Manning Is Looking for Some More Hits

Pacific-10 Conference receivers and running backs know Bruin cornerback Ricky Manning is a hitter.

Pitchers in the Appalachian League have a pretty good idea too.

Manning completed his third season in the Minnesota Twins’ farm system, playing outfield at Elizabethton, Tenn., until Aug. 1. He was batting better than .300 until a late slump dropped him to .253 in 19 games, respectable considering the limited time he spends on baseball.

“He’s done everything we’ve asked, our expectations have been met,” said Rob Antony, the Twins’ director of baseball operations. “He’s got speed, athleticism, and a great energy and leadership. Other players gravitate to Ricky.”

The Twins drafted Manning out of Fresno Edison High in 1999 and gave him a $275,000 bonus, plus $80,000 for college. A junior, he is not on a UCLA football scholarship because the Twins pay his tuition and expenses.

Manning, who batted .276 in 2000, will choose between baseball and a possible NFL career after next season. Until then, he’ll squeeze in as much baseball as his UCLA schedule allows. This summer, it meant bouncing around the Appalachian League in buses and playing in a tiny town that bills itself as “the birthplace of Tennessee.”

“It’s tough getting to my potential, playing part-time, but I’ll stay with it,” he said.

“The hardest part about baseball is trying to stay in football shape during the summer. There’s a lot of sitting around.”

The Twins are willing to wait him out.

“To be honest, he was very unpolished his first year,” Antony said. “This year, he improved a lot. He is a good prospect whose potential won’t come to fruition until he plays the game full-time.

“He just needs more at-bats. He played every day while he was there and got 75, but at the end of the season, there will be guys with 200. He brings more athleticism and toughness than you see in a lot of baseball-only guys. When the game begins, he’s all business.”

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Brian Poli-Dixon, Tab Perry and Craig Bragg have the speed at receiver, but Ryan Smith will be important to the Bruin passing game as well.

Smith, a sophomore, runs precise routes and has displayed excellent hands in practice. He will be the third receiver in a one-back formation and will play split end when Poli-Dixon moves to a position called “eagle,” which essentially means a wide receiver replaces the tight end.

“He’s the kind of receiver you look for on third down,” quarterback Cory Paus said. “He gets open and will catch the ball.”

Said Smith, who played on special teams last season: “I’m gaining confidence every day. I’m getting a good feel for the offense.”

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Ray Cassaday, a redshirt freshman from Valencia High, has moved from middle linebacker to fullback.

The move was made primarily because junior fullback Chris Jackson quit because of a chronic knee injury.

Cassaday is behind Ed Ieremia-Stansbury, Matt Stanley and Pat Norton on the depth chart.

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The Bruins practiced Tuesday morning and lifted weights in the afternoon. They practice today at 9:40 a.m. and 4:10 p.m.