Posted March 22, 200618 yr http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article...t=.jsp&c_id=mlb FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- All the publicity and preseason predictions of greatness are flattering. Jeremy Hermida certainly is aware of the hype and hoopla that surround him, yet it doesn't cloud his mind or create any false illusions. The 22-year-old Marlins right fielder remains grounded and determined to be the best player he can be. The magazines sing his praises, and he keeps the projections in perspective. He has more pressing issues to deal with now, like showing he, indeed, is ready for the rigors of the big leagues. Thrust into a prominent role on a young Marlins squad, Hermida is being asked to do what he did in the Minor Leagues: produce runs. He may bat as high as second in the order or as low as fifth. Possessing a picture-perfect left-handed swing, Hermida has drawn comparisons to Shawn Green and Paul O'Neill. As a rookie among rookies in Marlins camp, Hermida is focused on getting ready for his first full season in the big leagues. A first-round pick out of Marietta, Ga., in 2002, Hermida understands the buildup. "It's been a little tougher this year because it's been a bit more than in the past," Hermida said. Some publications are forecasting Hermida as a favorite to win the National League Rookie of the Year. "It's something where you take it for what it's worth," Hermida said. "You appreciate the recognition. But when you step between those lines, it doesn't matter. It's nice to get that recognition. But it's not something I pay much attention to. "If anything, I use it to humble myself even more. I push myself even harder to go out there and live up to those expectations." A career .293 hitter in the Minor Leagues, Hermida got a taste of the big leagues when he was called up from Double-A on Aug. 31. In grand fashion, he made his debut by becoming the first player in 107 years to deliver a grand slam in his first at-bat. Not since Bill Duggleby of the Philadelphia Phillies in 1898 had a Major Leaguer broken in with a grand slam. Hermida, in fact, is the only player to do it as a pinch-hitter. The only other Marlin to homer in his first at-bat was Mitch Lyden in 1993. In 23 games with the Marlins last year, the right fielder batted .293 with four home runs and 11 RBIs. In his final at-bat of the season, he also homered. Again showing a flare for the dramatic, Hermida went deep to center field against the Braves, sending the game into extra innings. The Marlins ended up winning their 2005 finale. Because of all the changes to the roster, Hermida entered Spring Training with the right field job his to lose. While his Grapefruit League numbers aren't pretty, he remains highly regarded by the organization. With a good eye and the ability to draw walks, he has been batting second of late, behind Hanley Ramirez and in front of Miguel Cabrera. "As long as you're in that lineup, I think that's all that matters," Hermida said. "Hitting [No.] 2, or hitting me in front of Miggie, is a good challenge. You're going to get a lot of pitches to hit with Cabrera behind you. But after that first inning, it doesn't really matter where you're hitting in that order." Hermida had a two-run double in the second inning of Florida's 8-6 win over the Dodgers on Tuesday at Roger Dean Stadium. Overall, Hermida's Grapefruit League statistics haven't been indicative of his talents. In 43 at-bats, he has eight hits and is batting .186. "Obviously, the numbers aren't there," Hermida said. "This spring I've tried to see as many pitches as I can and not worry about the results. I've been doing more tracking of pitches and getting my timing down. We'll crank it up a notch and get ready for the season." More than total hits in exhibition games, Hermida is ironing out his swing and getting himself physically and mentally ready. In Hermida, manager Joe Girardi sees a poised player ready to showcase immense talents. The fact that Hermida is so highly touted shouldn't create any extra pressure, Girardi said, because players apply their own expectations. "I think mostly the pressure on players I've found has come from within," Girardi said. "It's your desire to be great and to be a great big-league ballplayer. That's the real pressure -- not what a paper says, or a publication says, or the radio or TV -- it's what you have inside. It's what your teammates expect of you. "I think he has it inside that he wants to be great. So that's the pressure he has to deal with on a daily basis -- not so much on a publication. If you pick up a paper one day and you're not on there, now the pressure is on someone else. The pressure comes from here." Baseball was ingrained in Hermida at a young age. Growing up in the Atlanta area, he played youth baseball with a number of players who have reached the professional ranks. He was on a travel squad with Braves pitcher Kyle Davies, and he played on All-Star teams with Stephen Drew, Brian McCann and Josh Burrus, who is in the Braves' Minor League system. When he was in high school, he competed against Jeff Francoeur. "There are a lot of good youth league baseball leagues there," Hermida said. "They breed it into you when you're young. They've got traveling teams at age 7 and 8, playing 60 games in the summer. They start young, and they've got some real intense baseball there. "I played baseball mostly year-round -- a lot of kids do it now. I played basketball a little bit. My dad got me out of football. I just loved playing baseball. If I wasn't playing, I was working on it."
March 22, 200618 yr Didn't Lo Duca homer in his first at-bat as a Marlin? Or was it just his first game. I could've sworn he did it as a pinch hitter though...
March 22, 200618 yr Didn't Lo Duca homer in his first at-bat as a Marlin? Or was it just his first game. I could've sworn he did it as a pinch hitter though... yea, his first at bat
March 22, 200618 yr Didn't Lo Duca homer in his first at-bat as a Marlin? Or was it just his first game. I could've sworn he did it as a pinch hitter though... yea, his first at bat first pitch to wasent it
March 22, 200618 yr Didn't Lo Duca homer in his first at-bat as a Marlin? Or was it just his first game. I could've sworn he did it as a pinch hitter though... yea, his first at bat first pitch to wasent it First pitch as a pinch hitter.
March 23, 200618 yr Didn't Lo Duca homer in his first at-bat as a Marlin? Or was it just his first game. I could've sworn he did it as a pinch hitter though... yea, his first at bat first pitch to wasent it First pitch as a pinch hitter. but his first game, nonetheless
March 23, 200618 yr Sledge than hit that grand slam. :banghead and promptly ended our season *waits for rferry to say we were dead before that*
March 23, 200618 yr what game was the sledge grand slam? lo duca's first game with the fish where he hit a homerun on the first pitch he saw as a marlin. the expos came back to win that game.
March 23, 200618 yr what game was the sledge grand slam? that was one of many games Jack single handedly blew Kept Manzanillo in :banghead
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