Cruz Won’t Let Percolating Career Cool Off on Back Burner

Maybe it’s called a cup of coffee because the lift is like a jolt of espresso.

Making the big leagues, even for a short time, is unforgettable. In the case of Jacob Cruz, keep the coffee pot on the warmer because he vows to be back with the San Francisco Giants after a 19-day stay that ended last Sunday.

The outfielder from Channel Islands High and Arizona State hit two home runs and batted .222 in 45 at-bats, but was sent back to triple-A Phoenix when veteran Glenallen Hill came off the disabled list.

“I had a good time. It’s everything you dream about,” Cruz said. “I’d rate it an A. At first I felt overmatched but you adjust as you go.”

Cruz, a left-handed hitter, homered against Dodger pitchers Tom Candiotti and Ramon Martinez, but the slumping Giants lost more than they won while he was with the team.

“The losing part of it was not exactly what I had in mind,” he said.

Cruz, 23, is certain to get recalled when rosters expand in September and will get a legitimate shot to make the team next spring. Cruz is ranked as the Giants’ third-best prospect by Baseball America.

“He is considered a huge prospect,” said Steve Seiden, a Phoenix Firebird official. “And he is one of my favorite guys. He’s done promos for us in Spanish. He’s always willing to do anything for the fans.”

Cruz, who is batting .280 with six homers and 63 runs batted in for Phoenix, admits to being more relaxed since being demoted.

“I realize here in triple A that it’s a game,” he said. “In San Francisco you get caught up in the big-league atmosphere. Here, I go out and have fun.”

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Several established Giants are struggling. Rod Beck, who pitched Grant High to the City Section championship in 1986, is no exception.

Last week, Beck allowed a game-winning two-run home run to Cincinnati third baseman Jeff Branson on a fastball clocked at 82 mph.

Giant Manager Dusty Baker attributed the lack of velocity to tightness in Beck’s lower back, but the right-hander would have none of the excuse-making.

“I’ve had that [back stiffness] before and it hasn’t affected me at all,” Beck said. “I’m not hurt, that’s what bothers me about the whole thing.”

Realizing he has lost something on a fastball that has helped him save 121 games in the past four years, Beck, 28, is experimenting with a variety of off-speed pitches.

“He seems to be going through a transition period right now, but he’s such a battler that he’ll get command of other pitches and be dominant again,” Cruz said.

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Oh, how the Detroit Tigers could use a hard-throwing relief pitcher, a guy who whiffs more than a batter an inning, walks hardly anybody and seeks saves with the fervor and frequency of Billy Graham.

With an earned-run average of 6.48 and a record of 41-75, the Tigers have the worst pitching staff in the major leagues and one of the worst of all time.

Yet deep in the Tigers’ farm system, a right-hander who rarely pitched in college or high school has posted these numbers: 70 2/3 innings, 44 hits allowed, 87 strikeouts, 16 walks, 1.40 ERA, 27 saves.

Bryan Corey, a shortstop at Thousand Oaks High and Pierce College, has blossomed into a bulldog of a stopper for the Fayetteville Generals of the Class-A South Atlantic League.

His fastball consistently registers above 90 mph, he has good command of his changeup and is developing a consistent slider.

“I’ve had the opportunity to become established in the closer role and it gets more comfortable all the time,” he said.

Corey credits Alan Jaeger and Louis Birdt of the Woodland Hills-based Jaeger Baseball Academy with his increased velocity. The academy combines arm strengthening drills with a strong emphasis on the mental aspect of baseball.

“I talk to those guys periodically and they help me through any problems I’m having,” Corey said. “I’ve learned how to take care of my arm, how to prepare well each day and how to stay focused and positive.”

Corey, 22, can be positive about one thing: He will be promoted next season. Despite the Tigers’ pitching problems at the major league level, however, a logjam remains in the minors.

“The reason I’m here is we’ve done well in the draft recently and there are a lot of guys with talent in our system,” he said. “Plus, [the Generals] are in first place and we want to win the second half.”

When the promotion comes, Corey vows to maintain the same mental toughness.

“Mentally if I do what I’m capable of. Regardless of who I’m facing I’ll get the job done,” he said.

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Corey’s teammate, Gabe Kapler of Taft High, leads the Generals with 17 home runs and 76 runs batted in. Kapler, the right fielder, is batting .289.

Not bad production from a player drafted in the 57th round. Kapler’s secret is conditioning.

“Gabe is the most physically fit guy you could ever see,” Corey said. “I’m in awe at how chiseled he is. He was a steal for the Tigers. That’s for sure.”

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All the fuss about going from aluminum to wood bats is lost on Ryan Kritscher, second baseman for Johnson City, Tenn., of the rookie Appalachian League after batting .401 for UC Santa Barbara in the spring.

Kritscher, a teammate of Corey’s at Thousand Oaks High, had six consecutive multiple-hit games two weeks ago, earning player-of-the-week honors after going 18 for 27.

For the season he is batting .328 with 17 doubles and four homers in 125 at-bats.

“Wood bats are no problem,” he said. “My biggest adjustment is playing every day. It can wear on you.”

And he can wear out pitchers. From the Big West Conference to the first level of pro ball, Kritscher has been a hit.

“Guys throw harder here but not necessarily better than I saw in college,” he said. “They’ll tell me a guy is throwing 94 mph, but it all looks the same to me.”