Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Xander Bogaerts in a good place for promotion to the big leagues


Bogaerts entered Tuesday's game against the Louisville Bats at McCoy Stadium with a .284 average, eight home runs and 29 RBIs for the PawSox. Defensively, he's handled both positions on the left side of the infield well.
Fans and media alike have been drooling for the Red Sox to promote him to the big leagues, but there's no rush given that Drew is playing well and Middlebrooks has been given the opportunity to once again prove himself.
Switching positions hasn't been an issue for him. He says he is comfortable at both shortstop and third base."I know I'm just one call away," Bogaerts said. "You never know when that opportunity is yours, but I just try to come to the field and try to play good. That's who I am, and I don't take anything for granted. I grind out all my at-bats and try to hit the ball good and hopefully good results happen. I'm a fighting spirit, and that's one thing I have a lot. I just come to the field, play hard and try to win."

Switching positions hasn't been an issue for him. He says he is comfortable at both shortstop and third base.
"I like the infield, so it's OK with me," he said. "I just try to play good and don't make any errors. It's simple: catch the ball and throw the ball. It may sound easy, but it's pretty hard."

When Gary DiSarcina first worked wih Bogaerts in 2010, the prospect was almost embarrassed because he thought he wasn't good enough at that point.
"He saw me when I was really bad, and he sees me now that I'm progressing," Bogaerts said. "It's really good to have him around. To work with him every day and trying to figure out how to get better each day. He played in the big leagues for 12 years, so he knows what he's talking about. I'm just a minor league guy trying to become a major league player. I just try to get as much help from anyone as I can."
Bad? How is it possible Bogaerts thought he was bad after being named the Red Sox Latin Program Player of the Year, posting a .314 average with three home runs and 42 RBIs in 63 games during his first professional season?
"I wasn't bad," Bogaerts admitted. "I was terrible with all the fundamentals. I could catch the ball but not the way you're supposed to, and I threw it a little awkward. But they've polished me, and I'm trying to put on the finishing touches. I'm trying to get there, and hopefully it won't take long. I really work hard at playing the position I love."
The conversations he has with DiSarcina are often blunt and to the point. It helps that Bogaerts is the type of young player who listens.
"He understands that he has work to do. He's really improved in a lot of areas, but he understands he needs to get better in certain areas," DiSarcina said.
Those areas of improvement include baserunning and bunting, according to the PawSox manager. DiSarcina says Bogaerts is constantly asking questions during games.
"When you're 20 years old and inexperienced at third base, you're going to have a lot of teachable moments," DiSarcina said.
Bogaerts credits DiSarcina and current Red Sox minor league infield coordinator Andy Fox for helping him become the polished player he's turning into.
"I've been very blessed," Bogaerts said. "Obviously, one of the biggest parts of my career, so far, is I've been around almost the same coaching staff throughout the minors. It's weird but it's also a good thing that I'm always around the same people."
While his Red Sox family has been important, his bloodline is also an important part of Bogaerts' development.
His twin brother, Jair, was a onetime minor leaguer with the Red Sox, too, and was the player to be named later sent to the Chicago Cubs to complete the compensation for Theo Epstein. Jair Bogaerts is no longer playing and is attempting to become a player agent. He recently spent a few weeks staying with Xander, and during that stint, Xander got on a roll at the plate. From July 20-26, Bogaerts had a season-high seven-game hitting streak.
"He's not here right now but he needs to come back to help me get more hits," Bogaerts said with a smile.
"We're twins, and sometimes we think the same things," Bogaerts added. "It's weird to be twins but it's also fun. It's great to have him around. After the Futures Game [in 2012], it was like a button, and I started going, like boom. I took off from there, and it was the same time this year when I saw my family again and it just clicked and I've gone off from there. I'll probably have them around every All-Star break. I guess it makes you happy to have family around."

Photos By:ESPN

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