he's going to be an everyday major leaguer for us for a long time," said Jim Hendry, the Cubs vice president of player personnel.
"It's a situation clearly where we want Bobby -- when he is introduced here -- to play every day and not just get half-time work," Hendry said. "When he comes up, we want to play him every day."
Hill, who will turn 24 on April 3, hasn't even played two full seasons of professional baseball. He was drafted by the Angels in 1996 and then again by the White Sox three years later, but didn't sign with either team. Instead, he spent three years at the University of Miami, leading the Hurricanes to the College World Series title as a junior.
He played one season at Newark of the Independent Atlantic League, where he hit .326. He also spent 57 games last season with Double-A West Tenn., where he batted .301 despite missing two months with a groin injury. He then hit .345 in the Arizona Fall League.
The Cubs wanted to see if he could duplicate those numbers in spring training, and he did.
"I did all I could," Hill said. "I played the way I needed to play. I hit the ball the way I needed to hit. I got on base the way I need to get on base. I scored the runs the way I need to score runs for guys to hit me in.
"I showed every game that I know how to play."
But the Cubs also have a veteran second baseman in Delino DeShields, which meant there wasn't a place for Hill.
"What am I going to do with him?" Cubs manager Don Baylor asked. "I've gone over every scenario you can imagine."
Though DeShields was .444 as a pinch-hitter last season, Hendry said he's earned the right to play every day. DeShields, who is going into his 13th season, also has more experience as a leadoff hitter.
"There's no timetable. It's not like, 'Oh, Bobby, you're going to be the guy next year.' That's not the case," Hendry said. "We feel he can help the ballclub in 2002. Things can change in short periods of time."
And Hill intends to be back. He doesn't know when, but he's sure he'll be back with the Cubs before too long.
There won't be any pouting in the meantime, either.
"I've got to be a grown-up about it," he said. "If I let it get to me too much, then all I'll do is go down and fail and it's going to take me longer to get back to where I need to be. This is where I want to be. This is my goal, my dream.
"Someone told me you'll know when you're close. You'll taste it, you'll smell it, you'll be able to feel it. And boy, I felt it this spring."