http://www.sptimes.com/2004/03/05/Rays/Supersonic_Gathright_.shtml
Supersonic Gathright on fast track to big leagues
By TOM JONES, Times Staff Writer
Published March 5, 2004
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ST. PETERSBURG - Joey Gathright breezes into the batter's box, and you know
what's coming next. Everyone knows what's coming next. He might as well grab a
bullhorn and announce, "I'm bunting," while wearing a sandwich board that
screams, "I'm not kidding."
The third baseman knows it. He creeps in 10 steps. The first baseman, too. The
pitcher delivers and breaks off the mound so fast that he looks like he's
racing the ball to home plate.
Sure enough, to the surprise of no one, Gathright drops the head of his bat
and bunts a lazy roller between the pitcher's mound and first base.
Forget it. Less than three seconds later, a blur that looks a lot like
Gathright zooms across first base. And the infielders - other Rays, because
this is an intrasquad game - curse into their gloves.
They knew what was coming and they still couldn't stop it. The question now is
can anything or anyone stop Gathright from running straight into the majors?
At 21, Gathright is supposed to be a year or two from joining the Rays, but -
and isn't this appropriate? - the man who might be the fastest baseball player
in the world is in a hurry to get to the big leagues.
"Why not?" Gathright said. "I want to be here now. I came here to make the
team."
Gathright's problem is the Rays have a full dance card in the outfield with
Carl Crawford, Rocco Baldelli and Jose Cruz. Gathright, though, shrugs and
repeats his mantra: "I'll go wherever they want me to go, but I want to be
here."
The wheels are starting to turn in the head of Rays general manager Chuck LaMar
. They were put in motion by Gathright.
"When you start to see Joey Gathright come in here and ... show he's not only
close to being in the major leagues," LaMar said, "but he may want to compete
for a job this year rather than next year, those are the type of things you
start to see."
Things such as laying down bunts, beating out routine grounders to short,
stealing bases, creating runs, running down fly balls in the gap. Perhaps there
is no room for Gathright with the Rays on opening day, but his talent for doing
such things has the club wondering how long it will be before it can keep him
out of the majors.
The Rays have mint prospects such as B.J. Upton and Delmon Young, but Gathright
likely is more ready for the big leagues than those two or any of the
organization's minor-leaguers.
Take Wednesday's B game in Lakeland. Leading off, Gathright went 2-for-3,
including an infield single, with two stolen bases and two runs scored.
"He's an outstanding defender, he's an outstanding runner, he can handle the
bat," LaMar said. "He's one of those young kids like Rocco was last year. It's
not fair for B.J. or Delmon because they're not far enough along at 18 and 19,
but Joey Gathright is going to come in, and from what I've seen he wants to be
in the major leagues."
Quite a jump for a guy who wasn't even sure he wanted to play baseball a few
years ago.
He barely played in high school. He had a bum shoulder and spent most of his
years at Bonnabel High in Kenner, La., running track and playing football.
"If you had told me back then that I would be close to the majors now? Nah, I
wouldn't have believed it," Gathright said.
But Rays scout Benny Latino, who uncovered Gathright after asking some coaching
buddies who the fastest high school kid in New Orleans was, turned Gathright
into a project. He got Gathright into the Sugar Cane League and then persuaded
the Rays to take a low-risk gamble by selecting him in the 32nd round of the
2001 draft.
Despite his small frame (he's listed at 5-10, 175, but appears much smaller),
Gathright was voted the most exciting player in the advanced A California
League last season after he hit .324 with 57 stolen bases and 65 runs in 89
games. He was promoted to Double-A Orlando for 22 games and batted .376 with
12 stolen bases.
"He makes things happen out there," manager Lou Piniella said.
"I know my game is all about speed," Gathright said. "But I can handle the bat,
too, and I can do more than just run."
Yeah, there is one other thing he does really well. He can leap over cars front
to back. Honest. People, including Latino, have seen him do it.
"But I can't do it anymore," Gathright said. "It's in my contract. I'm not
allowed to jump over cars anymore. Can't jump fences, either."
That's fine. These days, the only thing Gathright wants to do is make the jump
from the minors to the big leagues.
[Last modified March 5, 2004, 05:47:29]
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