Journeyman Hermansen gives leadership to 51s

Nick Christensen

Tuesday, June 10, 2003 | 9:29 a.m.

Surgery is never good news for an athlete, but at least 51s outfielder Chad Hermansen had some good news the day he had his last winter.

"I was traded on the day of my surgery," said Hermansen before the 51s' 6-3 loss to the Omaha Royals in a Pacific Coast League game Monday at Cashman Field. "So right away, I was just like, 'OK, I might be playing at home.' "

Hermansen was the No. 1 draft choice of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1995 after a highly touted and high-profile four years at Henderson's Green Valley High. Hermansen still lives just blocks from his alma mater.

Many in the Las Vegas baseball scene remember Hermansen's All-USA senior year when he hit .473 for the Gators. But eight years later, he says he isn't fazed by pressure to succeed as much as he used to be.

"I don't worry about that stuff," he said. "I think coming up as a kid, I cared about expectations. I learned to not care about them, because what it comes down to is... all that really matters is what you think about yourself. If you go out thinking people expect me to do this and that; if I don't expect to do it, it doesn't make any difference.

"I want to go out and expect myself to do well, and all that stuff will just kind of take care of itself."

For a few years, Hermansen didn't find much success. He spent three seasons alternating between the majors and Triple-A in the Pirates organization before being traded last season to the Chicago Cubs. He hit .206 for the Pirates in 194 at-bats before the trade.

But this year, he's having his best season in his five at Triple-A. He's hitting .366 after 71 at-bats, his highest batting average since that dynamic senior year.

"I just want to have good at-bats. As a player, that's all you can do," he said. "You're going to get four at-bats. You want to make each one good. It's in your concentration. You try to get a good pitch to hit, and when your swing's going well, you're spraying it around the outfield."

"He gives us a quality at-bat," said 51s manager John Shoemaker. "When pitchers make mistakes, he hits the ball hard."

Shoemaker also said that Hermansen provides the team with a veteran perspective, saying that the outfielder provides "quiet leadership."

Hermansen just wants to stick with the basics. "(Green Valley) Coach (Rodger) Fairless was always hitting on the fact that you play the game hard. You play the game the way it's supposed to be played."