TUCSON — His weight carries weight.
One look at Manuel Corpas screams how seriously the Rockies reliever took his offseason, losing more than 20 pounds through regular workouts at Coors Field. Corpas worked out nearly every weekday, then ran in the park or on a treadmill on weekends.
It was, however, in Rolando Fernandez’s office at the Rockies’ Dominican Republic academy a few weeks ago that removed any doubt Corpas has grown up, that he’s bent on getting his closer job back. Corpas traveled there with Ubaldo Jimenez, Franklin Morales and Jason Hirsh. Jimenez is a born role model. The next time he’s late will be the first time. Morales is maturing and the highly educated Hirsh is the kind of guy who could win an episode of “Jeopardy.”
As for Corpas?
“I hadn’t seen him in that setting for a long time, so I really didn’t know what to expect,” Fernandez said.
What transpired amazed Fernandez. Not only did Corpas take his work seriously, he became a mentor for the young players there. Not in an after-school special kind of way, but more like “Scared Straight!”
“I would tell my story to the (players). They seemed like they really wanted to hear it,” Corpas said.
No one more than one troubled, unnamed young player. The kid was going down the wrong path at NASCAR speeds. Fernandez called him in, and who joined them?
“Yes, Manny was actually in the meeting,” Fernandez said.
Corpas didn’t coddle or mince words. He brought up the example of a fellow Panamanian. The two joined the Rockies together nearly a decade ago. Corpas pitched in the World Series, and signed the richest contract ever for a Rockies reliever. His buddy is back home, second-guessing what went wrong.
“This kid (in Rolando’s office) did something really bad. I told him, ‘Your mom is back home, crying, worried about you.’ My mom didn’t want me to play baseball, and she was upset, too, when I signed,” Corpas said. “So all I could think about was my family. Doing the right thing for them. I told him, ‘How are you going to do that when you are worried about going to nightclubs?’ ”
Corpas said he almost never went out when he was in the minor leagues. It’s not that he doesn’t like hanging with teammates. It just didn’t fit his goal.
“I was in places in the minor leagues, like Casper, that were hard. It was hard to be away from home,” said Corpas, who conducted the entire interview in English, another sign of his growth. “But you can’t be going out. How is that helping the family?”
Fernandez was impressed with Corpas, with his blunt honesty, saying, “I have never seen Manny like that before.” The anonymous player’s future remains uncertain, but it won’t be because of a mixed message.
“He definitely listened, and I hope it helps. We will see,” Corpas said with a smile.
None of this means Corpas will beat out Huston Street for the closer job. But few Rockies pitchers have had a better camp so far, leaving it unwise to doubt the right-hander.
“What he did at the academy really helped the kids,” Fernandez said, “and really said a lot about him.”
Footnotes.
Rockies players were surprised at how cheaply Orlando Hudson signed with the Dodgers, less than $3.5 million guaranteed. With the arrival of Manny Ramirez soon, Los Angeles will be the clear favorite in the NL West. . . . Regardless of the economy, it will be a shock if the union doesn’t allege collusion over free-agent salaries this winter.
