Beach Bums open training camp, optimistic after active offseason

BY DENNIS CHASE
dchase@record-eagle.com

May 10, 2008 04:00 am

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TRAVERSE CITY -- Jake Whitesides had questions.

Traverse City Beach Bums manager Jon Cahill had answers.

"I got a phone call from Jon in mid-December," said Whitesides, then an outfielder with the Joliet Jackhammers of the Northern League. "He said, 'We're going to try to make a trade for you to come here to Traverse City, Michigan."

"Huh!" Whitesides responded. "Where am I'm going? What league's that (team) in?' I thought it was the Canadian-American League."

"He said, 'No, we're in the Frontier League."

"I said, 'That's for younger players. I said this will be my ninth season, Jon."

"He said, 'We'd like to have someone who has some years (of experience) to help out with the younger guys.'"

Soon after that conversation, a deal was struck and Whitesides, who will turn 27 during the upcoming season, was a member of the Beach Bums.

Whitesides, a fifth round draft pick of the Houston Astros in 2000, was one of several new players working out at Wuerfel Park on Thursday as the Beach Bums went through a second day of training camp in preparation for their May 21 opener.

The Beach Bums list 35 players on their spring training roster and only 11 are returning off a team that went 46-50 a year ago. Of the 11, eight are pitchers.

"We've brought in a lot of talented ballplayers to compete for jobs," said Cahill, who must pare the roster to 24 by Opening Day. "It's going to make the decision harder for us, but that's a good problem to have."

Whitesides is the veteran among the newcomers. He's played for four Major League organizations -- the Astros, Florida Marlins, Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs. The outfielder would like to get a shot with a fifth.

"I think I'm a good player," said Whitesides. "I believe I can play at the highest level. That's why I'm going to continue to pursue that goal as long as I can."

Whitesides split time with the St. Joe (Mo.) Blacksnakes and Joliet last season. He hit .284 at Joliet and .279 at St. Joe.

"Jake's a proven hitter," said Jason Wuerfel, the Beach Bums vice president and hitting instructor. "He's hit everywhere he's been. Right now, Jake's a guy who's going to hit in the middle of our order. He's going to be in the lineup everyday and he'll play a huge role for us offensively. He probably has 2,000 at-bats in pro ball. He's been around the block, so to speak."

Cahill believes that experience will be a benefit to the team.

"I'm hoping he takes a lot of players under his wing, to show them how to play the game," he said. "He's going to be a leader. He has a good attitude and that's something we lacked last year. We had a lot of guys with talent, but they had a chip on their shoulder, too. Jake's a good addition."

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