Darren Niethammer has new perspective Former catcher for UE discovers baseball can be a lot of hard work By BRAD SCHNEIDER Courier correspondent Darren Niethammer was checking out the bats on display in Mattinglys’ 23 restaurant when his gaze fixed on one of the glass-cased pieces of lumber “Hey that’s the same bat I use” he said He pointed to one of the largest bats in the rack It was right next to a Dave Winfield model and just a couple of bats down from a huge black-stained Cal Ripken model The object of his affection was a Louisville Slugger with a sleek comfortable-looking handle and a big hunk of a barrel that had Don Baylor’s name burned into it “See R-161 just like the ones I ordered” Niethammer said referring to the serial number just above Baylor’s signature “R-161 They’re the best bats I've swung yet Not like that P72 over there (the Cal Ripken model) Those things are like logs they’re so top-heavy “And this T-141 over here (a Don Mattingly model) It’s a little small for me The handle’s skinny too If I used a T-141 I’d spend a fortune replacing all the bats I'd break” An interested observer was amazed at how intricate the process of selecting a bat is Aren’t they all pretty much the same? “Heck no” said Niethammer “Bats are all different Especially in the quality of the wood Some bats feel like they’re made out of concrete others feel like they’re made out of paper That’s the kind of thing you learn in pro ball” Niethammer has learned a lot of things in his brief pro ball career The North High School graduate a four-year letterman on the University of Evansville baseball team was drafted by the Texas Rangers in June After playing for the Rangers’ rookie league team in Port Charlotte Fla he was one of three minor league catchers invited to participate in the Rangers’ Florida Instructional League program After spending two months in the Instructional League Niethammer returned to Evansville for some R-and-R He’s been playing a little basketball and thinking about March 19 when he’ll again report to Port Charlotte for spring training “It’s nice to have some time off” he said “Over the last eight months I’ve played more baseball than I’d played during my entire career Especially in the I-League “All of the players stayed on the Texas spring training complex We worked out each morning from 9:30 until noon and then played games until 5 or 6 It was baseball baseball baseball — morning noon and night I’ve never worked so hard at any one thing in my life “But you got to do it You’ve got to show the people in the organization you can work” And work and work and work The average fan doesn’t usually associate games with hard physical labor Neither did Niethammer before he realized that baseball is now his job his livelihood “In college I just went out and played the game” he said “I really didn’t understand much about it and the things it takes to get better at it That’s what the Instructional League is all about Learning Getting a better knowledge of the game “It seems like all the guys down there can hit and run and throw But not too many of them understand the game very well I’m trying to learn as much as I can so I’ll have that edge I want to play in the big leagues” Monty Clegg the Rangers’ assistant minor league director said Niethammer’s size speed versatility and hard work have made him one of the Rangers’ top young prospects “Darren’s stock really improved during the I-league” Clegg said “Just getting invited to play there is a compliment to the player An invitation to the I-league is the Rangers’ way of saying ‘We think you’re a good prospect and we want to work with you’ “To give you an idea of where Darren stands there were 13 catchers that could have been selected for the I-league and he was one of the three we chose” Clegg said the Rangers project Niethammer as a catcherout-fielder with the emphasis on catching “A club can never have enough good catching” he said “That’s in Darren’s favor Because he can catch the club will stick with him longer and give him all the chances in the world to play We’ll let him play until he decides he just doesn’t want to anymore” Clegg said Niethammer’s four years of college baseball also are a plus “Darren’s older and more mature He’s simply played more baseball than the kids we’ve signed out of high school The older guys also realize how fortunate they are to get the opportunity to play pro ball They work harder at it because they know how quickly it can be taken away” Niethammer said it’s easy to spot the hot-shot high school phen-oms during spring training “The first thing they do is blow Darren Niethammer says bats are all different Courier photo by Dave Lucas a to a all their bonus money on a new car” he said “The second thing they do is tell you how good they are “But when it comes to playing the college guys are are ahead of them The older guys know the ropes on road trips they know how to handle themselves around their teammates and they know how to handle their money” Which is no small feat in the bush leagues Niethammer made $700 a month His $2000 signing bonus went toward the engagement ring he gave to his fiance Jan Myers They plan to marry in the spring “Money really isn't the important thing” Niethammer said “I’d have signed for nothing Just getting drafted was the big thing Getting that chance to play Baseball is my life now and I’m having a blast It was my dream as a kid and now I’m doing it That’s what’s important” Niethammer examined an old Jackie Robinson model bat hang ing on a wall in the lobby of the restaurant “Geez look at that thing” he said looking at the huge handle “You can tell that’s a solid piece of wood just by counting the grains The more grains there are the weaker the bat is That thing doesn’t even look like it has any grains “That reminds me I’ve got to go hit over at UE I got to work on some things Let me go get my file Is and I’ll show you why I like ’em so much”