‘Show’ time is almost here for Hermansen

Steve Guiremand

Monday, Aug. 2, 1999 | 9:21 a.m.

Has it really been four years already since Chad Hermansen was USA Today's national High School Player of the Year after leading Green Valley High School to its third state title in four years?

On a day such as Sunday at Cashman Field -- which featured 101 degrees for the first pitch and a painful foul tip off the left shin that required Hermansen to leave the game after five innings -- the answer is a resounding "Yes!"

"Actually," Hermansen says with a smile, "it seems longer than that. I guess it's because I've played in so many games since then."

Better catch him while you can. Hermansen, who is playing center field for the Nashville Sounds, could be very well be making his final triple-A stop in Las Vegas tonight and Tuesday night.

Before leaving Sunday's 7-3 loss to Las Vegas with the bruised shin, Hermansen extended his hitting to streak to 11 games with a line double up the gap in left-center. He ranks second in the Pacific Coast League in RBIs with 86 and is tied for second in home runs with 28 following a blistering July that saw him amass 11 home runs and 33 RBIs.

Now the question is when will the Pittsburgh Pirates, who made the 21-year-old Hermansen the 10th pick overall in the 1995 June free agent draft, move the talented center fielder up to the major league roster?

"I don't like to speculate," Nashville manager Trent Jewett said. "Chad's progression is very good. He's learned a lot of things at this level and is getting closer to reaching his potential. By no means has he reached that potential which has a tremendous upside to it. But he's getting closer.

"He just needs to continue to keep doing what he's doing and make progress and get the most out of his ability. The rest is going to take care of itself. He's going to have a long, illustrious major league career. When the time is right, the (Pirates) are going to pull the trigger on it."

Despite hitting .258 with 28 home runs, 26 doubles and 21 stolen bases in 1997, the Pirates didn't give Hermansen a September call-up when major league rosters are expanded.

Hermansen doesn't seemed fazed by the passover and is content to bide his time.

"They haven't mentioned anything about me getting called up this year, either," he said.

"I'm just really not trying to worry about it now. I'm definitely looking forward to the day that it does happen. But at the same time, if I don't get called up, I don't want to let down or anything like that. I just have to come out here and play hard every day and see what happens."

The Pirates currently have Brian Giles in center with veteran Al Martin in left and Brant Brown and Adrian Brown splitting time in right. Giles, however, is considered more of a left fielder by most scouts.

Hermansen, who moved from second base to the outfield early last season, seems ticketed to be Pittsburgh's center fielder next year.

"Before I was sent down this spring, Gene Lamont called me into his office and told me he wanted me to be his center fielder next year," Hermansen said. "That just gave me the confidence to come out here and work as hard as I can every day and hopefully be ready next year."

Defensively, it appears Hermansen passes that test.

"There's not too many center fielders better than him in my opinion," Jewett said.

Jewett is also a huge Hermansen fan off the field as well.

"He's not somebody who's a pain in the (rear) and comes in (and says), 'When am I going (to the big leagues)? When am I going?" Jewett said.

"He's special. Anybody who has been around him knows that. He's kind of atypical. He's modest. He's not overwhelmed by his success. He's on time. He hustles. All the things you look for in a young man, he's got.

"He realizes when the time is right he'll go (to the big leagues). And once he goes, he's not coming back."

* PRIETO INJURED: Stars outfielder Chris Prieto, who had walked three times and scored two runs, left Sunday's game in the sixth inning with a sprained knee and is listed as "day-to-day."

"He's going to go see a doctor (today)," Stars manager Mike Ramsey said. "I don't think it will be more than a couple of days that he's out."

* GAME RECAP: Stan Spencer allowed just one run over seven innings while striking out eight as Las Vegas (48-59) made it two in a row over PCL East Division-leading Nashville (66-40), 7-3, on Sunday afternoon at Cashman Field.

Shortstop Rico Rossy had three hits and scored two runs and Mike Darr and David Newhan each drove in two runs to lead the Stars.

* UP NEXT: Game 3 of the series with Nashville is tonight at 7:05 at Cashman Field. Left-hander Heath Murray (4-1, 3.38 ERA) will start for Las Vegas and will be opposed by left-hander Jimmy Anderson (11-2, 3.84).