Sunday, May 12, 2002
Hermansen taking what might be last shot with Pirates
The Associated Press
PITTSBURGH — In the nearly seven years since the Pittsburgh Pirates drafted him in the first round in June 1995, outfielder Chad Hermansen has been a major league regular for all of one month.
His last chance — at least in Pittsburgh — apparently will come in the next few weeks.
Hermansen, out of options and seemingly out of chances with the Pirates before hitting .386 during spring training, was recalled Friday night from his injury rehabilitation assignment. He knows what's at stake now — namely, his future with the Pirates.
With center fielder Adrian Brown struggling to get his average above .200, Hermansen will play not that he appears to be over the buttocks muscle injury that sidelined him for three weeks. How often he plays, and long he stays with the Pirates, almost certainly will be determined by his production.
“Adrian will play; Chad will play,” manager Lloyd McClendon said. “Hopefully, one of them will get hot.”
Hermansen never did that after going into the 2000 season as the starting center fielder, returning to Nashville — where he hit a combined 60 homers in 1998 and 1999 — after batting only .185 in 33 games. He never returned to Pittsburgh that season.
Despite a so-so season at Nashville a year ago, when he hit .246 with only 17 homers, Hermansen got another shot with the Pirates in September. Again, he showed flashes of power, but he batted only .164 and drove in only five runs in 22 games.
Hermansen played his way back into the Pirates' outfield picture with his productive spring training.
“It's been a rough road the last couple of years,” Hermansen said Saturday. “I'm just hoping to get back on track and hit the way I did during spring training, just be a more consistent ballplayer.”
Hermansen has been one of the Pirates' top prospects for so many years, some fans may not realize he's only 24. — an age that hardly makes him a candidate for baseball's scrap heap.
“Up here before, I wasn't successful right away and everybody starts to question you, and I started doubting myself. It starts to get a little mental and you start focusing on all of the things you're doing wrong instead of reflecting on the positives,” he said.
Still, Hermansen knows there will be no more chances with the Pirates if he fails this time; if they attempt to send him to the minors again, he likely will be claimed by another team.
“I want to go out and prove to the Pirates I can play here,” Hermansen said. “I just want to have some fun and try not to worry too much about things. It's out of your control, so the only way I can look at it is if it doesn't work out in Pittsburgh, I'll move on.
“But, obviously, I want to do all I can to stay here. I think I'm better prepared this time to handle major league pitching and, hopefully, my approach will be better.”
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Hermansen taking what might be last shot with Pirates
