America's Pastime
August 21, 1995
University of Oregon
Page 9
Oregon Daily F merald
Field
■ Dreams
bar most,
the quest to
play Ing
le ague hall
begins in
the minors
Being In the
minor leagues
exposes many
players to the
media for the
first time, and It
gives them their
first taste of the
big-league life
Tins batter steps into the cage and taps the
far side of home plate with the Louisville
Slugger grasped in his right hand. He holds
the bat there for a moment tie fore lifting it
up and clasping the handle with both
hands Thu fiat is held, cocked and ready,
at ear level, waiting for the pitch
It comes, and he swings, leading the fiat with
body cutting up at the ball Lhe hatter grunts
after the miss He tried too hard.
"You picked your head up again,'' yells the
manager u you oott t
look ul the ball, how ire
you supposed to hit it'"
The butter tries again,
digging in tin* box with
his back foot, ami cocks
tile fiat with .1 slight scowl
on his face. This time he
connects with tint ball on
tiie bat's sweat spot, send
mg it to deep right field
and off the top of the thin
plywood wall with o loud
I nun i
“Nic:b shot," a teammate ( ummmli The man
ager says nothing. He was hitting ground halls
across the in field with a fungo bat as Ins field
ers ran through the motions of a double play for
probably the 20th time in the last five minutes
Kor a minor league baseball player, practice
before the game is not used as a warm-up for the
evening's contest, or to entertain the handful of
fans who came out to the park early It is work
hard work — and nothing less
The Eugene Emeralds are a Class A affiliate
of the Atlanta Braves in the -to year-old North
west latague. Players sent here hv the Braves art
young and undisciplined. Some have never
played above the high school level, and others
are foreign players who don't speak any English
Most have never used anything but aluminum
Slot's by
j / I \ mid
I Hutson
Htotos by
\Lirh \f. 'lyre
The daily routine
ot running out of
the dugout after
the national
anthem has been
played Is some
thing that each
player has dreamt
about all of his
life and would
never trade for
anything
fiats fa*fun' Hut every player is here fur the same
reason — to learn how to accomplish the dream
tif playing in the major leagues
Joe Trippy is the team s center fielder, in the
middle of his first professional season Trippy
played hail on an athletic scholarship at the Uni
versity of Washington where he still needs eight
credits to graduate — as n pitcher and outfielder
Me signed with the Atlanta Braves as a Ire*- agent
outfielder two days after the 1 '195 draft had end
ed. and reported to Kugene two weeks later to
begin workouts
''I've always wanted tu play baseball." Trippy
said. "Me and my two brothers used to play whif
fleball in the yard all the time when 1 was grow
ing up My dad always used to take us to watch
the Seattle Mariners The game's always been a
huge pari of my 11f«r "
Tripp y has (man making the most of Ins oppor
tunity tins season with the Kms His (Hitting aver
age has r.onsistetiUy remained above 300 and lie
is among the top to hitters in the Northwest
League.
Hut he is aware that baseball is a funny game
vou i <ui be on top ol the world today and gone
tomorrow.
"It's not like d was in college when the coach
es are always harpin' on you to do your best,"
Tripps said "Lverytxxly has to push themselves
The coaches here tell you what to do. and it’s
up to you to do it.”
The minor leagues can be a tough environ
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