For
the week of :
August 19, 2002
Interview
with Felix Pie
Interview with Francisco Salas
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Minor League Ramblings is produced by Bill Mitchell for Minor League Watch.
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Cubs
grooming a natural talent in Pie
Felix Pie is off to an incredible start in his professional baseball career. After his first 45 games in the rookie level Arizona League, the 17-year-old centerfielder is batting .344 with 16 stolen bases and a league-leading 10 triples. His combined on-base and slugging percentage total nearly 1.000. What makes Pie's accomplishments even more astonishing is the fact that the Dominican Republic native has only been playing organized baseball since he was 14 years old. "I used to play baseball, but not organized, in the streets with a little baseball made out of paper," stated Pie (pronounced p-AY), through interpreter Francisco Salas, a teammate on the Mesa Cubs. "The other guys who played with me in the streets told me, 'Hey, you've got talent and could play with the big boys,'" said Pie. It was just three years ago that Pie showed up at a ballpark in his hometown of La Romana, a city of 100,000 located in the southeast corner of the Dominican Republic, 70 miles east of the capital city of Santo Domingo. "I just went to the ballpark and saw the scout from the Cubs, Jose Serra," Pie continued. "He was (conducting) a tryout. I was just watching and looking around. Serra didn't like anybody in the tryout, so he asked me if I wanted to try something." The scout apparently liked the looks of Pie's long, lanky physique. This association with Serra led to Pie's entrance into organized baseball and an eventual contract with the Cubs. Pie already shows signs of repaying the Cubs' investment. His Arizona League manager, former major league outfielder Carmelo Martinez, is pleased with Pie's progress since his arrival at the Cubs' camp last March.
"He's been making adjustments at the plate," commented Martinez. "He's a good contact hitter and he runs very well." About Pie's defensive work, Martinez stated, "He can go get 'em in the outfield." It's readily apparent that Pie possesses solid baseball abilities. He acknowledges that he was born with a natural talent for the game. Pie's biggest challenge lies in learning the English language and being able to communicate with the coaches and teammates. He is regularly attending English classes provided by the Cubs for the Latin American players. While Pie is very confident in his baseball skills, he knows he still has a lot to learn. "I need to mature in a lot of things, like hitting and learning responsibility in the batter's box." Martinez added that Pie still makes mistakes on the bases. Both Martinez and the Cubs' hitting coach, Ricardo Medina, have been very supportive of Pie. "I'm happy because the coaches have really helped me a lot, not only in baseball but in everything," remarked Pie. "They are fantastic ... always giving me advice, and they're always there for help." At 6-2 and 165 pounds, Pie's body will undoubtedly fill out as he matures. Martinez concurred, stating, "He's a very strong kid. He looks thin, but I know he's going to put on 10 to 20 pounds and he's going to still run." Natural skills, good baseball instincts, self-confidence, physical ability ... Pie has all of the necessary skills. Yet, this wise, five-tool talent knows what he needs to do to continue his success in baseball. "I'm going to work hard," remarked Pie. --- Bill Mitchell
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