In the bigs

Alan Robinson

Wednesday, Sept. 8, 1999 | 9:59 a.m.

PITTSBURGH -- Green Valley High graduate Chad Hermansen finally realized he was headed to the big leagues when he glanced at the lineup card before triple-A Nashville's final game.

He looked once, then twice. It read "Hermansen, RF" not center field, the position he had played in 124 previous games.

Then, it hit him: the Pittsburgh Pirates have a center fielder named Brian Giles. He was going to Pittsburgh, and it was time to change positions.

Hot Prospect

A capsule look at Chad Hermansen, who made his major league debut Tuesday:

Hometown: Henderson. High school: Green Valley Age: Turns 22 Friday 1999 stats: .270, 32 HRs, 97 RBIs at triple-A Nashville Positons: LF, CF, RF, SS, 2B

"I saw right field and I said, 'Well, OK,' " said Hermansen, considered the Pirates' top outfield prospect since Barry Bonds. "I heard I might be playing a little bit of every outfield position here, and I hadn't played right field since high school. I said, 'Wow, this is kind of weird.' "

Or, about the same feeling he got upon entering Three Rivers Stadium on Tuesday after hitting .270 with 32 homers and 97 RBIs at Nashville despite sitting out two weeks with pneumonia.

The stadium was bigger than expected. So was the buildup, following weeks of speculation concerning when Hermansen would arrive. The position was different, too: Left field, the first time he has played there this season.

"I've dreamed of this, just like every player," said Hermansen, who flew to Pittsburgh following Nashville's final game Monday. "Now I'm here, and it's very overwhelming, with everyone asking me questions, coming into a stadium that's just gigantic. It's a feeling that's indescribable."

Hermansen went 0-for-3 in his big league debut, lining out to left field on a backhanded catch by Reggie Sanders in the second inning.

"I thought it was a hit, but it felt good just to put the ball in play," Hermansen said. "I wasn't as nervous as I thought I would be. I tried not to think too much and just put the ball in play."

Interestingly, Bonds also made a defensive adjustment shortly after joining the Pirates in 1986.

They initially put him in center, where he played in the minors, but switched him to left field early in the 1987 season after trading for Andy Van Slyke.

Not that Hermansen isn't accustomed to change. He began his minor league career at shortstop but, a ton of throwing errors later, was tried at second base, then left field before settling into center field, which he considers his natural position.

"I really never considered myself a good shortstop, but I was drafted for my bat," he said. "I feel I'm a decent athlete and I can play a certain amount of positions."

He'll probably play all three outfield positions before the season ends in three weeks. He'll probably start in left for Al Martin against left-handers and in right field against right-handers. Giles hasn't had much time off, so Hermansen may make several starts in center, too.

Hermansen, who turns 22 on Friday, prefers to play center but is willing to play left or right to stay in the majors.

"You have to make adjustments," he said. "It's all part of the game."

Hermansen got a loud ovation when he stepped into the batter's box against San Diego left-hander Sterling Hitchcock in the bottom of the second. He took a strike, then lashed a line drive to left field that Sanders speared with a nice catch.

The fans gave him an even louder ovation.

Pirates manager Gene Lamont has seen Hermansen play in winter ball and spring training.

"It's a big jump, a big jump, from triple-A to the major leagues," Lamont said. "But I want to see what he can do."