Minor League Baseball: Goldschmidt gets first taste at big stage

Sports

July 12, 2011

By Tyler Mayforth Daily Record Sports The San Marcos Record Tue Jul 12, 2011, 01:06 PM CDT

PHOENIX, Ariz. — Former Texas State slugger Paul Goldschmidt wanted to treat the MLB Futures Game as just another game.

Goldschmidt, who earned a right to play in the tilt due to his performance so far in 2011, started at first base for Team USA. He also batted cleanup, wedged in between the first pick of the 2010 MLB Draft (Bryce Harper) and one of the best prospects in the minor leagues at catcher (Devin Mesoraco).

It wasn’t a game to remember for Goldschmidt personally, as he went 0-for-4 at the plate. Goldschmidt did, however, record several outs at first base, including the game-ending putout in an 8-6 come-from-behind win by Team USA.

In his first at-bat of the game, Goldschmidt grounded out on the first and only pitch of the at-bat, a 96 mile-per-hour fastball from Julio Teheran.

Three innings later, Goldschmidt struck out on five pitches from Carlos Martinez. He couldn’t catch up with a blistering fastball from Martinez for the third strike.

In his last two at-bats, Goldschmidt hit two fly balls, both caught. Many in attendance felt he got all of a sixth-inning fastball from Henderson Alvarez, but it settled easily into the World left fielder Chih-Hsien Chiang’s glove.

Even though his performance in the game didn’t instill much confidence, Goldschmidt’s play throughout the 2011 season got rave reviews from Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Kevin Towers and its manager Kirk Gibson.

Through 86 games for the Mobile BayBears in the Double-A Southern League, Goldschmidt is batting .315 with 25 home runs and 78 runs batted in. He leads the minor leagues in home runs and earlier this season, crushed four home runs in a four-game span.

“Every day, our manager Kirk Gibson aks me, ‘What’s up with Goldschmidt? When are you going to call up Goldschmidt? You know he hit two more home runs yesterday,’” Towers said. “It’s a pretty safe bet that Paul will be wearing a Diamondback uniform and playing in the majors sometime this season.”

So as it turns out, Goldschmidt might get a better taste soon, maybe even a cup of coffee.

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