Bill Mitchell's Minor League Ramblings

Minor League Ramblings For the week of :
August 19, 2002

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Interview with Francisco Salas
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Minor League Ramblings is produced by Bill Mitchell for Minor League Watch.

Francisco Salas like another coach on the field for Mesa Cubs
August 21, 2002

Francisco Salas

Francisco Salas is one of those players for which true baseball fans love to root. The Chicago Cubs' minor league infielder gets more out of his physical abilities than what seems possible and is never afraid to get his uniform dirty.

Now in his second year of professional baseball, Salas is showing that not every major league prospect has to hit the ball 500 feet or have blazing speed to make it in the pro game. Baseball instincts, determination and a tireless work ethic all factor into the equation.

The 20-year-old native of Rosalito Beach, Mexico may also have a future as a coach when his days as a player are over. Salas speaks both Spanish and English, often serving as an interpreter for his fellow Cubs players.

"He is a good teammate," remarked Carmelo Martinez, Salas' manager with the Arizona League Mesa Cubs, "he tries to do anything to help his teammates. That's one of the situations that can help you advance to the next level."

Salas confirmed that his ability to help his teammates communicate with each other could only help him in the future. "You never know," Salas stated, "if you don't make it to the big leagues ... you can get a job wherever."

A solid family background and good education have played a big part in making Salas a natural leader. His parents insisted that Salas and his older brother, Alex, attend high school in the United States to learn English, putting the boys in a position to go to college and eventually get a better job. For two and a half years, Salas traveled 45 minutes by bus to reach the border, waited as long as half an hour to cross over to the American side, then went another 10 minutes to Marion Catholic High School in San Diego.

Salas excelled at baseball in high school, setting a school record for homeruns. But he learned more than just baseball at Marion Catholic. While he was at first hesitant about going to school in the United States, it turned out to be a good move for Salas.

"It helped me a lot because I learned about other people," said Salas, "the way that they live and their customs. I understand more about people and more about this country."

While envisioning Salas in a coaching role is easy, it's much too soon for him to be considering a career other than as a professional player. He's performed well since signing with the Cubs as a free agent last summer, hitting .353 in 15 games last year after joining the Cubs' rookie level team in Mesa.

While waiting for the Arizona League season to start this season, Salas was called up to Chicago's Low Class A affiliate in Lansing, Michigan for a few weeks when the Lugnuts needed an extra infielder. Salas more than held his own with the Midwest League team, hitting .270 in 12 games. The highlight of Salas' stay in Lansing was when he drove in six runs in one game, hitting a grand slam homer.

Francisco Salas

That short stint at a higher level was a big confidence booster for Salas. "It made me feel better," stated Salas. "Yeah, it helped me a lot ... to play in front of a lot of people."

His performance back in the Arizona League has been equally impressive. In 32 games to date, Salas has batted .314 with five homeruns and a combined on base / slugging percentage of .866. He's seen time at second base, third base, shortstop and the outfield. The Cubs also plan to have him work out behind the plate during the off-season. Salas confirmed that the strongest part of his game is his defense and his ability to play multiple positions.

Despite his small stature (5-10, 175 pounds), Salas has impressive power. "I think it's coming with the workouts," said the right-handed hitter. "The guy who puts the power is the pitcher. He always throws hard and you have to make good contact."

His coaches have discouraged Salas from becoming too "homerun happy." "Sometimes my hitting coach says, 'Little man, little man, play your game,'" Salas commented. "I'm not going to hit a lot of homeruns; I'm not a power hitter."

Salas acknowledged that the biggest area for improvement is his speed. "Everybody knows that I'm slow, so I need to get faster," he confirmed. "My speed is my weakness." To improve his speed, Salas regularly works on drills designed to help his strength and agility.

Martinez agreed, stating, "He has a good future in baseball. The only thing that's stopping him from being a top prospect is his feet. He's kind of slow."

Salas' solid baseball instincts help him counter the lack of natural speed. "In the field he gets good jumps on the ball and he plays good defense," continued Martinez. "He's going to do it because he's a hard worker."

The odds of making it to the big leagues are generally not in favor of players like Salas. But considering what he's done to get to this point in his career, the smart money is on Francisco Salas to have a long career in the game of baseball.

--- Bill Mitchell