We have to tell Joel Guzman something important: The choir is tired.
We've been part of the chorus of media wags that continue to sing his praises year after year. Rising to 35, this is the highest that Guzman has risen in the MLN FAB50 rankings, and will be his last stop for at least a year. Sadly, we think he may be on the other side to see us again.
The poster child for slow development, Guzman's great technical ability launched his career when he was signed at 16, which was problem one.
Problem two was that the Dodgers were touting him hot and heavy, as were the baseball beauty rags like BA. Responding to his mechanics, pretty much everyone liked Guzman, including us.
What we've continued to discover this season, though, is that the buzz from Spring Training is true: Emotionally and socially, he wasn't ready for the big leap out of the small ponds of the baseball scene in the Dominican Republic to the big bustling business of baseball.
His adjustment curve has been long and hanging.
He entered the Dodgers farm system in 2002 playing in the Gulf Coast League at 17 (listed), where he batted an aenimic .212. Moving up to Great Falls in the Pioneer League, his average rose with him, slightly, to .252. He was moved along to South Georgia in the South Atlantic League (SAL) and later Vero Beach in the High-A Florida State League (FSL), muddling around the mid-.200's with not much to recommend himself in actual play, but lots of praise for his promise from the farm system. There were also those glimmering moments when he'd make a big play that would endgender a "See, that's what he can do!" kind of comment that would continue to promote the notion that he was big league material.
2004 was his year to shine. Guzman started again in Vero Beach, where some off-season tweaking, and the maturity of three years in the farm system paid off: He batted .307 with 14 homeruns, his first stab at over .300 hitting and the promised production in his pro career. That won him a Florida state League All-Star selecction and Los Angeles Dodgers Minor League Player of the Year 2004. He was on his way, and the scouts, touts and wags' faith in him was well placed... sort of.
The Dodgers were overjoyed and popped him off to the Class-AA Jacksonville Suns in the Southern League, where he settled down in the .280s, which did not scream phenom, but was not bad. He produced another nine homeruns, for 23 on the season at the end of 2004. He hit 16 more dingers for the Suns in a complete season in 2005, and was named to that league's All-Star squad.
Even though he was the more touted infielder of the future by those in the Dodgers organization speaking to us, he had competition dogging him in the form of Andy LaRoche (MLN FAB50 Baseball 2006 No. 26) coming up fast. He was promoted to Las Vegas in the Triple-A PCL in 2006, as was LaRoche. Guzman was converted to an outfielder to tinker with the mix further.
Joel batted a very respectable .297 with 11 homeruns and 55 RBIs for the Las Vegas 51s this season, but he must have missed putting in his Dr. Scholls: His rep was not 'gellin' with Dodger management.
He landed a spot in the 2006 Futures Game on All-Star Weekend with the World club. Word is that the Dodgers wanted him out there to see what kind of trade interest he would draw. The answer was: Not much.
After the break, Guzman was given a cup of coffee with the major league club, but it was not sweet, and left the parent club a bit cold and bitter.
The result was that LaRoche moves into the mantle of infielder full-of-grace, and Guzman found himself on airplane to Durham, as the Dodgers dealt him to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for spare parts. His .250 average there to date should have Bulls fans overjoyed: They may have a home town hero yet.
The only hope Guzman has of beating a career minor league wrap and seeing the inside of the Trop without buying a ticket is that this trade will rattle the phenom that everyone has seen in him out of his long slumber. He's still only 22. American lives may not have second acts, but this Dominican baseball baby well could if he can get his act together.
- Brian ROSS
