Youngsters part of historic trade: Fontenot, Crouthers pleased to be named in Sosa deal
By Carrie Muskat / MLB.com
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — When the Chicago Cubs traded Sammy Sosa to the Baltimore Orioles, they acquired Jerry Hairston Jr. and two minor leaguers. You know that.
But who are those minor leaguers? Meet Mike Fontenot and Dave Crouthers.
“It was a cool thing when I found out about it,” Fontenot said of being included in the deal. “It’s a great opportunity for me to come over and play with the Cubs.
“When I heard about it, I thought, ‘This is something I can go back and tell my kids that, hey, I was in the Sammy Sosa trade.'”
Fontenot, a second baseman, was the Orioles’ first-round draft pick in June 2001. He played at Louisiana State University, which has a long list of Major League alums, including current Cubs second baseman Todd Walker.
Last season, Fontenot batted .279 in 136 games for Triple-A Ottawa with eight homers, 49 RBIs and 14 stolen bases. His strikeouts were high — he whiffed 111 times — but he didn’t make an error. Fontenot ended the season by hitting .310 (18-for-58) in his last 14 games.
“He can play,” Walker said.
Some first-round picks struggle with the pressure of trying to live up to the hype. Fontenot just shrugged.
“I don’t know, I just went with it,” he said. “You still have to play baseball every day and try to get better. That’s the way I go about it.
“I never tried to put any pressure on myself,” he said. “I just try to learn every year, and get better and if the chance comes around, I’ll get there.”
The 24-year-old left-handed hitter has moved up the ranks in the Orioles system. He had a stellar season at Double-A Bowie, hitting .325. He’s willing to accept whatever assignment the Cubs give him.
“Everywhere I go, I try to show them I can play,” he said when asked what his goals this spring were. “Every day you go on the field, you want to show them that. You want to go out there and put your best foot forward. I always want to try to get better — you can always learn. Those are my main goals going into the season.”
Walker and Fontenot met at an LSU alumni function.
“We talk about the old days and everything,” Fontenot said. “I’m asking everyone how it is around [the clubhouse].”
The only downside so far has been Fontenot’s allergies in Arizona.
Crouthers is a right-handed pitcher who was 9-9 with a 5.03 ERA in 27 starts at Double-A Bowie last year. The Orioles’ third-round pick in 2001, he also has made the normal progression through the system.
“I’m a converted player,” he said. “I started playing outfield in college and didn’t start pitching until later in college. I’m just learning every year and trying to move up slow.”
Crouthers played at Southern Illinois University. He never pitched in high school and didn’t get serious about the switch until his junior year of college.
“I had a good arm from the outfield,” he said. “I was a good hitter and hit throughout my college career, but I thought maybe my opportunity, as far as professional ball, may be a little more as a pitcher. It ended up working out that way.”
Crouthers, selected by Baseball America as the 10th-best prospect in the Orioles system before this year, was enthused about possibly being able to hit again now that he’s in the National League.
“You feel you’re part of the game a little more,” he said of NL-style ball. “I do look forward to hitting, but that’s not my main goal. My main goal is to pitch.”
The soft-spoken 25-year-old is still getting acquainted with his new teammates. Of course, being part of the Cubs has sparked a lot of interest among his friends and family in Illinois.
“I was born and raised right near St. Louis and I was a Cardinal fan,” he said, almost embarrassed. “But once you start playing pro ball, you don’t become a fan of any one team except who you’re playing for.”
This spring, he’s soaking in all the information from the coaches, especially Cubs pitching coach Larry Rothschild.
“I had a good year two years ago, and I felt I took a step back last year,” said Crouthers, who was 7-5 with a 3.59 ERA at Class A Frederick and 4-2 with a 3.80 ERA at Bowie in 2003.
“I didn’t have quite the year I wanted [last year], so if they feel the need for me to go back to Double-A and regroup, that’s fine,” he said. “I know once it’s there, they’ll know it, too. I don’t think it’s something that will hold me back. I’m just ready to get going.”
What happened last year?
“Just some confidence issues,” he said. “I felt I had a pretty decent spring with the Orioles and started out great but it slowed down a little and once the season progressed I didn’t feel quite as good as I wanted to be. Once your confidence goes, it’s tough to come back. I’m fortunate that it happened early in my career. Maybe this is a good thing. I’m still fairly young.”
His name will forever be linked to Sosa, the Cubs’ all-time home run leader who was dealt on Feb. 2 to end his 13-year run in Chicago.
“I was very surprised, and honored, when my name was mentioned in the trade,” Crouthers said. “Everybody keeps saying it’s quite an honor and I guess it is because I was put in that trade. It’s a bunch of new faces, a new organization, a new opportunity, and I’m trying to learn and get to know guys and keep moving on in my career.”
Carrie Muskat is a reporter for MLB.com.