Spidale is a good investment

By Tony Zonca

Let’s suppose Michael Spidale wasn’t a 26-year-old baseball player with a full seven years’ experience in the game.

Let’s suppose he had decided on banking as a career when he came out of Nazareth Academy High near Chicago in 2000. And now he is looking to move up as vice president in charge of the Consumer Loan Dept. at his place of business.

Let’s further suppose he has been a model employee, that he has experience on various levels of the banking business, that he is familiar with consumer-loan accounts, is an excellent typist with comparable word-processing skills, and most importantly, is well-liked and respected by his fellow employees.

Yet he can’t get his foot in that sliding door. Not enough experience, they tell him. We prefer to hire someone with more seasoning in middle management, they say.

It’s the age-old conundrum: How can I get experience and move on if you won’t hire me in the first place?

Michael Spidale is a baseball player, as you know. He possesses an excellent resume. Let’s take a look:

- Led his Kannapolis (White Sox) team with 35 stolen bases in 2001.

- Rated by Baseball America as the best defensive outfielder in the Sox organization in 2002, when he was voted Kannapolis Player of the Year.

- Was named White Sox minor league Player of the Year for 2004 while playing for Double-A Winston Salem.

- Led the South Atlantic League in hitting (.345) in 2006 while leading Lakewood to the league championship.

- Batted a combined .296 for Clearwater and Reading in 2007, with 10 triples and 23 stolen bases.

Yet he can’t get a full-time job in Triple-A.

“In the long course of a season, given 400 at-bats, I feel I’m going to produce, no matter what level it is,” he said. “I haven’t had a chance at the Triple-A level to play every day and see what kind of numbers I can put out there. I would love the chance; it’s the opportunity I need.”

Spidale, perhaps surprisingly, began the 2008 season back in Reading, got a brief look at Lehigh Valley, then returned to the Phillies in late April. The fourth outfielder at the time, mostly he sat and watched from a dugout seat. By May 14 his batting average was lower than his cholesterol level -- .150. Then, somehow he stitched together a 14-game hitting streak – over 28 days – and was back up to .245.

When center fielder Greg Golson was sidelined with a wrist injury on June 18, Spidale was put into the mix. He batted .377 in June and left Wednesday’s game batting .300 overall.

“It was tough,” he said about his early struggles. “I was down mentally. I did my best to try to stay upbeat and try to stay strong mentally, because I know in the course of a season a lot of things can change. It was tough, but I think I (withstood) it.”

Spidale possesses a gang of confidence in his abilities, but he is just one of so many talented minor leaguers who somehow become overlooked and under-appreciated, their minuses outweighing their plusses in the eyes of some in the game. 

“I feel I’m a really good baseball player,” he said. “I feel like no matter what team I’m on, no matter what level it’s at, that I can help the team win. I play good defense, I’m a high-average guy as far as hitting, and this year I have six home runs. If I’m hitting up in the order I can get on base, score a lot of runs and steal some bases, and that helps you win.”

Manager P.J. Forbes loves the guy, understands his frustrations, but having been there, he views Spidale’s situation with studied insight.

“No, I don’t control his situation, but I don’t think they (certain players) control it either,” Forbes said. “All they can do is go out and play. Guys I played for told me to go out and play for the other 29 clubs every time you step on the field. Don’t let any (scout) write one thing bad about you. Stay in the game, approach your business professionally every single day.”

Spidale was stung by the White Sox organization after being named Player of the Year one year – at the age of 22, no less -- then given his release a year later. That move makes little sense.

“The last three or four years I’ve had good seasons,” he said. “I’ve done well enough to get a chance at Triple-A and prove myself there and hopefully at the big league level. I love to play, but at the same time I’m playing to get to the major leagues.

“It seems just about every (big league) game I watch, every highlight I see, there’s a guy out there I played with or against. They’re not there for no reason. Those guys are really good baseball players, but I don’t doubt I can play at that level one bit.

“It comes down to getting that shot, getting that chance. Will it happen? I don’t know. Do I hope it happens? Of course. I feel like I’m doing everything I can do on and off the field to get that chance. Hopefully one day somebody will give it to me and then we’ll see what I can do.”

Sometimes baseball is like eating peas with a fork – frustrating, tedious and finally cold.

Chris Coste’s story ended happily in Philadelphia. Joey Hammond has returned to Triple-A, but as a regular? Michael Spidale and so many others play the role of the good soldier without the corresponding stripes.

“He’s a professional,” Forbes said. “He’s got a great work ethic and he has a veteran’s clubhouse presence you like to have, like a Joey Hammond. He’s here to help the younger players and prove he can play.”

Spidale was pained on May 10 when the organization decided to put him on the temporary inactive list while it sorted out rosters.

“I know he was frustrated,” Forbes said. “I’d be worried if he wasn’t. I hope when he came in and talked to me that I said the right things. Maybe I unintentionally lit a fire in him. We had 12 position players and he was 13 at the time. He was only out one day, so I’m glad it worked out.

“He’s getting an opportunity now to play every day. He has to seize it, make the most of it, and make sure his butt doesn’t come out of the lineup.”

The major leagues are filled with guys who languished with one organization, then flourished with another. Given that chance, Michael Spidale may one day receive the key to the vault.

If hard work, dedication and perseverance are of prime importance, you can bank on it.


This story was posted on July 10, 2008