Bill Mitchell's Minor League Ramblings

Minor League Ramblings

For the week of :
June 2, 2003

Interview with Carlos Mejia
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Minor League Ramblings is produced by Bill Mitchell for Minor League Watch.

Mejia one of the latest Cubs' finds from the Dominican Republic
June 6, 2003

Few major league organizations have been as successful in mining the mother lode of baseball talent from the Dominican Republic then the Chicago Cubs. Among the players moving rapidly through the Cubs farm system are pitchers Francis Beltran, Wilton Chavez and Felix Sanchez, outfielder Felix Pie, and infielder Alfredo Francisco.

The normally serious Carlos Mejia smiles for the camera

One of the latest finds from Jose Serra, the Cubs' very successful Dominican Republic scout, is 20-year-old Carlos Mejia.

A product from the baseball hotbed of San Pedro de Macoris, a city of 140,000 located along the southern coast of the Dominican Republic, the right-handed hitting outfielder is in his first professional season.

The 6-3, 170 pound Mejia was playing last year in a youth league in his native city. He was discovered when a neighbor, who was acquainted with Serra, told the Cubs scout about the muscular, athletic young man next door. Mejia, who admitted to not liking baseball when he first started playing as a youth, signed a contract with the Cubs after meeting Serra.

Rather than beginning his professional career with the Cubs' team in the Dominican Summer League, Mejia was sent immediately to spring training in Arizona in March. He has been playing for the Cubs' extended spring training team since early April, and later this month will start his first regular season in the rookie level Arizona League.

Mejia looks like a ballplayer out on the field. He's got a strong, wiry physique, and a perpetual intense look on his face.

"I think he has a lot of potential," said Mejia's manager, former major league outfielder Carmelo Martinez. "He has a chance to be a good player."

Martinez confirmed that Mejia, who did not start playing organized baseball until he was 16, is behind other players his age.

Carlos Mejia

"We need to work on a lot of things with him," commented Martinez. "It's the first time he's played professional baseball. There's some talent there ... (but it's) raw talent."

Mejia acknowledged that the transition from youth leagues to playing in the United States has been quite an adjustment.

"It's hard," said Mejia, through an interpreter. "The pitchers are harder than in the Dominican Republic." Mejia added that he is confident he's going to do well.

Like most new players from the Dominican Republic, Mejia came to the United States with virtually no knowledge of the English language. He's currently taking English classes provided by the Cubs organization for their Hispanic players.

Mejia is pleased with the baseball instruction he's getting from the Cubs coaches. "They are talking with me," said Mejia, "giving me advice, and especially working extra with me."

Martinez agreed that Mejia is still very much a work in progress. "We have to push a little more to do things," he said, "but he's going to get the message and I think he'll have a chance to be a good player ... He plays well in the outfield and is very aggressive with the bat."

"We've just got to keep telling him that he's got a chance to make it," continued Martinez. "But it's going to be up to him."

With a serious look on his face, Mejia confirmed that he believes he's got what it takes to make it to the big leagues.

Finally, he broke into a smile when asked his favorite player in the major leagues.

"Sammy!" answered Mejia, enthusiastically, referring to fellow San Pedro de Macoris native Sammy Sosa.

--- Bill Mitchell

(Thanks to Rene Pablos for his assistance with this interview)