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2004 season "Blue collar" Gorecki flashing
his power "I like to leave the game the dirtiest player on the field."
That quote from St Louis Cardinal minor league outfielder Reid Gorecki pretty much sums up his attitude towards baseball. If his uniform isn't totally filthy at the end of the game, the 23-year-old New York native doesn't believe he did his job that day. It's that hard-nosed, "blue collar" attitude that earned Gorecki a roster spot in the Arizona Fall League after his third minor league season. Originally named to the Mesa Solar Sox taxi squad, allowing him to play only on Wednesdays and Thursdays, Gorecki played his way into the Solar Sox regular lineup. "My main goal was to eventually crack the starting lineup," Gorecki said. "I was told by my 'A' ball coach this summer that if I really put an effort forth to make the lineup, that it was possible. I've met that goal." The regular playing time has given Gorecki the opportunity to raise his prospect profile. With just two games left in the AFL regular season, the right-handed hitting outfielder was batting .362/.450/.574, with eight doubles and four homeruns in 94 at bats. Not bad for someone who spent most of the regular season in High A ball, with only a brief seven game stint in AA. Especially impressive has been the added power, as Gorecki hit only eight homers with Palm Beach of the Florida State League. "I'm very pleased," said Gorecki, about his AFL power surge. "I played in a tough league this summer. It was very humid all of the time. The air was dense, so you had to play a little bit more of a 'small ball' game, keep the ball on the ground, and get base hits and doubles. Coming out here, it's a little bit nicer to be able to elevate the ball."
Gorecki is arguably playing the best baseball of his career right now, his third minor league season since being taken by the Cardinals out of the University of Delaware in the 13th round of the 2002 draft. He's moved slowly through the St. Louis system, making his pro debut in short season ball in 2002 before advancing to Low A the next year. The 6'0", 180 pound Gorecki had a decent, yet unspectacular, season at Palm Beach, hitting .277/.343/.398. Gorecki is very blunt in discussing the weaknesses in his game. "I don't do the little things well," he said. "I don't bunt well ... I don't hit the ball behind the runners well ... I really need that to be a part of my game if I want to advance in this sport." While he will constantly have to answer questions as to whether he has the physical skills to make it to the big leagues, there is no mistaking Gorecki's attitude towards the game. "I bring my defense every day, I bring my speed every day, and I bring my bat every day," stated Gorecki. "This is my dream and this is where I live --- I live on the baseball field." --- Bill Mitchell All photos on the Arizona Fall League Report are credited to Bill Mitchell, unless noted otherwise, and are not to be used for any other purpose without express permission.
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