Nevin, Cummings Trying to Earn Regular Roles

As you approach the locker of Detroit Tiger Phil Nevin in the visitor’s dressing room, you can’t help but notice he is wearing two items that define his baseball identity.

First, is a Cal State Fullerton T-shirt, a reminder of when he helped the Titans reach the College World Series championship game in 1992. That was the year he won the Golden Spikes Award as college baseball’s top player, when he started at third base for Team USA in the Olympics, and when he was selected by the Astros with the first pick of the amateur draft.

“I always wear it for batting practice,” said Nevin, who attended El Dorado High.

Then there’s the ace bandage that’s wrapped tightly around his left wrist. He is recovering from a torn ligament suffered the first week of spring training. He spent time on the disabled list before he was activated April 16.

The injury is simply another obstacle in a major league career that’s been more promise than production. After batting .117 in 18 games with Houston and .219 in 29 games for Detroit in 1995, Nevin began last year with double-A Jacksonville (Fla.). Called up late in the season, he batted .292 with eight home runs and 19 RBIs in the Tigers’ final 38 games.

“What really hurt was not getting any spring training [this year],” said Nevin, who singled in the third for his first hit of the season, breaking an 0 for 11 streak. As designated hitter, he added another hit and a walk Sunday in the Tigers’ 6-5 loss to the Angels.

“There is never a good time to get hurt,” Nevin said. “But this was the worst because [the Tigers] were going to give me every chance to play every day. I still believe I can be an everyday player here, that things will work out.”

Nevin, 26, is not the only county product seeking a baseball home in Motown.

Right-handed reliever John Cummings, 27, who attend Canyon High and USC, struggled early in his career with Seattle (a combined 2-10 in 31 games covering parts of the 1993, ’94 and ’95 seasons), but thought things might change when the Dodgers claimed him off waivers in May, 1995.

“I thought I had established myself,” said Cummings who was 3-1 with a 3.00 earned-run average in 35 appearances with the Dodgers last season. “But I got squeezed out; there were too many good pitchers.”

Cummings, who came to Detroit last July in the Chad Curtis trade, is performing well as a middle reliever. He is 1-0 this season with a 3.09 ERA in 10 appearances, including a 1-2-3 seventh inning Sunday.

Cummings said there is a different spirit in Detroit this season, after the Tigers lost 109 games last year. Though the Tigers are only 10-15 and in last place in the AL East, they are ahead of last year’s pace. In 1996, Detroit didn’t get victory No. 10 until May 2.

“This team is 20 times better than last year’s,” Cummings said. “Right now, the young pitchers are [making the] transition to the majors. Once they get established, people will have to watch out for us.”