Tejada, Hernandez shine while Byrnes, Harville learn
By John Schlegel
MLB.com
For most A's players, winter is a time to go home and rest, maybe work out a little bit away from the baseball field. But not every player hibernates his baseball skills for the winter.
For a few, it's a time to go home and play more baseball. And for a few others, it's a time to go to a foreign country far away from home and improve their game.
The winter leagues -- played in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and Mexico -- have A's players dotted all over them.
This winter, while established players like shortstop Miguel Tejada of the Dominican Republic and Ramon Hernandez of Venezuela headed home and played more ball, up-and-coming players like Eric Byrnes and Chad Harville have taken the opportunity to better themselves during the offseason in the esteemed Dominican Winter League.
All the while, A's GM Billy Beane and his baseball staff have kept an eye on things, hoping their stars stay healthy and their prospects improve.
Beane admits seeing starters like Tejada and Hernandez playing in winter has its positive and negative aspects.
"You always hold your breath when you have players of that caliber playing, because of injury and because you want to make sure they're not too tired when they get in (for Spring Training)," Beane said. "It's a long season, and they both play demanding positions.
"But you have to be respectful to the importance of winter leagues to these people and their country. The opportunity for their own countrymen to see them on a daily basis is not to be underestimated."
Tejada, the 25-year-old slugger, played only six games of the regular season for the Aguilas, batting .269 with a homer and nine RBIs during the regular season. But he has helped lead the Aguilas to the Dominican League finals, going 8-for-19 in the first five games of the finals against the Licey Tigers.
Meanwhile, Hernandez -- playing first base primarily to save his legs -- led the Venezuela Winter League with a .376 average, adding six homers and 33 RBIs.
Another player with Major League experience who spent some time in his native country this year was right-hander Luis Vizcaino, who went 0-1 with a 3.18 ERA in 13 relief appearances for the Aguilas in the Dominican.
Beane said the leagues primarily provide benefits for younger players who are trying to make an impression on the organization.
"It's especially helpful for guys like Eric (Byrnes), who's trying to raise his game to another level, and guys like Adam (Piatt), who had to sit out a significant portion of the season with injury," Beane said. "That's where the real value is."
Here's an update on some of the younger A's players this winter:
-- Byrnes, who'll be fighting for time in the A's outfield in 2002, had a tremendous winter in the Dominican. He finished second in the league in hitting at .345, tied for first in homers with 11 and second in RBIs with 37 during the regular season. He's playing left field for the Licey Tigers, the team facing Tejada's Aguilas in the finals.
-- Harville, a hard-throwing right-handed reliever, started the 2001 season on the disabled list with rotator cuff tendinitis and spent most of the season at Triple-A Sacramento. He's using winter ball to get some of the innings he missed last year and show he's healthy -- and he's done a good job of that, leading the Dominican League in saves with eight while posting a 1.99 ERA in 22 games, covering 22 2/3 innings.
-- Piatt, the outfielder who missed much of last season after contracting meningitis, played 11 games for Mochis of the Mexican Pacific League, batting .263 with a homer, three RBIs and a steal.
A couple of A's farmhands to keep an eye on are the German brothers (Jen's note...they are NOT brothers) , who have done well in their homeland of the Dominican Republic. Esteban, a 23-year-old second baseman on the brink of the Majors after batting .373 for Sacramento at the end of last year, ranked 10th in the league in batting at .305 and added 10 steals for the Azucareros. Franklyn, a 22-year-old right-handed reliever who pitched for Single-A Visalia last year, didn't allow an earned run in 14 games, covering 15 2/3 innings of work for the Escogido Lions. "They've both had outstanding winters, and we're very pleased with what they've done," Beane said.
Also, right-hander Eric Ireland, a starter for Sacramento last year, went 2-1 with a 4.15 ERA in 11 appearances (eight starts) for Santurce of the Puerto Rican League; Marcus Jones, a reliever for Sacramento in 2001, went 0-2 with a 5.40 ERA in six appearances (five starts) for the Azucareros in the Dominican; and Micah Bowie, a lefty for Sacramento in 2001, went 1-0 with a 4.73 ERA in four appearances (two starts) for the Aguilas in the Dominican.
John Schlegel is a regional writer for MLB.com based in the Bay Area.