"Fearless" Joseph making his mark in Cubs system
June 19, 2005

Baseball observers wanting to know what Chicago Cubs prospect Alfred Joseph is made of just needed to watch the 18-year-old outfielder in a recent extended spring training game against the Giants.

Opposing the Cubs on that April Saturday morning was four-year major league veteran Matt Kinney, who had remained in Arizona after spring training to rehabilitate an injury. The majority of Joseph's short season teammates were very obviously intimidated by the more experienced Kinney.

Not Joseph. The right-handed hitter was fearless when he went to the plate.

The native of Corpus Christi, Texas, who is known to friends and teammates as "A.J," dug right in against Kinney, hitting safely in both at bats against the veteran right-hander.

"It's a wonderful experience to face somebody who's older and who's been up there," said Joseph. "Something like that really builds a player's confidence. If I can hit somebody who's been in the big leagues, then I can hit anybody."

"You don't have to be scared of anyone. I don't care how big the person is."

Joseph has made a favorable impression with the Cubs organization since he was selected in the 15th round of the 2004 draft. He spent his first pro season with the Cubs rookie level Arizona League team, batting .268/.333/.310. Baseball America, in their annual Prospect Handbook summary of the Cubs prospects, listed Joseph as one of the players with the best raw power potential in the organization.

In addition to his potential as a ballplayer, Joseph's outgoing, pleasing personality is quite evident. When given the opportunity to join the big league team for a day during spring training, the precocious Joseph introduced himself to every Cub player in the clubhouse.

While he respects the players ahead of him in the organization, Joseph isn't intimidated by being around the veterans. He played a couple of games with the Cubs AAA team during spring training, including one in which Cubs star pitcher Kerry Wood was on the mound, getting in some extra work prior to the start of the regular season.

"It was exciting playing behind him," said Joseph about Wood. "We told jokes to each other ... I got a good laugh out of him."

While it's obvious that Joseph has an enormous amount of fun both on and off the field, there's also a serious side to this deeply spiritual young man.

"It was my mother who placed the foundation with me," said Joseph, "raising me up in church in a God-fearing family ... It was my mother first setting that foundation of trusting God through everything that stuck with me until now, so even if things are bad I know God's going to provide."

Joseph credits his faith for giving him the toughness that he needs to survive in baseball.

"It's that attitude that God has given me that I can do all things through Christ," said Joseph. "As long as you're putting God first in everything you do, you don't have to worry about anything else. To have that mindset that He's given me ... that lets me know that I can do anything."

That mental toughness contributes to Joseph's perpetually positive attitude.

"When you learn to change negative into positive," said Joseph, "your days go a little bit better. You're not so down in the dumps ... you're thinking positive about everything. Things aren't going to get to you as easily as they usually would."

Joseph has also gotten a lot of help from his coaches in the Cubs organization.

"They're an awesome group of guys to work with," said Joseph, singling out coaches Trey Forkerway and Antonio Grissom, and roving instructor Vince Coleman. "They'll take me and talk to me ... when we're not even practicing, just one on one stuff ... They treat me like I'm their son ... They always say, 'You have good days and bad days, but know that the good thing about baseball is you have another game tomorrow.' "

This relationship with his coaches is something that will stay with Joseph forever.

"When a great coach can treat a player like he's his own son," continued Joseph, "that's a relationship that's very hard to be broken ... that's something that's going to stick with me as a player for a very long time."

Joseph had a break from the extended spring training season in Arizona earlier this year when he spent two weeks with the Cubs Low A Midwest League affiliate in Peoria, Illinois as a fill-in for several injured players. He quickly became a fan favorite with his energy and unbounded enthusiasm on the field.

"These two ladies who follow the (Peoria) team around ... treated me as one of their own," said Joseph. "They were yelling, 'A.J., we love you.' It was awesome to have that welcome. I really didn't know what to expect ... I thought, 'I'm a new guy ... maybe they're not going to like me, but I'm going to go in there and do what I do.' "

"I kept it real. I went out there and played hard every time. When we had to go out to the field, I'd sprint out like (Sammy) Sosa --- a dead sprint to centerfield every single time. Doing that not only got those two fans to like me, but many other fans. So every time I sprinted out, I'd let out a yell and let it all out. People just responded to that and started clapping."

Joseph will soon have a new batch of fans to win over, as he's been assigned to the Cubs short season Northwest League team in Boise, Idaho. The right-handed hitting outfielder is the second youngest player on the Boise pre-season roster. 

It will be just the next step in Joseph's development as a ballplayer. While the raw skills are there, Joseph believes he still has a lot to learn in baseball.

"Everything. Every part of my game needs a little bit of improving," replied Joseph when asked what he needs to do to continue to get better.

The most important lesson that Joseph is trying to absorb is patience.

"Patience is something that God is really working with me," continued Joseph. "Knowing He is driving the car and I'm just in the passenger seat ... The game's going to improve. Everything's going to come together, but it's about me just trusting God and knowing that he knows what he's doing even when things are going bad."

Regardless of how far he goes in baseball, Joseph will undoubtedly make his mark in the world. He's a very comfortable person to be around. Nothing is forced or phony about this likable young man.

As for life outside of baseball, Joseph expects to someday use his booming and eloquent voice to great effect, perhaps as a sportscaster or as a minister.

"It's just another gift that God has given me," said Joseph. "I know he gave me this voice for a reason."

"This voice will be heard; this voice will spread His word across the world," continued Joseph.

"But first, there's something that He has for me to do right here in baseball, so we're going to go in and take care of that first. Whatever He has for me to do after that will be done."

--- Bill Mitchell