Published March 29, 2004 - Lansing State Journal

Pie’s play good enough to move up

By Jordan Bastian
For the Lansing State Journal

MESA, Ariz. — Practice is over. The Arizona sun is directly overhead, beaming down 90-degree dry heat from a cloudless sky as the Chicago Cubs’ minor-leaguers drag their bodies toward some shade to relax.

Former Lugnut Felix Pie remains on one of Fitch Park’s four baseball diamonds, though. He must work on a few more things before he feels ready to move up in the farm system — something that’s likely to occur this season.

“My goal is to get better in my bunting game and at running the bases,” Pie said through translator Ricardo Medina. “That should take care of where I want to finish this year.”

Pie, who is from the Dominican Republic, spent all of last season with the Lugnuts.

He batted .285 with four home runs, 47 RBI and 19 steals. He was selected to the Midwest League’s postseason all-star team and earned a spot in the Future’s Game over All-Star weekend.

“He played well enough last season not to go back to Lansing,” Lugnuts manager Julio Garcia said.

Pie did struggle in a few areas, though. He struck out 98 times and was caught stealing 13 times — numbers he must improve if he is to reach the major leagues, where he is projected as a good defensive center fielder and possible leadoff hitter.

Pie, 19, is rated by Baseball America as the No. 5 prospect in the Cubs system and No. 85 in all of baseball.

“The ability Felix has is phenomenal,” Garcia said. “But he has not played a lot of baseball. He has only been a professional for two and half years.

“He needs to get in more game-type conditions.”

Medina said Pie had played in a number of intersquad games with the Cubs last year and that he is working hard to increase that kind of opportunity.

After he is finished taking batting practice, while others shag balls in the outfield, Pie sets up a tee and slams ball after ball into the backstop.

After all the other players have gone inside, Pie remains standing with his translator on a diamond — with the bases already removed — working on his running with Vince Coleman, the Cubs running instructor for minor-leaguers who was the National League’s stolen base leader every year from 1985 to 1990.

Grounds keepers lean on the fence watching and waiting for Pie to finish so they can clean up the field.

It is going to be awhile.