FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- With Jesse Garcia, it's the little things that seem to get him noticed.
Like the time he began shouting commands at the other infielders just as Orioles coach Sam Perlozzo was about to apprise Garcia of the given situation. Or during the 11th inning of Sunday's exhibition in Havana, when Garcia made a diving stop at second base with two outs and had the presence of mind to wipe his hand on his pants leg as he spun to throw.
"His knowledge of the game and his calm under pressure are what impresses me every bit as much as his physical skills," Perlozzo said. "He lets things settle and doesn't panic. And he's very aware of game situations. That's a big plus for a kid coming up."
With four days left in camp, it doesn't appear that Garcia is going down.
A nonroster invitee projected to begin the season at Triple-A Rochester, Garcia seems almost certain of heading north with the club after Saturday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies in Birmingham, Ala.
Manager Ray Miller wants to keep 11 pitchers until the need arises for a 12th, and that leaves room for an extra bench player. Preferably, someone who can back up at the middle infield positions. Someone who can turn a double play in his sleep. Someone who offers the mobility and versatility missing from last year's bench.
Enter Garcia, 25, who hit a combined .287 with 20 stolen bases last season at Double-A Bowie and Rochester. A 26th-round pick in the 1993 draft, he was voted the Eastern League's best defensive second baseman by Baseball America for the second year in a row, which seemed to ensure only more time with the Red Wings.
That plan began to change, however, on March 4 when second baseman Delino DeShields fractured his left thumb while catching a line drive during an intrasquad game. Suddenly, Jeff Reboulet was thrust into a starting role, when his sore left heel would allow it, costing the Orioles a reserve at shortstop and second.
Willis Otanez, who's out of options and coming off a 100-RBI season at Rochester, impressed Miller enough to be considered for backup infield duty, but only at the corners. Rich Amaral can play second, but he's nursing a strained lower back and is needed more in the outfield. That left a collection of minor-leaguers, including Garcia, Jerry Hairston and Esteban Beltre, vying for Miller's attention.
Hairston, who began last season at Single-A Frederick before getting a September call-up by the Orioles, was optioned to Rochester after Monday's game. Beltre should join him soon as a double-play partner. And Garcia should be left standing.
"He's got a real good arm and tremendous agility. He shows me great instincts," Miller said. "The more I look, the more I like. It doesn't mean I'm putting him on the team, it just means he's very close.
"The first day of spring training, I made a point of finding him and telling him how I knew how much he was valued as a second baseman and that he had a pretty good offensive year. And I made a point of telling him that I like Jerry Hairston, but that doesn't take anything away from him. He's a prospect."
A prospect who showed he could do more than just handle everything hit his way at second. Moved to shortstop for a recent game, Garcia was involved in five double plays, including one where he made a sliding stop in the hole before firing to second from his knees. And he played third base in the late innings Monday for the first time in his career and appeared comfortable.
"Whatever I've got to do to make the team, I'll do it," said Garcia, who's 7-for-33 (.212) with four RBIs, but hasn't made an error. "If I make it, it'll be a dream come true. I think I'm ready."
As for his chances of having that dream become a reality, Garcia gives the wide-eyed, grinning appearance of someone who can't imagine the possibility.
"It's just, I don't know what to think," he said. "You never know what's going to happen, but I'm feeling pretty good right now. I've been having a pretty good spring and I think I've impressed the coaches. The main thing I wanted was for them to see me play. I think I'm in a pretty good situation, but you never know. I don't want to get too excited."
You don't want to get Garcia too angry, either. The same soft hands that one day might hoist a Gold Glove were hard enough to win several Golden Gloves titles as an amateur boxer. Introduced to the sport at age 8, he posted a 53-2 record before committing to baseball full-time as a 132-pound high school senior once he received a scholarship to Lee (Texas) Junior College.
"I'm not messing with him," Perlozzo said.
Every so often, Garcia will return to the gym to rattle the speed bag and practice his footwork. It helps with his coordination, he said, and in dealing with tense situations like the one-run game in Cuba.
What if a brawl erupts this season and Garcia happens to be on the premises?
"I'll be the first one out there," he said.
Just don't invite him to the swimming pool later. It brings back some horrid memories.
Garcia missed the 1994 season after tearing cartilage in his ribs, an injury caused by swinging a bat underwater. He got an infection that required surgery, developed pneumonia and suffered a collapsed lung.
"I don't try to do too much in the pool anymore. I just sit in there," he said.
His luck, and judgment, have been much better on the field. Given the chance by Miller to sink or swim, Garcia has made one of the biggest splashes of spring.
"I'm fortunate to have things going my way and I'm just taking advantage of it," he said. "Hopefully, there are more good things to come."
Pub Date: 3/31/99