Friday, July 27, 2012
After a slow start, M.V. is getting used to the pros — and manager Ted Kubiak
By steve Wilaj
NILES
Mahoning Valley Scrappers manager Ted Kubiak was eager for his early exit from Eastwood Field following Thursday’s rainout against the Staten Island Yankees.
“I’ve got somewhere to go,” he said.
Apparently, so did his players, who had cleared the clubhouse by the time Kubiak had finished his daily treatment and was dressed.
Seemingly, all needed a night away from a baseball season that — through 37 games and approaching the All-Star break — has seen its share of ups and downs, as evidenced by the Scrappers’ 19-18 record.
“I think the players have finally gotten used to the scheduling and the programs we put together here, not only on the field, but even in the clubhouse and on the buses,” Kubiak said. “I think we’re at a point where things are starting to gel.”
After a slow start to the season, the Scrappers have played better in July, posting a record of 13-11 heading into today’s doubleheader.
“So far it’s been good,” Kubiak said. “It’s a good bunch of kids here.”
And while Kubiak wouldn’t say which “kid” has been most valuable to the team, catcher Charlie Valerio immediately was deemed “impressive.”
“He’s done a great job behind the plate and he’s progressed a lot,” Kubiak said of Valerio, who’s batting .285 with a team-high 23 RBIs.
Another player that has stood out is Cleveland Indians first-round pick Tyler Naquin, hitting .288 in his first taste of professional baseball.
“Tyler’s played extremely well,” Kubiak said. “He’s a very mature player, good kid, and knows what he wants to do at the plate. And he hasn’t played center field in awhile but has done a good job out there.”
On the mound, Luis DeJesus has been the Scrappers’ ace. The 20-year-old right-hander is 3-0 with a 1.72 ERA while compiling the most innings (38) on the pitching staff.
“At this level, when you move the ball around — and he has a good changeup — he’s gonna keep hitters off balance,” Kubiak said. “He’s done a great job.”
But, as the saying goes, with the good comes the bad.
Kubiak is concerned with the lack of effort he sometimes sees from his ball club and is not afraid of benching players to get his point across.
“Why anybody won’t give 100 percent all the time, I don’t understand,” he said. “Some of these guys have an idea of how it used to be at home or at school.
“I know what I’m looking for and it’s pretty easy [to tell] when it shows up.”
The Scrappers are currently in fourth place in the New York-Penn League standings. In order to make a run at first, Kubiak said his team has to put together offense, defense and pitching simultaneously.
“At this level, you never know what you’re gonna get from night to night,” he said. “[Wednesday] we had six hits and only two runs, the night before we had 20 hits. The game of baseball is like that.
“You just have to progress and that’s all you can ask.”