TAKE FIVE: Manny Abeyta

Tuesday, May 16, 2006 | 7:49 a.m.

As a pitcher in the Oakland Athletics' minor-league system in the early 1980s, Manny Abeyta paid rapt attention whenever manager Billy Martin would hold court with his players.

One piece of advice that Martin imparted one spring has stuck with Abeyta since his playing career ended in 1985: "Learn as much as you can and when you get out of this game, share the knowledge."

Abeyta, who starred at Clark High School and pitched for Fred Dallimore at UNLV from 1974 to 1977 before embarking on an eight-year professional baseball career, has been giving back to the sport of baseball since 1985 - as a pro scout, local coach and batting-practice pitcher for the Las Vegas 51s.

Abeyta, 51, is in his 17th season throwing batting-practice pitches for the local minor-league baseball team.

1. The key to BP

Throwing 15 minutes of batting practice is not as easy as it might seem.

"Players at this level are looking for consistency," Abeyta said. "They're looking for the same velocity and they're looking for somebody who can throw strikes - and that's the key to throwing batting practice to pro hitters. They want to see the ball in the same area, at the same velocity, because they're working on things. You're not trying to strike guys out."

2. Fountain of youth

Abeyta estimates he throws about 125 pitches during a typical 15-minute session at Cashman Field. He credits the regular workouts for looking as if he could still fit into his college jersey.

"It keeps me in great shape," Abeyta said. "I feel every bit as good today as I did when I was 40."

3. Accidental (BP) pitcher

Abeyta originally had intended to pitch for the Las Vegas Stars (as they were called at the time) in 1985, but his arm had not sufficiently recovered from a rotator cuff injury he suffered the year before.

"I actually went into spring in '85 looking to make the (Stars) club and my arm just never came back like I thought it would," said Abeyta, who still holds several records at UNLV. "They asked me to come out and start throwing some BP.

"(Team President) Don Logan and all the managers have been real gracious letting me come out and throw BP. Getting a chance to play with some guys as a player and then working with players and seeing a lot of guys that went up and had some Hall of Fame careers, it has just been a great experience."

4. Top two

Abeyta said the best hitters he has seen come through Cashman Field were Derrek Lee (now with the Chicago Cubs) and John Kruk. Lee played for Las Vegas in 1997 and Kruk in 1984 and 1985.

5. Eye for talent

During his days as a scout for Minnesota, Abeyta was responsible for getting the Twins to draft - among others - former Bishop Gorman outfielder Marty Cordova. Cordova was the 1995 American League Rookie of the Year with Minnesota.