POSEY MAKES HOME DEBUT; GRIZZLIES WIN

After sitting out on Friday, Giants top prospect Buster Posey shines in his Chukchansi Park debut Saturday.

By Andrew Marden
VSP Senior Writer

FRESNO, Calif – Eight wins, zero losses. The Fresno Grizzlies have yet to lose with catcher Buster Posey in their starting lineup.

“I’m not the type to walk around with my chest poked out a whole lot,” says the 22-year-old former first-round draft pick (5th overall in 2008). “I’m just kind of keeping to myself, watching some of the older guys and just enjoying being around them.”

Saturday night, Posey got to play with them for the first time at Chukchansi Park. He went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in his Grizzlies home debut, a 9-2 win over Reno.

“My goals at this level are the same that they’d be at any other level…to win,” says Posey, who skipped ‘AA’ when he was promoted from ‘A’ (San Jose) to ‘AAA’ (Fresno) on July 14th.

“It’s easy to get caught up in personal statistics and whatnot but if you do take care of business by winning first, the personal stats will balance themselves out.”

Like they did in the California League earlier this season.

In 80 games with San Jose, Posey’s first full season in professional baseball, the Giants’ most-hyped prospect since pitcher Tim Lincecum batted .326 with 13 homeruns and 58 RBI.

“This kid is highly touted, there’s no doubt about it. But we have to remember he’s still a kid,” says Fresno Grizzlies manager Dan Rohn, whose first year in Fresno was 2007, the same year Lincecum went 4-0 with a 0.29 ERA in five starts for the Grizzlies.

“You guys have to remember (Posey’s) only 22 years old. He’s still learning the game, he’s gonna make mistakes just like the rest of us.”

Except he’s not like the rest of us.

He’s 22-years-old, and already in Triple-A.

He’s 22-years-old, and already has $6.2 million in the bank (the amount of his signing bonus).

In other words, he’s 22-years-old, and everyone’s already watching everything he does.

“That’s been the case since I signed last year, so I’ve had a year’s practice at it now,” joked Posey, whose real name is ‘Gerald’ but who has gone by the nickname ‘Buster’ his entire life.

“It’s a little bit more pressure, but it’s still baseball. I enjoy doing what I’m doing coming to the park each day so that makes it fun for me.”

With his performance Saturday night, Posey now has eight hits in the eight games he’s played so far for Fresno. Defensively, the Giants organization is letting its #2-rated prospect call his own pitches.

“He’s an intelligent young man, he picks it up pretty quick,” says Rohn. “He and the pitching coach (Pat Rice) and the pitcher that day go over the gameplan and they stick to it. And he makes adjustments as the game goes. He’s done a nice job.”

So much so that in Posey’s brief time with the Grizzlies, Rohn, a 15-year veteran of the game, said “He’s got a chance to catch 10-15 years in the big leagues if he stays healthy. He’s just that good.”

“I don’t want to be overly anxious,” said Posey, addressing the hype that he is projected to be the San Francisco Giants opening day catcher in 2010.

“I’d like to get there as fast as I could, but I’ll get there when the time is right.”

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