Espinosa liking big-league life

SARASOTA, Fla. — David Espinosa savored his sandwich, made with fresh bread and tasty cold cuts. He watched with appreciation as a clubhouse attendant reached around him to grab his shoes and polish them.

Yes, life in the major leagues — even on a temporary basis — is pretty good for a teen-ager.

Espinosa, 19, is in camp not to stay but to observe and be observed. Though the Reds' No.1 draft choice last year (23rd overall) from Miami (Fla.) Gulliver Prep probably will begin the season in Rookie or Single-A ball, he'll try to gain as much as he can from his brief exposure to veterans.

“Whatever I learn every day, I want to learn something, whether it's an on-the-field thing or an off-the-field thing,” Espinosa said Tuesday after the team's first full-squad workout.

That's exactly how minor-league director Tim Naehring views Espinosa's situation.

“It'll be good for him to rub shoulders with some of these guys who have been around and see how they go about preparing themselves, how many guys actually stick around after a workout and what work they do away from the field,” Naehring said.

Espinosa's environment certainly impressed him.

“I stop myself and think, wow, I'm walking next to Ken Griffey,” Espinosa said. “Barry Larkin's talking to me! Look who's there, Deion Sanders, the fastest guy I've ever seen. It's cool just to be around a lot of big-time people and it's amazing how nice they are to you. They don't think they're too good for you. Especially Dmitri (Young) — he's been real nice to me.”

After switching Espinosa from shortstop to second base last fall during the instructional league season, the Reds have decided to move him back to his original position.

“One of the things when you're developing players is to try to keep their feet fast and quick and keep their arm "long,'” said Naehring, who noted that Espinosa probably will receive some practice at second base. “The nature of the game is, when you move to second, it slows your feet down just a hair and shortens your arm.”

Said Espinosa: “They're the ones who really know best what's good for me. I'm just doing whatever they tell me to do.”

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