Luke Has a Good Read on Making the Majors

Matt Luke was never much of a reader at El Dorado High. And he was never much into books at California, where he studied human biodynamics, but left after being drafted by the Yankees in the eighth round in 1992.

But after three full seasons in the minor leagues and with so much free time on his hands, he now knows a good tale when he sees one. He reads John Grisham novels, self-help books and any of the other stuff “that’s good for the mind.”

Luke’s story wouldn’t be so bad in print, either.

He began the season with the Yankees because of an injury to Tim Raines.

“When I got on the plane to fly to Jacobs Field for opening day, I had to shake myself,” said Luke, 25. “I felt I had been working my whole life to live this dream, and there I was, on the plane with the New York Yankees as a New York Yankee. It was a dream come true.

“The few days I spent up there, I was in shock.”

Ah, the plot twist--the few days he was up there. He’s currently with the Yankees’ triple-A affiliate in Columbus, Ohio, batting .267 with 13 home runs and 39 runs batted in. He’s averaging a homer every 13.5 at-bats, despite an injury-riddled start.

“I pinch-ran in the second game for Ruben Sierra, who sprained his ankle rounding first base,” Luke said. “When I got my lead off first base, it was probably the smallest lead of my life. I felt like an ice cube, like I couldn’t move.

“I took second when Tino Martinez walked, and Paul O’Neill singled up the middle and I slid into home head first on a close play and I was safe.”

When he arrived at the ballpark the next day, he was in the starting lineup as the designated hitter, set to face Orel Hershiser.

“I’m a huge Dodgers’ fan,” Luke said. “When I was 15, I went to a baseball camp and Orel Hershiser was speaking. It was such a coincidence to me that one of my childhood heroes was pitching.”

No chance for a fairy-tale ending, though.

“We got rained out,” Luke said. “As soon as it was announced at the stadium, I got sent down.”

Manager Joe Torre called him into his office and told him the Yankees had acquired Dion James.

“I didn’t cry at all,” said Luke, a 6-foot-5, 220-pound right fielder. “To tell you the truth, I probably handled it better then than I would now. I thanked him for allowing me to be there for the period of time that I was and that I would be back.”

The story didn’t end there. Luke’s first day back in the minors, he pulled a muscle in his rib cage and was out for two months. He tried to come back too early, which hindered the healing process. He was sent to Class-A Tampa, where the weather was warmer and he could be more closely watched by trainers. A few days before his scheduled return to a lineup, he developed tendinitis in his wrist.

About 10 days later, he played the first of four games in Tampa, then returned to Columbus, where others were in midseason form. A No. 3 hitter his minor league career, he bounced around the bottom of the batting order. He hated batting eighth.

“Forty-five games later,” he said, “I’m back in the three-hole.”

After going 0 for 3 in his return at that spot, Luke went 8 for 24 with four home runs and 11 RBIs in his next six games. He hit two game-winning home runs.

“I’m starting to feel real comfortable,” Luke said. And of course, he’s waiting for another chance.

“I went from being in the elitist category to being on a triple-A disabled list that no one is really concerned about,” Luke said. “It’s an honor to wear the Yankee pinstripes. The history and the tradition are so incredibly huge, more so than any team in any sport. It’s an incredible honor. I look forward to the day I get to do it again.”

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Jason Brissey hasn’t lived the typical professional baseball player life. A 1990 graduate of Huntington Beach, his Oilers didn’t go to the playoffs his last two seasons.

He didn’t fit the physical mold (5-8, 165) of a professional, and went to Golden West College for two years and followed with two at Southern California College.

“That’s the thing, coming out of high school, if you’re a little bit small--a lot of coaches look at players on paper,” Brissey, 23, said. “Obviously, I think I can do a lot of things other players can do, but at SCC, I got a chance to play every day and that’s all I wanted. It worked out good.”

So good that he’s a shortstop for Visalia, a Class-A co-op between Brissey’s organization, the Arizona Diamondbacks, and the Detroit Tigers.

The Diamondbacks don’t begin play until 1998, but have two Class-A affiliates.

“I think it’s a really good opportunity, actually,” Brissey said. “I remember knowing a few players a few years back with the Rockies, and as long as you’re playing well, there’s nobody above you.

“If you go to another organization that has been in the league for years, there are guys above you that you have to work through. If things go right, it’s kind of a head start.”

Brissey, the only Diamondbacks’ shortstop at Visalia, is struggling for consistent playing time. Although he has appeared in 56 games, he has only 142 at-bats. He’s hitting .218 and has scored 18 runs; nine of his 31 hits have been doubles.

“It’s tough to develop consistency,” Brissey said. I’ll play a couple of days, then be off four or five days.”

But he also knows this trying period in his career can be used to his advantage.

“When you sit a few days and get a chance to play, if you’re pouting, it’s only going to hurt your performance,” he said. “I’ve learned how to keep my chin up and capitalize on opportunities.”

Capitalizing on those opportunities is an acquired skill--and there’s always room in the major leagues for those who can do it well without complaining.

“Almost every single guy who goes through the minors has been an all-star and is used to playing every day,” Brissey said. “Sooner or later, they’ll have to learn how to play in situations where they have to pinch-hit in the eighth inning. That’s what I’m trying to take from the season so far.”