Bouncing Around the Game, Bean Winds Up in San Diego : Seven-Year Journey Lands Him a Reserve Role With Padres

Billy Bean has caught up with his baseball career.

He found it far from the chanting crowds at Tiger Stadium and an ocean away from Japan, just two of the places he’s searched. There were others stops, some had promise, others merely helped him kill time.

But Bean has carved out a niche with the San Diego Padres, an organization that seems to care more about the bottom line than what goes on between the foul lines. He’s a cost-efficient player who has been efficient on the field.

Bean, a graduate of Santa Ana High School, has wandered through the game for seven years to find this spot.

“I’ve gone just about everywhere,” Bean said. “I’ve been in four organizations. I’ve played winter ball in Venezuela twice and Mexico once. I’ve been to Japan. I don’t like to look back, but I’ve traveled a long way to get an hour from home.”

The journey has been frustrating, but worthwhile.

Determination got him here. It carried him to Detroit, when he was a wet-behind-the-ears outfielder--at 22, too young to realize he shouldn’t be there.

It sustained him through nearly three years in the Dodger organization and pushed him during his six months in Japan. Determination has, at last, paid off.

Bean, 28, left dreams of fortune and glory along the road. There is no limelight for him in San Diego, where he is a reserve outfielder/first baseman for a team wallowing in the National League West.

He’s in the major leagues, and that’s all that matters.

“I definitely felt time slipping away,” Bean said. “I’m going to be 29. That’s young in the big leagues, but in the minor leagues, that’s an old man. I knew it was up to me to get here and no one else.”

Bean signed as a free agent during the winter, then pushed himself through spring training to earn a spot with Las Vegas, the Padres’ triple-A team. He hit .353 and was called up June 11.

Since then, he has done his job. Oh, he would like his batting average to be higher, but he is certain that will come. Bean, who has five hits in his last 16 at-bats, is hitting .200.

“He’s hit the ball very hard,” Padre Manager Jim Riggleman said. “His average just doesn’t indicate it. But he’s played great defense wherever we put him. He’s a gamer and that’s the type of guy we want around.”

Bean plays a mean outfield, diving for balls and crashing into fences. Plus, he can fill in for Fred McGriff at first when needed. Always, he is striving to do what’s needed.

Bean still reeks enthusiasm when he talks about baseball, as he did seven years ago when he was with the Detroit Tigers. He hasn’t lost that boyish approach to the game.

Before a recent game, he shook hands with former Dodger and Padre great Steve Garvey and said, “I’m Billy Bean. I was with the Dodgers a few years ago, but I was too shy to say hello to you then.” He was as sincere as one can get.

He plays with equal passion.

“Every chance is a chance to do something good,” Bean said. “I cherish the opportunity.”

Bean has had them before.

Seven years of professional baseball, much of it in the minor leagues, has shattered some illusions.

“It’s a business and we’re machines,” Bean said. “Those are lessons in life.”

He has learned them well.

Bean led Santa Ana to the Southern Section 3-A title in 1982. He played four years at Loyola Marymount, helping the Lions reach the College World Series in 1986, and was named second-team All-American.

A year later, he was with the Tigers.

“I was taking batting practice with (Alan) Trammell, (Lou) Whitaker, Kirk Gibson and Darrell Evans,” Bean said. “The year before, I was in the College World Series. I was thinking, ‘What’s wrong with this picture?’ ”

Plenty.

Bean had hits in his first three at-bats. He went four for six in his first game. He received a standing ovation from the crowd, which chanted his name. He had an hourlong news conference in front of his locker afterward.

What could he do for an encore?

Bean began to struggle. He hit .258 in 26 games, then was demoted to the triple-A level.

“I was rushed to the major leagues and never got a chance to (learn to) fail,” Bean said. “I was overwhelmed when I went a couple games without a hit.

“When I got sent down, I struggled because of my head. Every day was like, ‘What did I do wrong?’ I put too much pressure on myself. The Tigers gave me an opportunity, but they didn’t give me a chance.”

Eventually, they gave him away.

Bean was traded to the Dodgers for a pair of minor league outfielders midway through the 1989 season. It was a dream come true for Bean, who grew up a Dodger fan.

But the dream only went so far. He played 51 games with the Dodgers, but hit only .191.

“I really never felt comfortable with the Dodgers,” Bean said. “That’s nobody’s fault but mine. I grew up there and went to school there. I tried to please everybody, see everybody and talk to everybody. I’d get to the clubhouse and I would be exhausted.”

Bean spent the next two seasons in Albuquerque. He didn’t want to go back for a third.

“I felt buried in the Dodger organization,” Bean said. “People see a guy who’s been on the bubble for a long time and wonder, ‘What’s his problem?’ I didn’t want to play three years at Albuquerque.”

So it was off to Japan.

Bean signed with the Kintetsu Buffaloes, more money than he had ever made. He enjoyed playing in Japan, but suffered a shoulder injury in a collision at home plate and was released two days later. Bean signed with the Angels, but hit only .246 with Edmonton.

“That probably wasn’t the best decision,” Bean said. “Every time I would play catch, my arm would swell up. I should’ve taken time off.”

The shoulder healed during the off-season and Bean began looking for a another chance. At the same time, the Padres were looking for affordable help.

Riggleman, who had managed Las Vegas, knew of Bean from Pacific Coast League days.

“I remembered that sweet swing of his,” Riggleman said. “He used to kill us when he was at Albuquerque. You try to get a guy like that when he’s available.”

The deal has paid off for Bean and the Padres.

When Bean was called up, he was on a 14-for-22 streak.

He got two hits his first game, then struggled. Bean was hitting .138 at one point. He broke out of the slump last week with three hits off San Francisco pitcher Bill Swift, one the the top pitchers in the National League.

“That helped me take a breath,” Bean said. “I thought, ‘OK, I can hit up here.’ ”

Bean more than likely will continue to get his chances. He recently filled in for Tony Gwynn, who had a strained calf muscle. He also played first base when McGriff was banged up last week.

That versatility, plus his relatively cheap salary, make him perfect for the Padres, who have traded several of their top-salary players since last season.

“I don’t think about fame or money or anything like that,” Bean said. “I used to get caught up thinking about being the next Don Mattingly or George Brett. Now, I like being myself. No one has ever labeled me a superstar or a blue chipper. It would be foolish for me to go out and try to be Fred McGriff. It’s just not going to happen. My goal is to be one of those guys they depend on.”

And that would be plenty. After all, Bean just wants a job.

“It’s been a long journey,” Bean said. “I will never take this for granted.”