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Teagarden all business when it comes to
the game After being part of the College World Series champion Texas Longhorns squad earlier this year, the third straight series appearance in three years, Texas Ranger prospect Taylor Teagarden might be excused for approaching the start of his professional career rather nonchalantly.
But once his college career was over, the Spokane Indians catcher was all business on the field for the Northwest League champions. The right-handed hitting Teagarden batted .281/.426/.635, with seven homeruns in 96 at bats, during Spokane's regular season. That performance came after the Carrollton, Texas native hit .333 in his junior season for the Longhorns and .304 for his career. "We expect to be in Omaha (at the College World Series) every year ... that's our mindset," said Teagarden, about his three years at the University of Texas. "We got hot in the playoffs at the right time and things worked out for us." It didn't take long for the 21-year-old catcher to take that same intensity into professional baseball, as he helped lead the Indians to the Northwest League championship. Teagarden's leadership skills on the field are of the more subtle variety. "I don't do a lot of talking, or a lot of 'rah rah'," said Teagarden. "I might seem like a quiet person on the field, but my mental state is there and I want to win as bad as anyone else ... I come off as a very introverted player on the field, but that's never the case. Two of Teagarden's University of Texas teammates who were one class ahead of him, Oakland closer Huston Street and Kansas City southpaw J.P. Howell, made it to the big leagues less than a year after leaving the Austin campus. Does this give Teagarden the idea that he, too, can be on the fast track to the major leagues? "It gives you a lot of hope as a player," replied Teagarden. "Being around quality people like that, it gives you good work habits and how to handle yourself on and off the field. It helps the younger guys who are a year below to feed into our minor league progression." Teagarden expected the adjustment to pro ball to be a little more difficult, even after his three years at Texas.
"The one thing that surprised me was how hard it's not," said Teagarden. "Maybe it's just me, but I feel that getting through the minor league season is doable if you have the right mindset and good work habits, along with being healthy. I thought it would be a lot tougher ... but I think I've made a pretty good transition from college into the minor leagues." Many scouts consider Teagarden's defensive ability already at a big league level. Not surprisingly, he admits that his greatest area for improvement is at the plate. "First and foremost, you've got to learn to develop as a hitter," said the 21-year-old Teagarden. "The pitching's going to get better at each level ... just being more responsible and learning how to take care of your body will get you to the next level." Despite the success in his debut season and his reputation as a tireless worker, Teagarden learned some valuable lessons in the past couple of months, only reinforcing the philosophy he picked up at the University of Texas. "I've learned that you've got to come to the ballpark to work every day," said Teagarden. "This is a job. It's a lot of fun coming out here, but this is where you make your money. The guys that move quickly are the ones that continue their work habits on a daily basis, have a positive frame of mind, and are able to put the bad things behind them and move forward." Teagarden pointed out one more difference from college ball to the pro game. It's one that he's finding is giving him better people skills, a valuable asset especially for a catcher. "You're going to meet a lot of people that you wouldn't meet in college," he said. "Whether it's Dominicans or people of different races or whatever, you've got to learn how to handle people and just stay true to your own business." --- Bill Mitchell
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