Pough moving up in Indians' chain By HOLLY CAIN Tribune Staff Writer AVON PARK - Former Avon Park baseball standout Clyde Pough has been a man on the move. He's already made a quick journey from the Cleveland Indians' Class A Columbus, Ga., team to its Triple-A Colorado Springs, Colo., club this past season. Pough received the call to Colorado Springs in May, and though he went 0-for-2 in two games, the promotion was a well-timed boost to his career. "Clyde had a heck of a year for us and we decided to give him some exposure at the higher level," said Dan O' Dowd, the Indians' director of player development. "We wanted to reward him with exposure. His work habits came along. The talent was always there." Pough, known as "Chop" to his friends and teammates, was the Indians' third selection in the 1988 amateur draft. He was the Class 2A- District 12 and Tampa Tribune's Player of the Year his senior year of high school in 1988. In 1990, his first year out of rookie league, Pough led the New York-Penn League in assists (170) and double plays (15) at third base. Offensively, he led his Watertown, N.Y., team with a .323 batting average, including his first professional grand slam. This past season at Columbus, Pough hit .307 (127-for-414), had 11 home runs, 38 extra-base hits and 73 RBI. Though Pough posted good offensive numbers, hitting became a personal battle between his defensive and offensive mind-sets. Pough began letting fielding errors affect his concentration at the plate. Since high school, Pough has played six different positions, including pitcher and outfield. This past season represented another defensive move. He played his first 10 games at shortstop, then was moved to third base. He played all of 1990 and started the '91 season at third. Midway through this season, Pough was moved to the outfield, splitting some time as a designated hitter. "It can get to you, moving all the time," Pough said. "I thought when I was playing third base that was my position, then I got a letter during the off-season telling me to report as an outfielder. I thought that was just a mistake, but when I got to spring training my, manager told me to get rid of my infielder's glove. "I've got a good collection of gloves now. I don't have a catcher's mitt, though, so I hope they don't move me there." Last month, during Instructional League in St. Petersburg, Pough was moved to first base and O'Dowd said that is where Pough will remain, for now. "You have to remember Clyde was young, only 17 years old when we signed him," O'Dowd said. "The maturity takes time, and now he's realizing that baseball is his profession, and is taking the correct approach. The move to first base during Instructional League seemed to settle his whole game down. Now he can put everything into his game at the plate." It seems Pough has an inherent advantage of understanding baseball. Since sixth grade, he has lived with his cousins, Tom and Anthony Gordon. Anthony currently pitches for the Kansas City Royals' Class A club at Baseball City. Tom has spent the last three years pitching for Kansas City and was the runner-up for The Sporting News' Rookie of the Year in 1989. "Tom is really my role model," Pough said. "All three of us help each other out and called each other every week during the season. I really look up to Tom, and I can't wait to face him." If Pough's career stays along its present course, it may not be too long before he has the chance. ON BA D Tribune photograph by STEVE PEREZ Clyde Pough spent some time with Cleveland's Triple-A affiliate this season.