Corey Hart

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Brewers called up Cory Hart to take the roster place of Wes Helms who was placed on the 15 day DL.

[duckboy]

Does he wear his sunglasses at night?

[645]

Hart gets wake-up call
Rookie earns promotion

Pittsburgh - Milwaukee Brewers rookie Corey Hart experienced big-time pressure before he even arrived in the big leagues.

Hart, a 22-year-old outfielder who was promoted from Class AAA to replace injured third baseman Wes Helms, was sleeping at his new apartment in Indianapolis Friday morning when he got the call.

Actually, he slept through the call. Several of them, in fact.

"I'd just moved in about four days ago and I don't get very good cell reception in there," he said. "They were trying to get hold of me, but I didn't know it. I woke up when I heard a knock at the door. It was the lady from the front desk of the apartment building had come to tell me that they were trying to get ahold of me.

"As I was going to answer the door, my wife called and said, 'You got called up.' I said, 'What?' Then I just closed the door without saying a word to the lady from the front desk. I'm going to have to apologize to her for that. My wife said I had an hour and a half to catch my plane. I looked at my cell phone and saw that I had missed about 30 calls. Then, I started packing."

The next several minutes were a blur as Hart scrambled to throw clothes in a suitcase to make his flight, which was delayed by 90 minutes due to inclement weather.

"It was a mess," he said. "Everything I had was in piles, because I had just moved. I didn't have any furniture in the apartment yet."

Hart finally arrived in Pittsburgh, just in time to find out that the Brewers' game had been postponed due to an incoming storm. He was able to relax Friday night and arrived at the ballpark early Saturday afternoon.

"I'm just excited to be here," he said. "I want to take everything in. I'm like a little kid."

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Numbers game

Rookie Corey Hart is the 14th player in Brewers franchise history to wear uniform No. 1. Ted Kubiak wore it first (1970 and '71) but it was also sported by Del Crandall (1972-'75), Gary Sheffield ('89), Fernando Vina (1995-'99), Luis Lopez (2000-'02) and Keith Ginter ('02).

[645]

Brewerfan.net sits down with Corey Hart

This interview with Corey Hart was conducted during the last weekend of the 2003 regular season in Huntsville. Unfortunately, due to my work schedule, it has only recently been sent to Brian for publication on Brewerfan.net. Since this interview, Corey was named the 2003 Southern League MVP, switched positions from third base to right field, started the 2004 season in AAA Indianapolis, and was recalled by Milwaukee on May 21. I'd like to apologize to Corey for the lateness of the publication of this interview and wish him good luck in Milwaukee.

Brewerfan.net: Have you heard of the website Brewerfan.net?
Corey Hart: Yeah, actually I have. We were always going on it, checking on other people, seeing how things were going.

BF: Do you know where you are on Toby's Power 50?
CH: Actually, we were getting on there a lot, seeing how other guys were doing. Then our internet bill was like $350, so we stopped paying for it and haven't been able to look in awhile. I am sure it is around the same as where it was.

BF: You're at 10 right now (Ed Note: Hart is currently 4th on the Power 50)
BF: Could you tell us a little bit about yourself from high school?
CH: I'm basically the same as I was then. I've put on 20 pounds or so. I'm just trying to stay about where I am right now ? hitting the ball pretty good, trying to drive guys in. I am trying to work more on defense than on offense. But I'm pretty much the same kind of player.

BF: What positions did you play in high school?
CH: I played shortstop and centerfield.

BF: You were drafted in the 11th round by the Brewers. Was there any consideration to going to college instead of signing?
CH: I mean yeah there was, but I knew I had a chance and I would be able to make the best of it. I thought if I ever got drafted to show what I could do that would be enough. So far, it's turned out.

BF: Was the process pretty nerve racking in your senior year, being scouted and talking to the scouts?
CH: Yeah, it was nerve racking, there was a lot of added pressure. Not a whole lot of people get drafted around Kentucky, so it was kinda a new thing. It was cool; it was fun. I enjoyed it more than anything.

BF: When you were first drafted, you started at first base, right?
CH: Yeah, I got drafted as an outfielder, but I played first base for the first two-and-a-half seasons.

BF: And then you made that transition to third last year. How do you think that's going so far?
CH: It's going alright, I mean, I think I am making a few more errors than I'd like. But a lot of them are me making a good play and then throwing the ball away. I kinda feel like it hasn't overwhelmed me. As the season has gone on, I've gotten a lot better and more comfortable.

BF: So you feel just a little more time at third and you will cut down those errors a lot?
CH: Yeah, it's all experience. Last year I made a ton of errors early, that's just because I was getting used to it and I was nervous over there. Now I am getting more comfortable. The more comfortable I get over there, the better I get. The more productive I feel hitting because I don't have to worry about it so much.

BF: Has it been easy for you to separate your offense and defense? To come to the plate after an error and just forget about it?
CH: I mean this year has been easier. Last year I worried about it a lot more than this year. This year I'm more balanced so it helps out a lot.

BF: Has there been any one coach instructing you with your play at third more than another?
CH: Frank (Kremblas, Stars Manager) more or less tells me how I doing and stuff over there. Eddie Romero is kind of our guy ? he does a lot, too. But, Frank more or less coaches me throughout the year and tells me what I need to do to get better and progress.

BF: Last year, I think you did something at third that most of us probably thought about doing at one point or another ? you threw your glove at a ball. Can you tell us a little bit about that play?
CH: (laugh) I mean it was just frustration. When I first got over there, it was a long and hard experience for me because I wasn't used to it and I felt like I was terrible and letting the team down. It was more or less frustration. It was kind of a last minute thing; I wasn't really thinking about it but I did it and it was funny that I did, but it wasn't anything special.

BF: Given your height, has it been a challenge to keep your swing short?
CH: Yeah, I mean big guys have a tendency to have big swings and try to do more than they should. I think that was a big thing to keep my swings short and hit for a better average than power. And I was more worried about trying to keep my hitting at .300 and keeping my average up than anything and a short swing helps that.

BF: And the power will come as you continue to mature and add weight and muscle.
CH: Yeah, I mean the power is there. I think plate discipline is big for power numbers- I'm still not very selective, and that's a big thing, to try to get more patient, to get good pitches to drive out of the park.

BF: What sort of approach do you bring to the plate?
CH: I am kind of a free-swinger; I like to hit as much as anything. I think I hit bad pitches better than good pitches. I get lucky I think a lot. I am more of a gap guy, try to get doubles and drive runs in.

BF: So left-center to right-center, rather than a pull hitter?
CH: Yeah, I'm not a pull hitter at all. When things are going bad I try to pull the ball, and that's not me, I'm a gap-to-gap hitter.

BF: What types of things have you been working on to try and be more selective and maybe walk a little more?
CH: The more selective I try to be, the worse I seem to hit, because I like to swing the bat. If I take too many pitches, I get into my head. I'm just trying to see the ball better, see the game, see what pitches they are going to throw and have an idea of what is coming more than anything.

BF: This team has had quite a bit of success this year, especially in the first half. How much does that help your development personally?
CH: It helps when you are on a winning team. It's hard to mentally stay in the game if your team is not doing very well. Everybody kinda drags. It helps everybody when you are winning.

BF: Considering you're one of what the Brewers are calling the "first wave" of prospects heading towards Milwaukee, how much more excited are you about reaching the Major Leagues considering that several of your teammates will be joining you and you've had so much success here?
CH: It's big, They have told us what to expect but it's so much easier to have guys along with you instead of being by yourself. Some of us are along the same page and we kinda go through the same steps together. It's nice to have them; we feed off each other, we are all close and look forward to it. We want to be there together.

BF: You've been to two All-Star games the past two years. Can you talk a little bit about those experiences?
CH: It's nice to be able to get there and have people recognize how you are doing. It's always a big thing ? to be recognized for doing well at something you love. And we earned it.

BF: Did they meet your expectations of what they thought you'd be?
CH: Yeah, I think last year was a little better ?the two leagues were combined, so it was nice. But this year's nice, too. It's always fun to be around guys that are all-stars and it is always a nice experience.

BF: Have you taken on a leadership role with this team?
CH: I think I am more or less a silent guy. I don't get too excited or pumped up. I think people watch me and see how I am doing and kinda feed off me. We have vocal leaders, but I am more of a silent guy.

BF: How important is it to have fun while you are doing this?
CH: It's incredible. If you're not having fun, if it's entirely work, you're not going to enjoy it, you're not going to do as well. You have to enjoy the game to be good at it.

BF: We have heard that you really like to have fun here and you are one of the funnier guys in the clubhouse. Is there anything that you are proud of or that you can share with us?
CH: (laugh) I like to have fun. That is what makes our team so special, because we all get along. It's easy to have fun around each other. That's a big thing for us, we all clown around and kinda goof off, but that goes along with winning. It's not fun to goof off when you are getting beat all the time.

BF: Right. As long as you work hard that just adds to it.
CH: Right, that comes along with it.

BF: Do you have any short-term and long-term goals?
CH: I want to be in the bigs sometime next year (2004). If my defense comes along as it is, I think I will benefit by being there. So that is my first goal ? being there next year hopefully.

BF: Any goals for this year yet?
CH: I would like to go (this year). I think I could go because I have pretty good numbers, but I don't know what they will be doing with us after the season here.

BF: How much of a chance do you get to follow the Brewers?
CH: I look in the paper to see how they are doing everyday. I know a couple of guys on the team. I like to look at where they are going and how everyone is doing.

BF: Did you get a chance to visit Miller Park yet?
CH: Yeah, I was doing a pre-season kinda thing over there with three of the guys, so we were there. We didn't really work out because it was so cold, so we did class work. So I have been there.

BF: For the fans back in Wisconsin that haven't seen you play, do you think they could look at any one player and think hey that could remind me a little bit of Corey Hart?
CH: No. Because even though I am a bigger guy, I have a small guy swing. I don't have a huge swing. I also have pretty good speed. I won't compare myself to anybody else. I would be a combination of a couple of guys if anything.

BF: Do you think you have enough speed to steal 30 bases at the Major League level?
CH: I don't know, I think I could. It's not just the speed, it's instinct and knowing the situation more than anything. That's been my biggest asset. Being able to steal bases has been more instinct than speed.

BF: Have you been a great base runner your whole career?
CH: I had good instruction when I was little. I work out for speed and quickness more than strength. I always kinda worked on that.

BF: Is there any pitcher that you are really looking forward to facing when you get to the Major Leagues level?
CH: I would like to face (Greg) Maddux. He was always my dad's favorite. So I always watched him when I was little growing up. So I think that would be cool and be able to face him since I always watched him. So that is the guy I want to face.

BF: That's all I got for you today. Thanks for your time, and good luck.
CH: All right, thanks a lot.



Corey Hart, who was recently called up to Milwaukee for the first time, answered some of our questions

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Hart making the switch ... again
Prospect continues outfield transition in the big leagues

Picture this: you have been appointed to a new position in a major company right out of school. You start to get comfortable learning the skills required for your new job when you learn that you might be a greater asset to another department.

Back to the drawing board.

Then, just as you start to catch on, again, it happens again.

Such is the professional life of Corey Hart. His office has 90-foot base paths and a lawn to die for. His tools are not the usual PC and fancy pen, but rather a Louisville Slugger and a carefully woven piece of genuine leather. He might even get a day off, if it rains.

Who would complain about that? That said, this slugger has had to endure more than his share of position changes already in his young career. It could have an effect on any player, but Hart sees his most recent transition -- from third base to the outfield -- as more of an opportunity.

"Hitting has always been my strength," Hart said. "It is the reason that the organization is trying to find a spot for me (defensively) where I can contribute with my bat in the quickest time frame."

His minor league success paid off this week, when Hart got his first Major League callup after the Brewers were forced to place third baseman Wes Helms on the disabled list with a knee injury. Hart joined the team in Pittsburgh and has yet to make his Major League debut.

Drafted in the 11th round of the 2000 First-Year Player Draft, Hart originally started playing first base for the organization, but made the move to third because of overwhelming number of first base prospects in the Brewers farm system. The presence of Richie Sexson at the Major League level also figured into the decision to move Hart to the hot corner. Sexson has since been traded, but Double-A's Prince Fielder is highly touted at first base.

After only one year at third base, in 2003, the Brewers organization decided it was time for Hart to make another move. With Helms settling in nicely at third and a thin organizational depth chart in the outfield, a move to the outfield seemed a logical decision. The transition hasn't been easy, but Hart is adjusting rather nicely.

"It's difficult to get used to playing one position and then having to learn another," said Hart. "It's going well though. Jenks [Geoff Jenkins, Scott] Podsednik and Brady Clark are helping me out a lot."

Hart spent time in Triple-A Indianapolis playing alongside center field prospect Dave Krynzel, who has since been sidelined with a broken foot.

"He gives me a lot of tips on playing the outfield," Hart said. "He never hesitates to tell me if I am doing something wrong."

And what better place to learn a new position than in Arizona during big league Spring Training? Hart experienced his first taste of the big leagues in Arizona, but he didn't do it alone. The presence of fellow prospects J.J. Hardy and Krynzel made his initial exposure to the next level a bit easier.

"J.J. and Dave have been with me kind of from the start," Hart said. "We have been together three or four years now. We all hang out together. It helps having friends to go through this with you. We motivate each other and help each other out."

While Hart lacks experience playing the outfield, there is one thing upon which he can always rely -- his hitting. Hart is a career .300 hitter in the minor leagues. Last season at Double-A Huntsville, he batted .302 with 13 home runs and 94 RBIs. He was tops in the Southern League in RBIs, hits and doubles, second in total bases and third in both at-bats and extra-base hits. His offensive numbers earned him the Southern League's Most Valuable Player Award.

Not only can he hit and drive in runs at an alarming rate, but the 6-foot-6 Hart is also deceptively quick for his size, swiping 25 bases in 33 attempts last season. His athleticism and work ethic could make the transition from the infield to the outfield a smooth one.

Bottom line -- this kid can play. Rather than printing business cards, hopefully Hart will be having baseball cards made for his new position at Miller Park.

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Back to the minors

The likely odd man out when the Brewers reinstate Capuano is outfielder Corey Hart, who was called up last week when Helms went on the DL. Rated the Brewers' No. 7 prospect by Baseball America, Hart will probably return to Triple-A Indianapolis to continue working on the transition from third base to outfield.

"He was only here three days. You get a little excitement, see what it's like," Yost said. "We'll see if he's the guy [being demoted]."

If Hart is sent down, the Brewers would carry 13 pitchers -- including two-way threat Brooks Kieschnick -- and 12 position players

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Back down

Corey Hart barely got a cup of coffee. It was more like a sip.

The seventh-best prospect on that Baseball America list, Hart joined the Brewers outfield corps on Friday in Pittsburgh and was sent back down when the team activated left-hander Chris Capuano to start Wednesday's game against the Dodgers.

"I had an idea that I was only going to be here for a short time," Hart said Tuesday night before packing his bags. "I was just making the most of it while I was here. I was like a little kid out there."

He finally made his big league debut in the bottom of the fourth inning on Tuesday. Dodgers left-hander Kaz Ishii started him with a pair of changeups to go ahead, 0-and-2, before Hart crushed a fastball foul into the left field bleachers.

He got a standing ovation from the Miller Park crowd on his way to, and back from, the plate.

"I wasn't expecting the ovation I got," Hart said. "I was a nervous wreck. I was here three or four days waiting to see if I was going to get in. I suppose that's something everyone goes through when they come up."

In 33 games played with Indianapolis this year, Hart is batting .276 with seven home runs and 24 RBIs.

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Hart's a keeper

The real keeper in that draft appears to be Corey Hart, selected in the 11th round as a first baseman, later moved to third base and now playing right field at Indianapolis. A good athlete despite his gangly 6-foot-6 build, Hart has performed well (.277, 8 HRs, 28 RBI) and could be the Brewers' rightfielder of the future.

"I think Corey has a chance to be a good player," Zduriencik said.

"That was the first year we had our group together. There are some growing pains when you first get started. We had some disappointments and some arm problems."

Though Jones' elbow problems and Hardy's shoulder injury have taken some of the luster off the 2001 draft, it has the potential to be a strong group for the Brewers. Fourth-rounder Brad Nelson, a first baseman moved to the outfield, rebounded from a wrist injury that sidelined him much of the 2003 season to become a consistent run producer at Huntsville (.300, 9 HRs, 29 RBI).

Right-hander Dennis Sarfate, taken in the ninth round, was one of the most effective pitchers at Beloit last season (12-2, 2.84) and is coming around after a slow start in Huntsville. A handful of players taken in the later rounds, including first baseman Travis Hinton and outfielder Dan Boyd, are making contributions at High Desert.

The Brewers fared nicely with two pitchers taken late in that draft. Parra, selected in the 26th round, was signed the next spring as a "draft and follow." Right-hander Chris Saenz, taken in the 28th round out of Pima (Ariz.) Community College, was so impressive at Huntsville that the Brewers summoned him for an emergency start in April, and he responded with six shutout innings against St. Louis.

"Saenz is a guy setting himself out from the rest of the group (at Huntsville)," Nichols said.

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'Three Amigos' help

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Minor League: All-Stars

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IL's All-Star team has 2 Tribe players

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Hart named Windsor Jewelers Player of the Month

July 3, 2004 - INDIANAPOLIS, IN--Right fielder Corey Hart has been selected as the Indianapolis Indians Windsor Jeweler Player of the Month for June, it was announced today by the Indianapolis Indians.
Hart, 22, led the club in slugging percentage (.537), home runs (5), RBI (18) and hit .296 during the month. He also recorded nine multiple hit games.

The Bowling Green, Ky. native was recently selected to play in the Triple-A All-Star Game to be held on Wednesday, July 14 in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

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Brewers sign Capellan and four others

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Turning heads