A Look at Life on the Farm Is an Eye-Opener for New Hands

Extended spring training is something of a welcome wagon. Newly drafted players meet minor league coaches and some of the major league brass in the days before short-season and rookie leagues begin.

But the daily routine of minor league life is not exactly emulated at extended spring sites.

For one thing, players are forced to wake up way too early. Minor leaguers typically sleep until noon the day after night games, but at the San Francisco Giants camp in Scottsdale, Ariz., Robert Crabtree and Mike Glendenning are up before 6 a.m.

“It gets so hot here we practice from 7 until noon, then take the rest of the day off,” said Crabtree, a former Cal State Northridge pitcher drafted by the Giants in the 21st round earlier this month.

Camp breaks today and Crabtree and Glendenning, a third baseman from Pierce College and Crespi High, will be teammates at Bellingham, Wash., of the short-season Class-A Northwest League.

Among their foes probably will be brand-new Dodger farmhands Casey Snow (Crespi, Long Beach State) and Maki Kramer (Moorpark College, Royal High). Snow should be assigned to Yakima, Wash., of the Northwest League although Kramer might be sent to Great Falls, Mont., of the rookie Pioneer League because a bruised thumb has slowed his progress.

For now, Snow and Kramer are working out at Dodgertown in Vero Beach, learning among other things how to conduct oneself as a Dodger.

“They are teaching us how to act as a person and as a player,” Kramer said. “How to be professional. How to be on the road. To remember that we are representing the Dodgers.”

Snow doesn’t have to be reminded. His instructor is former Dodger catcher Mike Scioscia, who some predict will succeed Tom Lasorda as manager. The manager at Great Falls is Mickey Hatcher and a coach at Yakima is Mitch Webster, both former Dodgers.

Although he is a member of an organization that is the Dodgers’ longtime rival, Crabtree associates his own pitching coach--Ron Perranoski--with the team from Los Angeles he rooted for growing up.

But the Giants leave no doubt who he is playing for.

“The first day, my name is on my locker, my Giants uniform and pants are pressed and hanging there,” Crabtree said. “It’s all first class. It’s like a culture shock.”

The change is even more dramatic for Glendenning, who is away from his parents’ home for the first time.

“The one thing I’ve learned so far is how to live on my own and take care of myself,” he said. “The baseball part is no problem. We’re just getting familiar with how the organization runs things like defensive plays. There really isn’t any pressure.”

Their only real concern, it seems, is making sure the alarm clock goes off in the morning.

“It’s awful early to get up but it was 112 degrees today, so the earlier the better,” Glendenning said.

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It’s a long way from the Hall of Fame, but Andy Hall is perfectly content playing in Peoria, the St. Louis Cardinals’ Class-A team in the Midwest League.

“I’m happy where I am,” said Hall, who played at Camarillo High and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo before being drafted in the 16th round last year. “This has been a great year so far.”

Happy batting leadoff. Hall, a switch-hitter, has 67 hits--22 for extra bases--44 runs and nine stolen bases in 60 games. He is batting .322, fifth highest in the league.

Happy playing second base. Hall played third last season in rookie league but has moved back to the position he played in high school and college.

Happy to be named to the Midwest League’s all-star team. The all-star game will be played Tuesday in Appleton, Wis.

“I’m looking forward to that,” he said. “It should be fun.”

Hall’s season is going so well there has been talk of him being promoted to St. Petersburg of the high Class-A Florida State League or Arkansas of the double-A Texas League. Nevertheless, his focus remains on Peoria.

“I’m not thinking about moving up at all,” he said. “If it happens, great. But for now, I like it here.”

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Few area players besides Hall were selected to play in Class-A and double-A all-star games this week. The triple-A all-star game matching players from National League affiliates against players from American league affiliates is not played until July 10.

Doug Simons of the Jackson (Miss.) Generals, a 29-year-old journeyman left-hander from Calabasas High, Oxnard College and Pepperdine, made the Texas League all-star team but did not play in the game last Sunday. Simons, who has pitched for the Minnesota Twins and New York Mets, is 6-3 with a 3.15 earned-run average.

Former Cal State Northridge outfielder Greg Shockey of the Midland (Texas) Angels was voted onto the team but did not play because of a wrist injury that has kept him sidelined since May 8. Shockey is batting .326 in 95 at-bats.

Bryan Corey (Thousand Oaks High, Pierce College) and Gabe Kapler (Taft High, Moorpark College) of the Detroit Tigers’ affiliate in Fayetteville (N.C) will play in the Class-A South Atlantic League all-star game Monday in Asheville, N.C.

Corey, a right-handed relief pitcher, entered the week with a 4-3 record. His 13 saves and 1.30 ERA are the best in the Tigers’ system. Kapler, an outfielder, is batting .287 with 23 doubles, nine home runs and 41 runs batted in.

No area players made all-star teams in the Class-A Carolina or Florida State leagues.

Contributing: Dana Haddad.