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Minor moves could be major for Deeds

Ex-Bexley standout working his way up

By Craig Merz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Doug Deeds has vivid memories of parading inside Cooper Stadium with his Little League team and watching future stars such as Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome and Derek Jeter.

Last night, Deeds, a former Bexley and Ohio State standout, took a spot in right field for the Rochester Red Wings, the latest step in his dream to become a major-leaguer. A 1999 graduate of Bexley and the school's career home run leader, he is in his first triple-A season after signing with the Minnesota Twins in June 2002 and working his way through the minors.

"To be on the same field as players like that is really special," Deeds said.

So was starting in front of more than a dozen friends and family with many, many more expected for the remaining three games of the series.

"The whole community is proud of what he's done," said Jim Ryan, Deeds' high school coach.

Deeds, who will turn 25 June 2, played two years at Ohio State, where he was Big Ten freshman of the year in 2001 and all-conference as a freshman (first team) and sophomore (second team).

He was taken in the same draft as Ohio State teammate Nick Swisher, now with the Oakland Athletics, and the lure of a signing bonus and deferred money to finish school were enough to get him to sign.

"I loved Ohio State, but in my situation there wasn't an added incentive (to stay)," he said. "There was no scholarship money and I got money from the Twins for my education. It was too good an opportunity."

So it was off to the low minors for Deeds. He didn't mind because he seemed to be born to play baseball.

"You could see when he was young that he had good hand-eye coordination," said his father, Gary Deeds. "He could hit a Whiffle ball pretty good when he was 2."

Ryan said Deeds always had a quick set of hands and lots of power. He pitched for Bexley, too, but was exclusively a field player for Ohio State.

Deeds is batting .298 in the minors and has averaged more than 32 doubles the past three seasons. He hit .282 with 35 doubles, 14 homers and 72 RBI for double-A New Britain in 2006. The jump to the International League has not been as smooth, with Deeds seeing spot duty. He had seven hits in 37 at-bats (.189) in 13 of the Red Wings' first 16 games.

"When you're not an everyday player, you have to take advantage of every opportunity you get," he said. "Baseball's a funny game. You never know what can happen. Someone gets hurt and you're in the lineup every day."

His parents traveled to Rochester for the season-opening series and were in Toledo for his games during the weekend. Deeds received permission to stay with his father and mother, Debbie, in their Bexley home for this series. Instead of ribbing from his teammates, there's envy.

"I've had some request to go home with me and stay with my mom and dad," he said. "They don't want to be in a hotel."

Wednesday, May 2, 2007