Phenoms Brett Wallace, Matt Wieters, and Tommy Hanson
polish their skills as they prepare for the spotlight
For the last 16 years, baseball fans have flocked to Arizona in October and November to experience the showcase of the
world's premier fall baseball league.
Just as the desert begins to cool down, baseball's hottest young
players descend on the Phoenix area to display their skills for scouts,
general managers, and farm directors from around the league.
Each Major League Baseball
franchise sends their top prospects to gain valuable experience playing
in this major league setting. Most of the league consists of Double-A
and Triple-A players, although some have already seen major league
action. Described by baseball insiders as a "graduate school" for top
minor league prospects, the
Arizona Fall League
has helped groom a substantial portion of today's "A" list players. To
put it into perspective, the 2008 MLB All-Star Game featured 36 AFL
alumni and five out of the last seven MLB MVPs formerly played in this
prestigious league. All-Stars like Albert Pujols, Justin Morneau, Jason
Giambi, David Wright, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Derrek Lee, Ryan
Braun and Ryan Howard have all played in the desert in the fall.
In many cases, the talent is so
major-league-ready that some of the participating players go on to have
breakout years in the big leagues the following regular season. Last
year's prime example was
Tampa Bay Rays
third baseman Evan Longoria, who was an All-Star and the 2008 Rookie of
the Year while leading the Rays to their first World Series in
franchise history.
I've had the privilege of watching
the Fall League for the past month and as a huge baseball fan, the
experience has been a pleasure, to say the least. The talent of these
young athletes is remarkable. So many of them are just on the cusp of
making it onto a big league roster and they're working their tails off
to prove that they deserve to get that shot, come spring.
There have been three players, in
particular, that have stood out the most in this regard. Each of them
possesses an unbelievable amount of sheer talent, setting themselves
apart with their work ethic, focus and determination to be the best. I
had the opportunity to sit down with each of them to discuss their
priorities and what their expectations are for the coming season.
Brett Wallace: The Pure Hitter
Brett Wallace was drafted by the
St. Louis Cardinals
in the first round of the 2008 players draft held last June. Coming out
of college baseball powerhouse Arizona State University, Wallace holds
a college career batting average of .398 and was the back-to-back
Pac-10 Player of the Year, and back-to-back Pac-10 Triple Crown winner
his sophomore and junior years. Since being drafted, Wallace has
continued to play at an extremely high level. Originally assigned to
Low-A Quad Cities, Wallace reached Double-A Springfield after putting
on a 40-day hitters clinic in QC. According to the recent Baseball
America's 2008 Draft Report Card, Wallace was voted as having the best
pro debut of his draft class after hitting .337, 8 home runs and
driving in 36 runs in just 54 games played between Low-A Quad Cities
and Double-A Springfield.
Arguably the fastest rising
prospect the Cardinals' organization has seen since J.D. Drew in the
late 1990s, Wallace was sent to the Arizona Fall League this October to
work on his fielding and to gain experience facing top pitching talent.
Competing against some of the best competition he has ever seen,
Wallace has shown commendable determination and dedication as he works
to improve.
B.W. Priority #1: Fitness/Workout '" Keeping his lower body strong
Brett doesn't posses the prototypical body of a baseball player. He has
large thighs and a thick core. Because of this, many teams passed on
him in the players draft last June. Some scouts believed and still
believe that because of his unorthodox body type, he will struggle to
find a natural fielding position. Brett sees the situation in a
different light. "I was born with a big lower half and I've worked hard
to continue to keep it lean, and keep my legs strong and quick. I feel
like when I sink in my legs at the plate, I have a little extra juice
compared to other guys that may have to try real hard for extra power.
I feel it helps me drive the ball around the whole yard and it's just a
huge asset for me at the plate." Working to keep his lower half strong,
Brett integrates a lot of quick movement exercises into his workout
routine. "It's a lot of walk lunges with weights, and explosive jumps,
in between sets of squats. It's a combination. You build the explosive
strength in the leg muscles that you're working on."
In regard to scouts' concerns over
Brett's fielding capabilities, particularly at third base, since being
drafted, Brett has committed six errors in 126 combined chances during
the regular season and only one error in 28 chances here at the fall
League. "I like proving people wrong. People want to say whether I can
or can't play third. It's actually more fun when people say I can't do
something and then I do and do it well and prove them wrong. It just
drives me to play even better.
Supreme Protein® bars
are the best tasting bars on the market that I've found. It's hard to
find a protein bar that has such a high protein content that tastes
great, while also keeping the carb and sugar count so low. - Brett
Wallace
"You know, it's an emphasis that I'll always work on. People will
always try and find something to knock about my game, and that will
continue to motivate me to get better everyday and prove them wrong."
B.W. Priority #2: Nutrition
The life of a professional baseball player is extremely fast paced.
Traveling from city to city every couple of days, trying to get
adequate nutrition can sometimes be a tough task. "Nutrition plays a
huge role in my performance as an athlete. On game days on the road,
you may only have an hour to eat before the game and it's easier to
just grab something quick rather than eating well. You've really got to
have the right frame of mind to be disciplined enough to not eat the
garbage. I actually find that eating
protein bars and drinking
protein shakes make it a lot easier to get the adequate amounts of nutrition quickly after a workout or before a game.
Supreme Protein® bars
are the best tasting bars on the market that I've found. It's hard to
find a protein bar that has such a high protein content that tastes
great, while also keeping the carb and sugar count so low.
Supreme Protein® bars
offer me everything that I need in order to be energized during
vigorous workouts, build muscle, and live a healthy lifestyle." Brett
says that staying committed to eating right and working out, takes a
lot of discipline. "You work so hard in the gym to get your body to a
certain level ... You don't want to eat any crap that may hinder your
performance."
B.W. Priority #3: Mental Preparation
With so many unbelievably talented players in the
Arizona Fall League,
really standing out takes more than just having phenomenal physical
athleticism. It takes mental strength as well. "Just getting to play
against these guys and experience success is great for me because it
builds my confidence. It shows me that I'm just about there'