Bevo hopes to pile up laurels

Craig Stansberry has skills that helped win College World Series

By jason vondersmith

The Portland Tribune, Apr 17, 2007, Updated Oct 30, 2009

DENISE FARWELL / P0RTLAND TRIBUNE

Bevo second baseman Craig Stansberry meets Fresno’s Justin Knoedler in the game at PGE Park on Sunday.

Craig Stansberry likes the idea of being the answer to a trivia question someday. Question: “Who’s the only major-league player ever to be born in Saudi Arabia?”

Answer (someday): Stansberry was born in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, but his parents moved back to the United States one month later.

He grew up in Plano, Texas, and attended Rice University and won the College World Series with the Owls. Today, he finds himself living in Portland, playing infield for the Triple-A Beavers and hoping to impress the parent San Diego Padres or another club.

Stansberry has to get to the major leagues first, before anybody can try to stump their friend with the obscure Saudi Arabia reference.

Stansberry hit safely in his first seven games with the Bevos, and then had three base knocks Friday and Saturday in his first appearances at PGE Park.

“I’m not a fast starter, traditionally,” says Stansberry, whom the Padres claimed off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates. “Early in the season, who knows what’s going to happen?

“I’m just trying to have good at-bats, battle the pitcher, swing at strikes and not balls.”

The Padres built the 2007 Bevo roster around young pitchers and veteran position players like Stansberry, 25. He played four years in the Pirate organization, reaching Triple-A Indianapolis last season and hitting .223 in 60 games.

He has shown some power and some speed – 28 homers in 188 games at Class AA Altoona, averaging 20 steals the past three seasons. Although he played third base at Class A Williamsport in 2003, Stansberry has exclusively played second base since then.

“He does three things well – he catches the ball, makes contact and runs,” Bevo skipper Rick Renteria, a former middle infielder himself, says.

“He’s got to be able to stay solid defensively, and give you good at-bats.”

1 | 2 Next Page >>

Facebook	Digg	Del.icio.us
Newsvine	Stumbleupon	Reddit