PHOENIX, Ariz. - Monterrey center fielder and long-time Minor League player Selwyn Langaigne had to rub his eyes when the Sultanes team bus finally pulled up to Chase Field on Saturday afternoon.

The road to this big league park and the match-up against the Diamondbacks had been a long one. With stints in the Toronto and Minnesota organizations and pit stops in an independent league in Louisiana and most recently in Mexico, Langaigne never played higher than Triple-A in the United States. He had longed to play in a Major League park, any Major League park, since his childhood days in Caracas and admits he never expected the experience to come while wearing a Mexican League uniform.

He never expected it to come after only a few hours of sleep in a three-day adventure from Nuevo Laredo to Chihuahua to Phoenix either, but there was no denying the man was going to be wide awake on the day his dream came true.

"You can ask anybody who plays this game and they will tell you the dream is to be in the Major Leagues," said Langaigne, who signed with the Blue Jays in 1994 and spent eight years in the organization. "This is why you play the sport. Look at this stadium. It's beautiful. Who would not want to come to work here everyday?"

The Diamondbacks won the exhibition game 9-4, but the score didn't really matter to Langaigne. Ask him and he'll say he and Sultanes teammates like Edgar Quintero and Miguel Flores were victorious before the first pitch of the game was even thrown. Quintero (Angels), Flores (Indians) along with Derrek Lee (Rangers), Fernando Rios (Reds), Adan Amezcua (Padres), Mauricio Lara (Red Sox) and Jonhatan Castellanos (Diamondbacks) all played in the Minor Leagues but like Langaigne never made it to the big leagues.

For one day in the Valley of the Sun, the Eric Bryneses, Orlando Hudsons, and Chris Youngs of the world were on the same level of play as the Daniel Hinojosas, Carlos Orrantias and every other Mexican player with Major League aspirations.

"I know our players are very happy to be here and although it's been a longtime for me, you always get excited when you come to a Major League stadium," said Monterrey manager Felix Fermin, a former infielder for Cleveland and Seattle. "This is a great experience for everybody on our team. They can use this as motivation and maybe one day they can play in a park like this everyday."

Langaigne knows his manager is correct. He is not without his own big league connections. Langaigne played with Diamondbacks second baseman Orlando Hudson while in the Minors with Toronto almost a decade ago and says he would have made the big league club had it not been for the emergence of a hot-shot center field prospect named Vernon Wells.

"That's the way it goes sometimes," he said. "I'm only 30 and I'm not giving up. I'm looking at jobs in Korea or Japan or maybe here in the United States. Until that happens, I am going to stay in Mexico because I really like it there."

Langaigne's attitude is admirable because it has not been easy to be a Sultanes player lately. The club lost on a walk-off home run in the ninth inning Friday night in Chihuahua and headed to the airport at 3:30 am for the first leg of a 6:30 a.m. flight to Arizona that stopped over in Dallas. After a short delay in Dallas, the Sultanes landed in Phoenix in early afternoon and went straight to the park. Sunday's schedule has them back in Chihuahua for one game before returning to Monterrey at the end of the contest.

"We have not slept much but the game makes you forget. It gives you energy," Flores said. "We all forget how tired we are when the game starts. Ask me again when the game is over."

The trip started with a three-game series at Nuevo Laredo earlier this week. That said, there are few regrets, if any, by the players.

"It's a good thing to be here against the Diamondbacks because people can see what Mexican baseball is about," Amezcua said. "The travel was difficult but have to be professional, we are in good condition so everybody is fine. My thinking is it is all worth it because maybe we can help bridge the gap between the countries and get more players here. Maybe a team will go to Mexico to play."

Sultanes owner Jose Maiz also sees the long-term benefits of Saturday's game. He sat in the second row behind the visiting dugout sporting a Diamondbacks jersey with "Maiz" across the top of his back.

"The Astros might want to play us. Chihuahua is the perfect team to come here next year," Maiz said. "I think this could be the beginning of something very big for both leagues. We have teams come over here and they have teams come play us in Mexico. Everybody wins."

Red Sox and Daisake Matsuzaka fans will get a kick out of Ian Browne's new book on the Japanese star. Actually, it's a good read for any sports fan. This book has everything on Dice-K, from his high school days to last season's World Series. Very cool. It has really helped me understand who this guy is, where he comes from and where he is going. Nice job Ian.

It's worth noting that Red Sox manager Terry Francona wrote the foreward to Browne's book. Ian covers the Red Sox for MLB.com.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – It’s been a big week for U.S.-Mexico relations in this part of the country and it has nothing to do with the hot-button immigration issue that seems to grab newspaper headlines and lead news casts almost other week in this city.

Mexican nationals will be coming to the forefront in droves this week when the Monterrey Sultanes take on the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field and everybody seems happy about the visitors for a change.

It’s funny how a little sport like baseball can remind us all that everybody is basically the same and we are all looking for the same happiness, mighty dollar and stability in life. Well, at least it’s a reminder for three hours or how ever long it takes to play nine innings in an exhibition game.

Listen up: Baseball is beisbol. Beisbol is baseball. Give credit to the Diamondbacks for coming up with the idea.

The notion that a Mexican League team is playing a Major League club so close to Opening Day is a real cause for celebration because the D-Backs will likely field their regular starters, meaning it’s going to look like a real game. The fact that it is taking place in city known equally for its beauty, sun,  diversity -- and its protest marches, heated debates and political posturing involving the immigration issue (read: Mexicans) is a reason for a fiesta in itself.

Arriba!

Yes, it’s been a good week for Mexico. On Sunday, Major League Baseball announced that Mexico City will serve as one of the four international locations for the first round of the World Baseball Classic along with San Juan, Toronto and Tokyo. Monterrey also put in a bid to host the games but D.F. (Districto Federal), as it is known in Mexico, won the games instead. It is going to be a show. Mexico City’s Stadium Estadio Foro Sol, is a hitter’s park with shallow dimensions, especially down the base lines. Look for plenty of home runs from the home team as well as deep drives from the teams from Australia, Cuba and South Africa.

It’s a good start to the 2008 season for Mexico but I’ve seen enough to know that there is more work to do. Last year, of the 829 players on Major League rosters on Opening Day, 246 were foreign-born. Of those 246, the Dominican Republic had the most players with 98, followed by Venezuela’s 51 and Puerto Rico’s 28. Canada had 19 while Mexico and Japan each had 13 players on big league rosters.

Tied with Japan? Until a recent posting system was developed to compensate Japanese team owners, Japanese players were not even allowed to negotiate with a Major League team until they had played nine years in the Japanese professional leagues.

Nine years.

Here’s the problem. In Mexico, in a system similar to Japan, Mexican team owners own the rights to their players and negotiate directly with a MLB club. The Mexican owners do not want to lose their star players so sometimes the asking price is steep. The practice discourages teams from investing too much in Mexico because for the same money a club can invest in several players in the Dominican Republic or Venezuela. Unlike most Latin countries, MLB does not have academies in Mexico so the pipeline to the big leagues. The results are obvious and shocking.

Thirteen players in the big leagues from a country with a population of 110 million is hard to fathom. And don’t even try the “Mexico is a soccer country” line because I’m not buying it.

I’ve seen the players and I’ve seen the parks. Granted, not on Mexican television because media types there view soccer as a sport better suited for television and dollars than baseball.

The solution is not a simple one. But a real partnership between Mexico and MLB could be one answer. Imagine Mexican players trained in MLB academies in Mexico, fulfilling an obligation to play in the Mexican Leagues, and then given the option to stay in Mexico or go to the USA to play in the Major Leagues if they are good enough – without compensating the owner in dollars.

That’s one way to get more Mexicans in the Major Leagues and it also makes the Mexican League stronger by stacking it with young and better trained players. And let’s face it, not every player in Mexico (or any country) is good enough to play in the Major Leagues so there will always be a surplus of home-grown players. The steady stream of Dominicans, Venezuelans, Puerto Ricans and American citizens that fill the Mexican League rosters also promotes stability so there is really no reason to worry about the decline of the Mexican League or its teams should MLB step in with some type of partnership or academy.

It’s a good time to start thinking about the future of baseball in Mexico. It’s already been a good week for the country. Why not make it a better one?

PHOENIX, Ariz. – The biggest lesson we all learned from the first version of the World Baseball Classic in 2006 was to expect the unexpected.

That should not be the case come 2009. When next year’s tournament rolls around, the  world will have a better idea of what to expect from the 16 teams, its players and its fans. But just in case you needed a reminder, here are a few things to reflect on from 2006 and to look forward to in 2009.

In 2006, players expressed their concerns about the timing of the World Baseball Classic. It was said to have interfered with the players’ usual Spring Training regimen and if you recall, there were a few players during the season that blamed poor starts and average seasons on their participation in the Classic. I understand. I really do.

With pitchers, that is. Pitchers definitely need their time to get ready and I’m not ignoring the fact that hitters need to face live pitching in order to be ready for the season. I’m just not buying the notion that the Classic did more harm than good as sometimes portrayed back in 2006.

It should be different in 2009. The players that want to play in the World Baseball Classic will play. They will know about the training schedule and its advantages/disadvantages. I really believe there will be fewer complaints this year because the people that really want to participate will be there. Those that don’t won’t. Coaches and managers know how it works this time around and will likely adjust players’ workout routines in order to get the guys better prepared for the competition and the 162-game MLB season that follows. If all goes according to plan, players should be able to look back at World Baseball Classic 2009 and say it helped them prepare for the regular season.

How many players blame the Caribbean Series for poor starts? That’s right. Zero. They see it as an advantage and those that do not, do not participate.

Speaking of expectations, here’s something else to think about: the United States and the Dominican Republic should not automatically be considered the favorites. That’s not a knock on the USA or the D.R. but Japan won the first World Baseball Classic and you can argue Korea had a team that was just as good or better. The view from my seat during all three rounds in 2006 showed me very capable teams that were capable of beating each other on any given day. Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Canada and Mexico should not be ruled out of championship contention because the level of play is high and the quality of players is top notch. Panama could be Cinderella story of 2009 or maybe the surprise of the tournament comes from the Far East.

Why not consider Cuba as the favorite? We’ve now been exposed to the talent level and style of play coming from the island and don’t forget that it was the Cubans that eliminated the Dominican Republic. Cuba lost to Japan in the finals. They are no longer the mysterious team from 2006.

Here's another thing to keep an eye on. The high level of play in 2006 should have surprised no one, but I’m sure it did. That will be different in 2009. Any team that does not take the tournament seriously will likely be eliminated early. These are not just exhibition games. These games mean something on a personal and professional level. It’s about country pride. Are you listening Team USA?

Expect wild fans in the stands. Expect more coverage of the event on a national and international level. Expect the biggest stars to participate in the tournament once again.

If you ask me, expect a team from Latin America to win the tournament. Then again, I’ve also learned to expect the unexpected so anything can happen.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Want to get a passionate answer from a passionate manager like Brewers skipper Ned Yost? Ask him about the mental makeup of young starter Yovanni Gallardo and then be prepared to take a step back for the energetic answer.

It’s hard to tell if the manager is mad you asked him, mad you don’t know more about one of his favorite players or if his fiery but friendly demeanor is his everyday demeanor.

The answer could be all of the above.

There is one certainty: Yost likes Gallardo a lot and it’s easy to see why. The young right-hander will be at the top of the rotation one day because of his arm and his mindset. It’s enough to make the Brewers feel like they have won the pitching lottery.

“He’s a young pitcher that is well advanced. He’s got a veteran pitcher’s mindset,” Yost said. “We don’t have to watch him. He knows where he is going.  It’s just natural. You can’t teach that. You just have to have it. It’s a special little ingredient that is put into a person that makes them special as a competitor. There are literally one in a million that have that.”

What Gallardo lacks is experience – pitching and otherwise. Last season, he went 9-5, with a 3.67 ERA in 20 games/17 starts. This year, he showed his age, tweaking his left knee while throwing off a high school mound in his hometown of Fort Worth, Texas then driving 15 hours to the Valley of the Sun for Spring Training not long after the awkward landing. He eventually had the knee scoped to repair torn cartilage and is currently working his way back to pitching in a Spring Training game. It is unclear if he will start the season in the Brewers rotation or on the disabled list.

“Obviously, I was very upset and knowing I had to get surgery was not good news,” Gallardo said. “You just never know what can happen. I was prepared to throw and now I’m focused on getting healthy so I don’t have to worry about it anymore.”

Driving on an achy knee is probably not the wisest move but in Gallardo’s defense, he just turned 22 last month. Yes, he is already a husband and a father but he is still less than four years away from wearing a backpack and eating in the cafeteria at Trimble Tech High School.

The way Gallardo sees it, the setback is not a complete loss because the surgery is a reminder of how precious a big league career is and how everything can change in an instant. Moreover, he acknowledges his God-given ability to throw a baseball but he also recognizes he is still developing as a pitcher – and a man. Maybe that’s why Yost loves him so much.

Maybe that’s why Yost gets so animated when Gallardo’s makeup is questioned – even innocently. Yost knows Gallardo is not just another kid with a good arm. He’s a potential staff ace on the mound because he’s already one off of it.

“I just want to make this year better than it was last year. I’m shooting for the best,” Gallardo said. “Now I know that I’m able to pitch at that level so basically I want to keep doing what I have been doing.”

What he has done so far is enough to make the Brewers’ faithful yearn for more. He boasts a fastball that hovers in the low-to-mid 90 mph range, a slider and curveball. Last season, he struck out 101 hitters in 110 1/3 innings with the Brewers after starting the season at Triple-A Nashville. As a hitter, he posted a .250 batting average with two home runs and six RBIs in 40 at-bats.

”One of the biggest things I got from last year was just the experience,” he said. “I know what it’s like now and little things in different situations. You see how to pitch to different hitters, what to do in 3-2 counts late in the game and things like that. You learn something everyday you pitch and even by watching.”

Watching the game and then playing it has been a winning formula for Gallardo since his early childhood. Born in the southern Mexican city of Michoacan but raised in Texas since age four, Gallardo said he learned about the game watching his father and uncles play in adult baseball leagues across North Texas. From the stands, he saw home runs before he knew exactly what they really were. As a kid, he watched a man step on a hill made up of mostly clay and sand, windup and then throw a mostly white ball (if he was lucky) as hard as he could to another guy squatting behind a white tile shaped like the kind of house you draw in kindergarten..

He loved it. It changed his life.

The mentioning of the names Rockwood and Samson, two recreational parks in north Fort Worth where Gallardo and his family spent their Sundays, still brings a smile to his face. He catches Mexican-American League baseball game back home when he can but admits he is not quite accustomed to his newfound celebrity.

“It was pretty weird at first,” he said. “Dad says everybody, some people we don’t even know, is always asking how I’m doing. But I am thankful. I know they are proud of me. They supported me the whole way through and that’s why I am here. That’s who I am.”

Just ask Yost.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – The road to redemption starts near the intersection of 51st Avenue and Indian School Road.

It’s the Spring Training home of the Milwaukee Brewers at Maryvale Baseball Park, and the place where relievers Salomon Torres and Guillermo Mota find themselves to find themselves. The 2007 season was one to forget for both Dominican relievers. They are hoping this year will be one to remember – for good reasons.

So are the Brewers. The club’s bullpen lost closer Francisco Cordero and reliever Scott Linebrink to free agency after last season.

“Last year was not a good year for me,” Mota said. “Things didn’t work for me and didn’t work the way I wanted. That’s baseball. Sometimes you gave good years, sometimes bad. I’m doing what I can to have a good year this year so you can see who the real Guillermo Mota is.”

The Guillermo Mota known by the Mets fans was a flop. Last season, he was suspended for the first 50 games of the season for violating Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program and you can argue he was still missing in action even upon his return. With the Mets, he went 2-2 with a 5.76 ERA in 52 games and likely led the team in the boos-per-player category.

Mota does his best to act like he could not hear the jeers at Shea Stadium and he says he did not pay attention to boos. If that’s true, he deserves an award. Ignoring 50,000 fans screaming at you is quite an accomplishment.

“I don’t look at it as a bad experience. It was good one,” he said. “It motivated me to do things better. You do good, they applaud. You don’t, they let you know. They are not my family, they want the team to do good. Every player goes through that sometime.”

“Bounce back” and Mota is a reoccurring theme. The pitcher interrupted a Spanish-only interview after struggling to articulate his thoughts with the English phrase, “bounce back.” Brewers manager Ned Yost said he looks for Mota “to bounce back big-time.”

“He’s going to have a great year,” he said. “(Mota and Torres) are relaxed and on the attack. They are comfortable and pitching well.”

Torres, 36, already looks like he fits in. He was slowed because of a sore arm early in Spring Training but is working his way back into the fold. It’s already a better situation than last season in Pittsburgh,  a year full of injuries and a highly-publicized dispute with management. Torres argued he signed for lower-than-market value with the Pirates in return for a promise by the club to rent his baseball academy in the Dominican Republic. He says the club backed out. Torres eventually leased the facility to the Texas Rangers.

The veteran chooses not to dwell on the past but if he did, he would have some stories to tell. The Pirates saga is just the latest chapter in a long line of events that shaped his career.

Torres signed with San Francisco as a teenager and made his big league debut with the Giants in 1993. He was shelled by the Dodgers in the last day of the season that year to cost San Francisco a playoff spot and any chance of making a permanent home in the Bay Area. Three years later, he retired from the Montreal Expos because he did not like how he was being pitched.

You can blame immaturity for his early exit. Torres took his lack of playing time as a personal attack when it was nothing more than a personnel decision, the same type of decision that is made everyday across the Major and Minor Leagues.

He later served as a coach for the Expos Summer League team in the Dominican Republic for a few years until he signed a Minor League deal with the Pirates in 2002 and made his big league return later that season. By 2006, he was the Pirates closer. By the end of 2007, he wanted a trade out of Pittsburgh.

The man who admits he didn’t know anything about the business of baseball when he was a young man was furious because the sport had stung him again, this time as a full-grown man. He thought he knew better.

Yet Torres refuses to let the sport make him a bitter man. He chooses to go forward instead of  looking back.

“I’m eager to show to myself that I still have it,” Torres said. “I can go out there and get in some games. I feel like I can throw a lot of games because I feel healthy. I feel great.”

He and Mota are at the right intersection.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – The Sultanes of swing are coming to town for an international contest that will be celebrated on both sides of the border.

On March 29, the Mexican League champion Monterrey Sultanes will take on the Diamondbacks in an exhibition game at Chase Field. The game marks the first time the stadium has played host to a Mexican League team.

“Our relationship with the Sultanes has been a good one, going back to 1999,” said Diamondbacks Richard Saenz, Senior Director of Hispanic Relations and marketing. “We made an agreement with the club and have many players from there come here and make the big leagues. The idea is part of our Hispanic initiatives in Arizona and it’s a great opportunity not only for us but for baseball in general.”

It’s been a long time coming.

Monterrey, the Sultanes and its stadium, Estadio Monterrey, have a long history with Major League Baseball. In 1991, Monterrey played host to an exhibition game between the Dodgers and Brewers and one year later played host to the Cuban All-Star team in 1992. In 1993, the Twins and Atlanta Braves played in the Monterrey, and in 1996, the New York Mets and the San Diego Padres played the first regular-season series outside of the United States and Canada, with three games at Estadio Monterrey. In 1999, Major League Baseball opened the season for the first time ever in Mexico in a game between the Colorado Rockies and the San Diego Padres.

Monterrey, behind the efforts Sultanes owner Jose Maiz, also made a bid to host a round of the 2007 World Baseball Classic and was in the running to purchase the Montreal Expos before the club was sold to another group and became the Washington Nationals.

“I think Monterrey can have a Major League team in the future,” Maiz said. “With all the people we have here and our proximity to Texas, Monterrey is ideal. There are flights every day from Houston and Dallas to here.”

The partnership between the Diamondbacks and the Sultanes has produced several Mexican-born Major League players that started by playing for Monterrey. The first to join the Diamondbacks from Monterrey was Erubiel Durazo. Oscar Villarreal, Jorge De La Rosa, Edgar Gonzalez and Jonathan Castellanos all followed.

The current Sultanes roster won its ninth Mexican League title in 69 years of play last summer and features former Major League players Bengie Gil, Adan Amezcua, Castellanos, and Jose Silva. Their manager is former big league player Felix Fermin, who has also gained fame as a successful manager for the Aguilas de Cibao in the Dominican Republic and for leading his teams to five Caribbean Series championship titles. Former Major Leaguer Karim Garcia played for the Sultanes last summer but will not play in the exhibition game against the Diamondbacks because he is currently playing in Korea.

“For Mexico, it means it a lot,” Maiz said. “It’s an international game, their team is getting ready for the season. We are playing. It’s going to be a good game, a good competition.”

It won’t be an easy ride. The Sultanes depart Mexico inb the morning of the contest and are expected to arrive in Phoenix only a few hours before the game begins. Once the game is completed, the Monterrey club will sleep a few hours before departing for a scheduled Mexican League series in Chihuahua, Mexico.

“We think we can win,” Maiz said. “We beat the Brewers one year. We are bringing a good team and I’m looking forward to a good game.”

TUCSON, Ariz. – The buzz has hit camp, making them the new can’t-miss pitching sensations and the future Latin stars of the National League, but ask Rockies starting pitchers Ubaldo Jimenez, Franklin Morales and closer Manny Corpas about the key to success in 2008 and they’ll point to the guy yapping from the locker around the corner, catcher Yorvit Torrealba.

To get to the next level in the Major Leagues, the next Big Three knows they need the little big one – all 5-ft-11 and 200 pounds of him.

“To have a veteran like that is what a lot of young pitchers like,” Morales said. “It’s what you need. We are lucky to have him here.”

For all of his abilities in some areas and lack thereof in others, Torrealba’s most important contribution to Colorado this season could be his role as the trio’s counselor and pseudo-coach. He is also equal parts court jester and disciplinarian so put down the PSP when he’s talking to you and don’t even think about showing up late for a bullpen session because big brother always is watching.

Reporters also beware when you walk into the Latin corner of the clubhouse because Torrealba will pick on you, too. Then the jovial Venezuelan will smile from ear-to-ear to make it clear he is joking.

“That guy is a clown but I love him,” Corpas, 25, said. “He’s always working with us, asks you what is going on and why you are acting a certain way. It’s great to have a Latin catcher that speaks the same language, has the same culture. He can joke with us about things but we know he is not really joking. He’s trying to send us a message.”

Torrealba’s message is simple: work hard and keep your focus. Along the way, the veteran seems to be making a statement of his own. He will never be confused with future Hall of Fame catcher Ivan Rodriguez or up-and-coming backstop Yadier Molina but that doesn’t mean he’s not just as important to his team.

“I’m not a home run hitter, and I’m just basically a guy who has a lot of pride and plays hard,” Torrealba, 29, said. “I help the pitchers understand, especially the young guys. This game is not easy, especially when you are young. I keep them focused and keep it light. They have to enjoy the experience.”

Last season, Torrealba hit .255 with eight home runs and 47 RBIs. He threw out 18-percent of potential basestealers last season (13-of-74) overall and threw out just two of the last 32 would-be basestealers to end the season. Those numbers should improve this season because his shoulder problems are gone and he says he is currently pain-free. He almost signed with the Mets during the offseason but stayed with the Rockies instead.

“He has a real good relationship with all of the guys,” Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. “He’s taken a big-time ownership of his catching responsibilities, calling the games, blocking balls, getting to know hitters, working the pitchers. He’s been very appropriate with his pats on the back and the smacks on the backside.”

“The young pitchers, he has embraced them,” Hurdle continued. “With the command of the language, he has been able to help them I think better than anybody else we have available.”

The help is necessary because the pitching standard has been set. Last season, Jimenez, 24, went 4-4 with a 4.28 ERA in 15 starts and Morales, 22, went 3-2 with a 3.43 ERA in eight starts. Corpas the closer posted 19 saves in 22 chances and a 2.08 ERA for the season. Officially, the expectations from the club are simply for each hurler pitch to his potential. Unofficially, the sky is the limit.

“I just want to do the same thing I did last year because I learned a lot from being in those situations,” said Jimenez, who is from the Dominican Republic. “My goal is to throw 200 innings, go deep every time out, six or seven innings. I want to win this year. We are starting all over but we are smarter.”

If Jimenez comes across as bold, that’s part of his charm. Arguably the most vocal of the three, the right-hander is developing into a media darling because of his fun-loving personality and ability to communicate in English or Spanish. Morales is somewhat of an enigma in part because of his sometimes shy demeanor off the mound and confident presence on it. Corpas has calm personality that is a mixture of the two. He’s quick with a comeback when being kidded by his teammates but remains humble and loyal to his Panamanian roots. Recently during an early-morning jarring session in the clubhouse, he reminded Morales to remain grounded and realistic in the future no matter how much success or money is being deposited into his bank account.

The ever-present Torrealba watched the Corpas-Morales exchange from his locker smiling in silence, appearing more like a parent than teammate. Torrealba knows when to step in and when to let the boys be boys.

“I want to keep on the same road, humility and tranquility,” Corpas said. “What happened last year, happened. I never thought I would be in the World Series, but that is the past. We can’t change that. It’s a new year.”

“There are a lot of young Latins on this team and we know it’s difficult to stay here (in the Major Leagues) because you are not accustomed to the weather, the situations, all of the things here,” he continued. “You play here and you learn it’s about getting prepared and staying focused. Baseball is not a reaction sport like soccer. You have to think.”

Morales knows his teammate is right. If the left-hander expects to fulfill his potential, he’ll have to avoid some of the traps that plague young pitchers such as a lack of concentration at times and trying to do too much with every pitch. Morales still tries to overthrow at times when he is ahead in the count.

“I just want to keep working hard and doing what I am doing,” said Morales, also from Venezuela. “You try not to get overconfident and think you are bigger than the game. You learn to keep calm and keep your concentration. This is a very mental sport, and you need to keep a positive outlook.”

That’s where Torrealba steps in – sometimes like a brother and sometimes like a father but always as a teammate.

“To me, the challenge is to help much as can,” he said. “It’s good talking to them. They need to learn to be their best and I’m trying to help them with that. I take pride in my defense and what I can do.”

TUCSON, Ariz. – There’s some talk among the Rockies about how every other team in the division has been in the spotlight lately.

It goes something like this:

The Dodgers made a splash with arguably the biggest signing of the offseason, landing manager Joe Torre. They picked up Andruw Jones to play center field and pitcher Hiroki Kuroda from Japan. Not bad, not bad.

The Padres added second baseman Tadahito Iguchi, center fielder Jim Edmonds, and pitcher Randy Wolf. Mark Prior is the potential No.5 man in the rotation and let’s not forget about Mr. Everything/All-World, pitcher Jake Peavy.

The Diamondbacks picked up Oakland ace Danny Haren and a pair of solid relievers – Chad Qualls and Juan Gutierrez – from the Astros. Randy Johnson is healthy and Brandon Lyon is going to step in where Jose Valverde left off.

The Giants still have Barry, but not that Barry.

The Rockies? All they did was land a couple of possible contributors like reliever Jose Capellan, Marcus Giles and some other guys not on anybody’s radar. Oh yeah, they just locked up their future by signing Manny Corpas, Brad Hawpe, Aaron Cook, Matt Holliday and Troy Tulowitzki to long-term deals. Third baseman Garrett Atkins could be next.

It was more than enough. Aside from signing Sean Casey, the Red Sox are going into the 2008 season with the same club. So what does that tell you?

It tells me the Red Sox are stacked again. So are the Rockies. The Red Sox are my favorites to get back to the World Series. So are the Rockies.

Let’s give the Rox a little credit here. I respect every manager and basically every player in the National League West telling me how it’s going to be a tight race again. They tell me how it’s going to come down to the last week of the season again and how it might come down to another playoff game just to the determine the champion and runner-up.

I want to buy it. I want to believe it. I really do. It’s a logical argument and it reads well in virtually every publication that discusses the NL West but I just don’t.  I see young starter Ubaldo Jimenez and I see the Peavy-Haren-Webb-everybody’s top pitcher equalizer. I see Franklyn Morales and I see the potential to be one of the NL’s top pitchers.

Manny Corpas will be the next great closer from Panama. Granted, Mariano Rivera is the only great closer from the country but Corpas has the stuff, and more importantly the demeanor to be good for a long time. That whole “I am calm. I am peaceful. I am tranquilo” act is not an act.

He’s really that centered and grounded. Enjoy the day if it’s a good one and forget about it if it’s a bad one. He said the key is humility and keeping it real no matter how much money he makes or is going to make. That’s exactly the type of mentality you need in a closer and that’s exactly why he will be among the save leaders this year.

The fact that he has a live arm helps. It helps a lot.

Tulowitzki is a legitimate star and everybody knows how good Matt Holliday already is. A healthy Wily Taveras is a good Wily Taveras and he’s healthy this year. Todd Helton and catcher Yorvit Torrealba are the rocks on these Rox – only in different ways. Helton leads by example and in statistics. Torrealba does his part behind the plate by keeping his pitchers in check and keeping a smile on their faces.

Rockies manager Clint Hurdle has backed off the micro-managing style that he was criticized at times for last year, allowing a good coaching staff made up of guys like Jamie Quirk (bench), Bob Apodaca (pitching), and Alan Cockrell (hitting) do their jobs.

Will the club win 21 of 22 games like it did last year to steam roll into the playoffs? Likely not. It’s likely that we won’t see that type of run by any team in any league for a few years.

What it will do is make another run at the playoffs and maybe a World Series title just like it did last year. The pieces are there -- even if nobody really wants to talk about them.

The Rockies will defer the attention this March but don’t be surprised when they get it come October and all of this pre-season talk about how the NL West is up for grabs is forgotten.

TUCSON, Ariz. – The view from Orlando Cabrera’s spot at shortstop is a sight to behold.

In front of him, he sees his future with the White Sox, a cast of potential good friends in the clubhouse and a new start in a city he says he’ll grow to love. Behind him, is his manager Ozzie Guillen, a Venezuelan baseball hero who will support him as long as he lives up to his part of the deal in Chicago by playing hard everyday.

To his right is young third baseman Josh Fields and eventually Joe Crede, a proven veteran coming off of back surgery. To his immediate left? Well, that’s the tricky part.

Cabrera might say it’s the best part. Because no matter who starts for the White Sox at second base come Opening Day, be it Juan Uribe, Alexei Ramirez or Danny Richar, Cabrera believes Chicago’s middle infield will be just fine.

In fact, he says it’s going to be good, really good.

“If you look over there, I think we have a good chance to do something,” Cabrera said. “We have a lot of players who can play, with a lot of ability. Any one of those guys can do it. Richar is a good player, Uribe is a veteran. Ramirez has a lot of ability. I don’t see it as a problem. It’s an advantage.”

The decision will rest on the evaluations of Guillen and his staff and as of last week, the manager does not know who will win the spot. Uribe, last year’s shortstop, is not a lock for the position. He could play third at times but the regular utility-infielder spot belongs to Pablo Ozuna.

“It’s a great competition. Whoever gets the job done will play every day,” Guillen said. “I know Uribe  doesn’t want to be in that position but he has to battle and try to be the everyday second baseman.”

Ask Uribe about the competition for second base and he responds like the veteran he is. He’s cordial, professional and says all the right things. The first thing he does is give Thanks to God for allowing him to be with the White Sox. Then explains his status, or lack thereof.

“I feel good because I feel healthy,” Uribe said. “I don’t feel bad (about the competition). It’s important that I get to play because I’m happy when I’m playing but they are treating me great here. They are fair. Those other guys are great players, great guys. I think all of us are ready to do the job.”

Uribe’s biggest competition could come from Richar. Last year, Richar hit .230 with six home runs in 56 games for the big league club but he has been slowed recently with back problems. Arriving late because of Visa problems did not help his case. Ramirez, who came from Cuba, has also opened a few eyes in camp with his natural ability but his inexperience against Major League caliber pitchers and defensive footwork along with positioning at second base could pose a problem, at least initially.

It might not.

“I like him. He’s a good offensive shortstop and he has a chance to be a pretty good player,” Guillen said of Ramirez. “We have to sit and wait and see how he adjusts. I don’t see him having any problems at all playing in the big leagues. The question is if he can play another position. He is not going to play shortstop this year for the White Sox and that’s why he has to find another position.”

For his part, Ramirez says the move from shortstop to second base is not a big deal because he played multiple positions in Cuba.

Baseball is baseball, Ramirez says.

“This is a dream to be here,” he said. “I come from Cuba, a place far away and to be here now is tremendous. I like defense. I’m just waiting for the opportunity. I’ll go wherever they want me.  I just want to help the team. I don’t care where they put me.”

Richar’s take on the battle for second base is that it is simply a professional competition among friends. The trio share tips, with Uribe doing most of the talking, Richar said. It’s not uncommon to see Richar tagging along with Uribe around the clubhouse, playing dominoes, cards or simply goofing around.

“I’m working hard and we’ll see what happens,” Richar said. “I just have to keep showing up and playing 100-percent everyday. We all have a great relationship. This is baseball and we all want to play but only one can. It’s business. We know that.”

Uribe has nothing but praise for Cabrera, the man who basically took his spot and left him looking for another. Cabrera is keeping an eye on the competition to his left but remains focused on moving forward. The goal is the playoffs, a World Series title and staying healthy all season.

“Everybody gets along and respects each other and I like that,” Cabrera said. “There is no division in here. Everybody is a professional and that allows you to play at your level and play the game. We want to play well and get in the win column. That’s all that matters to us in here.”

SURPRISE, Ariz. – New Royals outfielder Jose Guillen has gained quite a reputation for his offensive output during his 11-year career.

He’s also been known to hit the ball out of the ballpark and drive in runs.

“People are going to think what they want to think about me but a lot more people are finding out who I am and what I am about,” Guillen said. “People see me being serious or quiet and they think I’m always upset. That’s not true.”

What is true is the perception that the Royals’ new $36 million man is a hot head, a malcontent, a bad guy and a bad teammate because of past confrontations with managers and teammates. He didn’t help matters after signing the three-year deal with the Royals in the offseason and insisting to play right field despite the fact Kansas City already had a right fielder. Being suspended for the first 15 days of the season for violating baseball’s drug policy doesn’t help, either. He is appealing the suspension and might get to play come Opening Day.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen yet,” he said. “We will see what happens and go from there.”

Perception is not reality, Guillen says. He has a passion for winning and sometimes that passion boils over on the field or in the clubhouse. He wonders when caring about winning and refusing to lose became a crime?

He shakes his head when he thinks about how he is being portrayed in the media and how his fans here and back home in the Dominican Republic are hearing him negatively described.

“That (image) is from the media,” Guillen said. “A few things happen early in your career and it sticks with you and the more you change, the more that reputation stays with you. It’s easier to think of me as some bad guy than get to know me and see what type of man I am. I don’t know why people are afraid to come talk to me, but I can’t worry about that.”

Royals manager Trey Hillman says he has had no problems with Guillen and likes the fact the outfielder is constantly reminding the manager that he wants to be in the lineup everyday at any position. “My answer to that is ‘I hope so. You are making a lot of money,’” Hillman said.

“He has not been shy at all about expressing his opinions,” the manager added. “I don’t have a problem with that because when he expresses, he is very respectful. I have a problem with people expressing opinions and not being respectful to the person or the position that they are making suggestions or offering opinions to.”

Guillen’s thoughts on Hillman? So far, so good, but ask him again at the end of the season. His opinion of Hillman could change. It might not.

“I don’t know him yet,” Guillen said. “I know him to talk here and there. ‘Hellos’ and those things. You have to spend a season with a guy to know what kind of manager a guy is. He’s the boss and we’ll do what he says. I respect him as our manager.”

Last season with the Mariners, Guillen hit .290 with 23 home runs and 99 RBIs. For his career, he has a .274 batting average with 166 home runs and 673 RBIs with eight other teams starting with Pittsburgh in 1997. His job with the Royals during the season is simple: hit home runs and drive in runs.

His top priority for now is staying healthy and staying in good shape. Guillen has fully recovered from shoulder surgery and Tommy John surgery on his elbow that slowed him the past few years and said getting to know his teammates during Spring Training is also on the top of his to-do list.

“The reality is I still don’t know a lot about this team because it’s a new team for me and I’m getting adjusted to being here,” he said. “We have some good young players, but not like it was in Seattle where we had a bunch of veteran players. We are producing players, developing them.”

“I’m here to do my job but to also help these young guys if they need help,” he continued. “I’ve gone a long time without being with one team for a long time and now that I can be here for three years, I feel like I finally have a home.”

Guillen already sounds comfortable with his new team and he definitely looks the part. He addressed the media on his first day of workouts wearing an Afro-style wig and a smile from ear-to-ear. This can’t be the malcontent everybody talks about, right?

Right.

“He actually has a great sense of humor,” Hillman said. “I think he is going to add some very good things not only to the club on the field but in the clubhouse house as well. That’s been a balance issue for people in the past, too. I know some of the things that have happened. I know sometimes he goes off. He goes off because he has passion and wants to win. Obviously, in recent history we need a little more of that around here.”

TUCSON, Ariz. – To really know Ozzie Guillen is to love him.
Brash, bold, brutally honest, but extremely sincere, Guillen will never win any sensitivity awards in this lifetime.

Talking awards? That’s a different story. Guillen’s rhetoric is a mile-a-minute and his subjects (victims) of conversation range from the young kids on his roster to his own kids at home. Name it and he’ll likely have an opinion on it.

He usually means no harm, but he’s not shy and he has no fear of losing his job – ever.

So imagine my surprise when the topic of the American League Central wonderland came up and he clammed up for a second, smiling like The Cheshire Cat.

It was a first. It was not an accident. Guillen believes he knows something we don’t.

“Ozzie, everybody seems to be talking about every other team in the division, and nobody is talking about the White Sox.”

“Good,” he said.

“Are you guys going to surprise some people this year?”

There was silence. Then Guillen smiled. Then he changed the subject.

Wow.

“Talent helps to win games, but that’s not always the case,” he said. “If you look at the American League teams, they are loaded. This game will be decided by pitching because everybody has a strong lineup. Whoever pitches better and stays healthy will have a better shot.”

Aha! There’s the key. As talkative as Guillen is, was, and will always be, he is going to let his pitching do the speaking for him this year. Good idea. Once upon a time in 2005, Jose Contreras, Mark Buehrle, Freddy Garcia, Jon Garland, Orlando Hernandez and a cast of other strong hurlers led the club to a World Series title.

Is Guillen predicting a World Series title in 2008? No. He’s too smart for that. He does suggest that the division won’t be runaway by the Tigers or Indians. Look at his staff and it’s easy to see why he is optimistic his club will be able to pitch in 2008.

In other words, why his club will be able to win in 2008.

Buehrle is back as the staff ace and Javier Vazquez is back in the No. 2 spot in the rotation. Contreras is in the No. 3 spot in front of youngsters Gavin Floyd and John Danks.

Closer Bobby Jenks is back to lead a revamped bullpen that now includes Octavio Dotel and Scott Linebrink. The reinforcements could not come at a better time. The bullpen needed help when you consider it finished 12th in the American League with a 5.47 ERA last season during a horrid stretch from May 8 to July 23, the relievers went 3-14 with a 7.46 ERA. From August 24 to September 30, the White Sox bullpen posted a 4-7 record and a 6.77 ERA in 90 1/3 innings.

The bullpen will be better in 2008. Guillen knows so and he’ll say it. He just won’t brag about it – yet.

“I have three legit starters and then some questions on how the young kids will do,” Guillen said. “There are only one or two teams in baseball that has five (solid starters), like the Boston Red Sox. Our bullpen is pretty strong. We added couple of guys who can help us (Linebrink and Dotel).”

Add shortstop Orlando Cabrera, outfielder Nick Swisher and newcomer infielder Alexei Ramirez and the White Sox just might have the talent along with the pitching they need to surprise a few teams – Detroit and Cleveland – and naysayers – almost everyone outside the organization – this season.

Just don’t expect to hear much from the boisterous Guillen about it now. At least not yet. But once the real games begin, his opinion and thoughts will be heard.

“I like my ball club. Some people don’t like it but that’s baseball,” he said. “That’s why people have different opinions. I am happy with what I have and I feel good about this ball club. Hopefully we can play the way we want to and win some ball games. I think we should be in the pennant race.”

SURPRISE, Ariz. – The grin Royals closer Joakim Soria sported last year during his rookie season should surprise no one.

Success on the mound and a family full of dentists has its benefits`.

“My dad is a teacher so education was always important in our house, to study,” Soria, 23, said. “My brother and sister are dentists. My other sister is a math teacher. I loved baseball more than studying so here I am.”

But if Soria wants to stay here, and keep on smiling in 2008, he’ll have to get with the family program, learning about his opponents by studying video and reviewing scouting reports. No longer the surprise of 2007, the book is out on Soria, his pitches, and his tendencies.

Like it or not, school is back in session.

“I think he’s smart enough to realize that as we go through Spring Training, he’s going to need to know that everybody is going to be up on their reports from what happened last year and the success he had,” Royals manager Trey Hillman said. “They are going to be countering his success with trying to figure up a better plan of attack playing against him this year.”

Last season, Soria went 2-3 with a 2.48 ERA with a team-leading 17 saves for Kansas City after taking over the closer’s job. During that stretch, he held opponents to a .187 batting average and struck out 75 batters in 69 innings. At one point, he did not allow a run in 20 1/3 consecutive innings, two innings shy of Rusty Meacham’s club record of 22 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings established in 1994.

So far this spring, he is 1-0 with 13.50 ERA in two innings in his first two Spring Training appearances.

“I am just hoping to have the same or better year than last year,” Soria said. “It was a lot of responsibility. It was a big change being a closer in the Major Leagues but they gave me the opportunity because I have the ability. They believe in me.”

It’s already been quite a ride for the Monclova, Mexico native. He arrived at Royals camp last year as an anonymous Rule 5 Draft pick who had never pitched above Class-A and a long-shot to make the club after being deemed not good enough for the San Diego Padres, who had left him off their 40-man roster. Soria made the club and eventually stepped into the closer’s role in large part because of an injury to then-closer Octavio Dotel, now with the Chicago White Sox.

A starting pitcher during his childhood, Soria honed his skills as a closer pitching for the Mexico City Diablos Rojos and the Obregon Yaquis in the Mexican League. Two days after he was selected by the Royals in the Rule 5 Draft, he threw a perfect game for Obregon against Hermosillo. He says he learned the game in the youth leagues of Monclova, where baseball, not soccer, was always the sport of choice.

“It was a process getting here,” Soria said. “I’m only 23 so I never worried about what was going to happen. I never panicked. This is the road I had to go on and thank God I ended up here. There was never a reason to be under pressure or have fear. I’m confident and I don’t feel insecure about my abilities when I have the ball in my hand.”

If any self-doubt does creep into Soria’s head, his teammate and fellow countryman, starting pitcher Jorge De La Rosa quickly squashes it. De La Rosa, from Monterrey, is Soria’s sounding board, mentor and his friend. The fact that they locker next to each other during Spring Training is not an accident.

“He’s a good person and a good teammate and besides that, he’s a good pitcher,” De La Rosa said. “It’s great to have him here. We have the same customs and same background. We can talk about home and other things we understand that some of the other guys don’t understand.”

Last season, Soria earned the save in two of De La Rosa’s victories, marking only the 11th and 12th time in Major League Baseball history that Mexican pitchers picked up the win and the save in the same game. Soria expects more of the same in 2008.

“For me, it’s an advantage having somebody here showing you how to do things and what to watch out for, what to do,” Soria said. “We identify with each other and I think he wants me to be successful for myself, but also for lot of Mexicans kids who are watching us.”

De La Rosa’s advice: improve by adjusting. Soria’s response: it’s the family way.

“I guess you can say our family is very prepared,” Soria said. “I was only one who didn’t go off to study but I am studying here. Everybody is studying you so you have to study back.”

PEORIA, Ariz. – Padres General Manager Kevin Towers is over it.

When asked, he’ll address how his club lost out on the 2007 postseason with a gut-wrenching loss to the Rockies in a National League Wild Card playoff game in the final game of the season. Then he moves on to another topic.

Quickly.

“You have to approach it the way (closer) Trevor (Hoffman) does a blown save,” Towers said. “We have to forget about it and move on. I think when it all said and done probably the two best teams in the division ended up representing the National League with Arizona and Colorado.”

Towers is not alone. There are quite a few players with short memories in the Padres clubhouse. There is little room in the present for the past.

“I know we gave it all we had,” Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez said. “If I felt we came up short because we slacked off or took anything for granted, I would have been ticked off. But I know we did all we could. We fought our hearts out. We won 89 games and we didn’t make it. The year before, we won 88 games and we made the playoffs.”

Ask Towers and he’ll say his club is in the mix to be among the top teams in the division again this year. It’s not a stretch to think the Padres are one of the best clubs in the National League. Here’s why: the Padres can pitch. With reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Jake Peavy at the top of the rotation, the San Diego club has a good reason to feel confident. Behind Peavy is Chris Young, Greg Maddux, Randy Wolf and likely Mark Prior when he is healthy. In the meantime, Shawn Estes, Justin Germano, Glendon Rush, and Wilfredo Ledesma are competing for the No. 5 spot in the rotation.

“We are focused on 2008 and I’m still proud of way we played in '07 because I don’t think we collapsed,” Towers said. “We are just going to build upon some of the good things we did. We added depth to the club and added to areas where we thought we were deficient. We’ll strap it back on and be ready to go. The end of the 2008 season is going to be like the end of 2007 was. I just hope that it is gut-wrenching for somebody else other than us.”

The biggest change could be Peavy’s use of his change. The right-hander said he is going to add more offspeed pitches to his repertoire this season. "Early in my career, I used it a lot," Peavy said. "It really got me established in the big leagues. My slider wasn't as consistent as it's gotten today. I've started throwing more of a cutter these days, too, two different sliders. A lot of times, that's really what is most effective, and it's just been hard to go away from what has worked, is what it comes down to."

Peavy says the additional pitch can only help his career and considering the National League West “from top to bottom is the best division in the National League,” the pitch is almost necessary.

“I know New York and Philadelphia and Atlanta have a strong division but they have Florida and Washington to play a lot of times,” Peavy said. “If you look, the best records have come out of the NL West, the Wild Cards have come out of the West. We won 89 games and we finished in third place.”

“I know the Giants are picked to finish last but they have four great starters that are going to keep them in a lot of ball games,” he continued. “They can go out and take over a ballgame. Us, the Dodgers and the Rockies, we will all beat up on each other.”

After the No. 5 spot in the rotation situation is resolved, the other big questions in camp involve left field and the bench. Scott Hairston appears to be the front-runner for the left field job, but the club is also considering Jody Gerut, Jeff DaVanon and Chase Headley for the spot. Edgar Gonzalez, Oscar Robles, Callix Crabbe, Craig Stansberry, and Luis Rodriguez are all seeking a spot as the utility player on the bench.

New first baseman Tony Clark will be watching the competition. He said all factors are important in such a tight division and he should know. He played for the National League West champion Diamondbacks last season.

“The teams are so evenly matched that the intangibles and being hot at the right time will make a difference,” Clark said. “You concentrate and find a way to win that day’s ballgame. It sound simple but often times gets lost over 162 games. After 155 games last year, it required the last week and I don’t see that changing this year. The games in April count as much as the games do in September.”

PEORIA, Ariz. – The joke between Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and his older brother Edgar involves counting how many times they are asked about each other now that they share the same locker room in big league camp.

“Obviously, it’s a lot of fun,” Adrian, 25, said. “It’s the first time to do it in same clubhouse in the United States, and hopefully it will translate into a full season for him if he has a good spring. It’s been great.”

The real joke could be on the National League West. A comfortable Adrian is a productive Adrian, and Adrian looks comfortable. Part of the reason for his confident demeanor this spring could involve the fact that he sees his older brother battling for a roster spot as the utility infielder everyday. The biggest reason could be the reality that he is continuing to develop into the everyday player and leader the organization hoped he would become.

“Each and every year he gets a little more experienced and he’s now settled in to knowing he is the everyday player,” Padres General Manager Kevin Towers said. “He’s a great defender and now he’s more comfortable hitting in the middle of the order. I think that was lot to ask of him the last couple of years, hitting in the middle of the order in a new league.  I think the more comfortable he gets, the better he is going to get.”

Last season, Gonzalez hit .282 with 30 home runs and 100 RBIs. Since he made his debut in 2004, he has a .283 batting average with 61 home runs and 206 RBIs. He was traded from the Rangers to his hometown Padres before the 2006 season.

The numbers show Gonzalez’s game on the field is improving, but what they don’t show is his presence in the clubhouse. Gonzalez is growing into a team leader. That part of his game will not be rushed, Towers said.

“We’ve always been a ball club that has a few leaders and that leadership ability just develops in time,” Towers said. “We don’t need him to be a leader on the club just yet because he is young and still growing. We have experienced players to take a little of that burden and pressure off of him.”

For his part, Gonzalez wants to lead by example. A fiery competitor but quiet by nature, the first baseman said he sees himself as one of 25 men on the roster – no more, no less.

“I always look for the team to win games and get into playoffs and that matters the most,” he said. “I don’t look into personal things. As long as I have a good work ethic and a good approach, the numbers are going to be there. I just want to stay healthy and be as good as I can be.”

But ask Edgar and he’ll say just being good is not always enough. Luck counts, he says, and he has not been lucky. The 29-year old is with his sixth organization since signing with Tampa Bay as 30th round selection in 2000 after college. By contrast, Adrian was the first overall pick in the First-Year Player Draft in 2000 not long after graduating high school.

“Baseball is difficult that way because some things are out of your control,” Edgar said. “Maybe you rub people the wrong way or maybe you just don’t meet the needs of what a club is specifically looking for. It’s been a little bit of everything for me. My numbers have proven I can play and hopefully I will get an opportunity.”

He might have a point. In eight Minor League seasons, Edgar boasts a .297 batting average with 60 home runs, 407 RBIs in 855 games. Last season with the St. Louis Triple-A affiliate in Memphis, he hit .308 with eight home runs and 53 RBIs.

“I think he has the numbers, but it’s about being at the right place at the right time,” Adrian said. “Obviously, he’s my big brother but it’s not about who is bigger and who is younger right now. It’s about being ready for the season and being as good as we can be.”

Added Edgar: “I just have to show them I can play different positions. Second base, shortstop and outfield. The hitting is there. They know that. It’s matter of showing them I can play multiple positions on a Major League level.”

In the meantime, the Gonzalez brothers are enjoying the experience. Whether they are golfing together, riding together to work or simply eating breakfast at the same table, they always seem to have a smile on their faces.

“I get more excited with what happens to him than what happens to me,” Edgar said. “Adrian is the same way. He says the best experience is going to be when I get to big leagues, it will mean more to him than when he made it.”