BOSTON — Become a first-round draft pick, and money and expectations will follow.
After outfielder Jason Place batted .544 for Wren High in South Carolina in 2006, the Boston Red Sox drafted him in the first round and signed him for $1.3 million.
Place hit .292 with four homers in the rookie Gulf Coast League that year. He was named the Red Sox No. 10 prospect by Baseball America.
In 2007, Place hit 12 home runs, but batted .214 with 160 strikeouts in low Class A Greenville.
In 2008, Place was promoted to advanced Class A Lancaster, where the wind can help bloat stats. Place hit .246 with 19 homers and 147 strikeouts.
"It's a work in progress. It always is," Place said.
This season, Place was hitting .248 in advanced Class A (now in Salem, Va.) when the Red Sox decided to send him to Double-A Portland.
He has shown some shining moments with Portland, especially in the field, but is still adjusting at the plate with a .191 average.
On Saturday, Place experienced a grand moment when he smacked a fastball over the Green Monster at Fenway Park in the 3-2 victory against Bowie.
"Nice to see Jason do something like that on the big stage because he works as hard as anybody," Portland Manager Arnie Beyeler said. "He's had a rough start. Hopefully it's a big spark for him."
Place, 21, always will remember the moment:
"Playing at Fenway, coming up in your first (at-bat), you've got jitters, adrenaline pumping and heart pounding. ... I got my pitch. I didn't know if it would make it (over the Monster). I didn't really watch it. Once I saw the umpire twirl his finger, it was an unbelievable feeling."
Place can't say if it will spark his career or simply be part of the process.
"Mechanically we've gotten (the swing) pretty solid. Now it's more of the everyday grind," he said. "I definitely have some experience with the downs, and that helps minimize the slumps and how to deal with them.
"Hopefully I'll keep progressing. It's been slow and sure. I'm happy with where I am."
"He has all kinds of ability, which we saw today," Beyeler said.
Staff Writer Kevin Thomas can be contacted at 791-6411 or at:
kthomas@pressherald.com
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