CHATHAM – There are two down and two men on base in the bottom of the third inning when Danny Espinosa softly steps from the on-deck circle to the plate on this cloud-covered, early summer evening at Veterans Field. 

     A moment before stepping into the batter’s box, the switch-hitting Chatham A’s shortstop lifts his bat off his shoulder, takes a deep breath, and slowly exhales in cathartic preparation of the 90-mile-per-hour heat that’s about to come blazing his way. 

     “Good AB, Espi, have a good AB,” instructs Chatham Field Manager John Schiffner, who then watches his star hitter deliver a run-scoring double down the right field line that ignites the crowd and evens the score at one between the A’s and the visiting Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox. 

     Seeing Espinosa on base has become a familiar sight for A’s fans, as the Long Beach State freshman – who’s hit safely in all 13 of the team’s games – has quickly become the linchpin of Chatham’s lineup.

     Just a couple of weeks into his burgeoning Cape League career, the 19-year-old Orange County, Calif. native is among the league leaders in batting average (.365), on-base percentage (.450), and slugging percentage (.538). He also ranks second in the league with 19 hits and is tied for first in runs scored (11) and triples (2). 

     He is, undoubtedly, an early candidate to make the celebrated CCBL All-Star team, but far too humble to admit it. When asked about his success and how he accounts for his big breakout right from the beginning, Espinosa offers a kind of shrugged-shoulder answer. 

     “I’ve worked hard this season, but I’ve gotten a couple of lucky base hits. I’m just seeing the ball real well right now, balls are falling, and I’m hitting them where they’re not, I guess,” said Espinosa, with a chuckle.

     Don’t be fooled, however, by what may seem to be an aw-shucks attitude. Espinosa, savvy as he is savagely competitive, has an economical approach at the plate. 

     “These guys all pitch well here, they throw hard, and the ones that don’t throw as hard have great off-speed stuff,” said Espinosa of Cape League hurlers. “You’re only going to get one, maybe two good pitches to drive in each at bat, and you can’t miss those pitches. You have to capitalize on the few opportunities you get.”

     Perhaps what’s most mystifying about Espinosa’s torrid start, is that he’s skipped over the ritual struggle of hitting with wood bats that plague the majority of Cape Leaguers, who’ve spent their entire college season hitting with metal. 

     Sure, Espinosa will tell you how it’s tougher to get the bat around with wood, and how it’s harder to get a good piece of the ball because the sweet spot – the familiar term for the fat part of the bat – is smaller with lumber than aluminum. Still, his numbers belie these truths. 

     And as good as Espinosa has been with maple and ash, he’s been even better with leather, further distinguishing himself with several eye-popping plays in the field.

     The aforementioned game against Y-D (which Chatham won 3-2) provides a pair of prime examples. When a slow rolling, broken bat grounder comes his way, Espinosa charges, swiftly scoops up the ball, switches it from his glove hand to his bare hand, and – while still on the run – throws to first all in one fluid motion. Showing an equal amount of versatility on the next play, he goes deep into the hole, balletically backhands the ball, then uses his cannon arm to fire to first for the inning-ending out. 

     “I wouldn’t say I’m surprised,” said Espinosa of his recent rise, “but so far I’ve exceeded my expectations.”

     And in doing so, he’s stepping out from the shadow of a few former Long Beach State shortstops: Oakland A’s star Bobby Crosby, 2005 first round draft pick Troy Tulowitzki, and former Chatham A’s standout and 2005 Cape League MVP Evan Longoria – the third overall pick in this year’s MLB draft. 

     When comparisons are made between Espinosa and his former 49er teammates, he’s sometimes cut down to size – quite literally, in fact, because at six feet even, he’s the smallest of the bunch. But Espinosa – the Big West Freshman of the year after hitting .281 with 16 doubles and three triples this spring – is impervious to the fact he doesn’t fit the mold of a lanky major league shortstop. 

     Moreover, he isn’t concerned about making himself better than his predecessors. Just making himself better is enough. 

     “My only goal, when I leave here, is to have become a better all-around ball player,” said Espinosa. “I want to better every part of my game, from fielding, to stealing bases, to hitting for average. I just want to step my game up another level.”

     So far he has, which is a major reason Chatham (7-5-1) is in the hunt to make the playoffs for the second straight year. 

     “Danny has been outstanding at shortstop,” Schiffner said. “His strength is incredible, he’s got excellent hands, and he can go into the hole and make plays than only a few players can.”

     But Espinosa’s biggest strength might be his mental fortitude. 

     “Baseball is a game of failure, so for me it’s about how you deal with that failure. And when I do fail, I’m all about getting to the next pitch or the next ground ball,” said Espinosa, tipping his hat to Long Beach State sports psychologist Ken Ravizza. “When you strike out you get mad, but you don’t want to let opponents know you’re mad, because if they see they got to you, they’ve got you for the rest of the game. That’s why you always have to be in control of yourself.” 

     As one who’s seen a wide range of player personalities, Schiffner attests to Espinosa’s equable character, which he said is a big factor when major league teams decide which blue chips to draft. 

     “The way Danny handles himself, you’d never know he’s a freshman, he’s wise beyond his years,” said the 13th year A’s skipper. “When he struggles, it’s never your typical pout. He was disappointed the other day when he struck out three times, but we won and you could tell that was more important to him. With Danny, the team result is better than the individual result. That’s special.”

     For Espinosa, all the hits, assists and put outs he records, and all the praise that goes along with it, have made his 3,000-mile journey east a special one, though in truth it’s all a by-product of doing what he loves. 

     “So far things are going well for me,” he said. “I give myself credit, but I’m not too up on myself either, because the tables can turn in a matter of days. No matter what happens out there, I’m just trying to play with a smile on my face and have fun.”

     And for Espinosa, so good and so young, it appears the fun has only just begun. 

by Eric Adler
Eric Adler