Green Valley product Hermansen homers in his return to Las Vegas

Steve Guiremand

Wednesday, July 1, 1998 | 11:06 a.m.

It was perhaps only fitting that in his first triple-A at-bat at Cashman Field on Tuesday night that Chad Hermansen belted a towering two-run home run over the left-field fence to help pace the Nashville Sounds to an 8-7 win over the Las Vegas Stars.

After all, the former prep All-American from Green Valley High School probably couldn't have written a better script for his professional baseball career since becoming the 10th pick of the 1995 baseball draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

"It really has (been perfect)," Hermansen said. "There really haven't been too many negatives. I'm just one step from the big leagues. It's a big step, but hopefully if I keep working hard, I'll be able to make it soon."

How well have things gone for Hermansen lately? Let's count the ways:

In this day and age of protracted contract negotiations, Hermansen took only one day to sign a $1.15 million deal with the Pirates. "We told them we wanted the same deal the 10th player (Jaret Wright of Cleveland) got the year before and they did it," Hermansen said. "So we signed."

In his first full professional season in 1996, Hermansen was named to the South Atlantic League (A) All-Star squad. He was promoted to Carolina of the double-A Southern League a year later where he also made the All-Star team and led the squad in hits, runs and doubles and was second in home runs (20) and RBIs (70).

This year, in his first year at triple-A Nashville, Hermansen leads the team in home runs (13) and RBIs (40) and is second in stolen bases (10). Not bad for someone who doesn't even turn 21 until Sept. 10. The one negative? Hermansen has struck out 84 times in just 233 at-bats.

Hermansen, who lives with his parents, Bruce and Lisa Hermansen, in the off-season in Henderson, also seems to be winning off the field as well. He plans to marry his high school sweetheart, Bracken Robinson, after the season. Robinson was the school's homecoming queen her senior year.

The perfect ending to this story, of course, would be a call-up to the big leagues at the end of the season. But unlike a lot of top draft picks these days, Hermansen doesn't have a clause in his contract requiring the Pirates to call him up in September when major league rosters are expanded.

"I really didn't want that clause in there," Hermansen said. "I thought that would be kind of ludicrous. I want to earn my way up, not go up just because they have to."

Nashville manager Trent Jewett believes Hermansen, who has found a home defensively in the outfield after unsuccessful stints at shortstop and second base, has what it takes to make it in the big leagues eventually.

"We're real happy with Chad's progress," Jewett said. "He's a rare player with a combination of speed and power. At his age he's already managed to accomplish quite a bit at this level."

The key for Hermansen? Jewett says it's just experience.

"Once he gains that, you're going to see a tremendous baseball player," Jewett said. "He just needs repetitions at this point. We just have to let nature take its course. I think it's just a matter of refining his game and letting the natural evolution of his game develop."

"I just want to play well and help this team win," Hermansen said. "If I do that, the rest will take care of itself."