Josh Barfield a busy guy in Indians’ spring camp

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — Josh Barfield is a tough guy to track down at the Cleveland Indians’ spring training camp.

Monday, he entered the parking lot at sunrise, was in the exercise room by 7:30 a.m., then spent an hour in the batting cages.

After a short break, he spent another hour taking grounders at third base, working on the double play at second and shagging flyballs in the outfield

Then he was in center field, batting leadoff, in an exhibition game against the Seattle Mariners.

“Along with learning 40 new positions, there’s always running work and lots of hitting so it has been a busy spring for me,” said Barfield, who is trying to earn a roster spot as a utility player. “I just love to play baseball, so it is all fun.”

Barfield said he enjoys playing center. That’s all-star Grady Sizemore’s spot, so Barfield knows that any time he may see there during the season would be very limited.

“I like all three outfield positions and it’s been a pretty smooth transition for me,” said Barfield, whose father Jesse was a two-time gold glove outfielder for Toronto during a 12-year career in the majors.

“He’s given me some drills to do, some tips on positioning myself,” Barfield said. “Not to say the outfield is easy, but it is less stressful. At second and definitely at third, you’ve got a rocket coming at you off the bat.”

Barfield was acquired from the San Diego Padres after his rookie season of 2006, when he hit .280 with 13 homers and 58 RBIs.

Amid great expectations in Cleveland, Barfield drew only 14 walks and struck out 90 times while batting .243 with three homers in 130 games in 2007. By August, he had lost his starting job at second base to rookie Asdrubal Cabrera.

“Josh is still a good hitter,” hitting coach Derek Shelton said of the 26-year-old. “We’ve worked on a couple fundamentals, but the main thing is his selectivity. We want him to swing at his pitch, not at what the pitcher wants him to hit. It comes with experience and maturity.”

Barfield believes he has improved his approach at the plate and doesn’t think he has neglected hitting despite the additional challenges of learning new positions in the field.

“It still comes down to seeing the ball and hitting it,” he said. “I’ve thought more about defense then ever before, but I’m working on refining things at bat, too.”

Manager Eric Wedge thinks so, too.

“He’s a good center fielder right now,” Wedge said. “I would be comfortable using him anywhere in the outfield. Over at third, he’s got to work on his throws some more. From the outfield, if he just hits the cutoff man consistently, he’ll be fine.”

Barfield has sought out teammates Jamey Carroll and Mark DeRosa for their advice on adapting to playing more than one position.

“They have been a big help,” Barfield said.

“They can play anywhere. If I can do that and it gets me more playing time and helps my team, then it’s all worth it.”