Hernandez Won’t Back Up From Attitude

A backup to Mike Piazza and others during all or parts of seven seasons with the Dodgers, Carlos Hernandez was released after the 1996 season and almost quit.

“I went through waivers and nobody wanted me,” he said. “I was ready to give it up, but my wife wouldn’t let me. I went to winter ball and got my confidence back. No way I’ll lose it again that easily.”

Signed by the San Diego Padres in December 1996, Hernandez, 30, has emerged as an improbable factor in the Padres’ sizzling start. If not the No. 1 catcher, he at least shares the role with left-handed-hitting former Angel Greg Myers.

Hernandez is batting .281. He has thrown out only 25% of opposing base stealers, but pitching coach Dave Stewart is working to accelerate his staff’s delivery. Hernandez’s two-out home run in the ninth inning of the home opener tied the score and led to a victory that has epitomized the magical start.

“I feel like a real player now, a 100% professional,” he said before a recent game. “My career has turned 200 degrees from when I was with the Dodgers. The way I’m treated here, I feel respect, like I’m part of the team. I never had that feeling in Los Angeles. I mean, I understand. I never say I should have caught ahead of Mike Piazza, but I don’t understand why I didn’t catch more than every two weeks. One time I waited 20 days, but I at least tried to learn about hitters, watching on the bench and the video room. I remember a lot of the things I’m using now.”

Now?

“I’ve proved I can play,” Hernandez said. “If some people say I can’t, I don’t care. Everything has changed. I’m so happy. I come to the park at 2:30 ready to go. Lift weights, extra hitting, mow the lawn. Anything they want I do.”

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Vinny Castilla merely produced identical seasons of 40 homers, 113 runs batted in and a .304 average the last two years. The Colorado Rocky third baseman is well on his way to doing it again, and batting coach Clint Hurdle said, “He’s the best player a lot of people haven’t heard of.”

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Red Manager Jack McKeon keeps filling up the notebooks. Among his latest:

* “Until I became manager of the Reds, I’d never heard of MRI. Now all I hear is MRI, MRI, MRI. I thought it was a new long distance carrier like MCI. Next thing we’ll have portable MRI machines in the dugout.”

* “I’ve been to New York 500 times, but I’ve never been to the Statue of Liberty or the Umpire State Building. But I have been to Ebbets Field, the Polo Grounds and Yankee Stadium. I mean, I don’t know much about the arts. The only arts I know are Art Fowler and Art Houtteman.”

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After that fight erupted in the stands at Cinergy Field on Tuesday night and then spilled into the Philadelphia Phillies’ dugout, Bob Brookover of the Delaware County Times noted, “The fans showed up for a baseball game and the Jerry Springer show broke out.”

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Jerry Colangelo, managing general partner of the Arizona Diamondbacks, isn’t worried about appearances.

That was agent Scott Boras sitting in Colangelo’s dugout box for Monday and Tuesday night games against the Atlanta Braves in Phoenix.

Boras represents three Diamondbacks-- Andy Benes, Jay Bell and Jorge Fabregas. He also represents potential New York Yankee free agent Bernie Williams, and Yankee owner George Steinbrenner had already accused Colangelo of tampering with Williams through Boras this spring. Stay tuned.