[nfbwatlk] Failure not an option for Mariners' Tuiasosopo

[Mike Freeman]

Failure not an option for Mariners' Tuiasosopo
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/baseball/308886_tui24.html

Failure not an option for Mariners' Tuiasosopo

Saturday, March 24, 2007

By GREG JOHNS
P-I REPORTER

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Maybe it's the scraggly beard on his once-boyish face. 
Or the 15 pounds of new muscle packed on his growing 6-foot-2, 230-pound 
frame.
Or simply the look of steely resolve in his eyes.

Something seems different about Matt Tuiasosopo this spring. No longer 
the quiet kid out of Woodinville, Tuiasosopo plans to change appearances 
on the field
as well.

Last year wasn't kind to the Mariners' young prospect. He struggled 
mightily after a promotion to Double-A ball, failing to hit for the 
first time in his
life. Failing, really, for the first time at anything.

Suddenly the 20-year-old kid who turned down a chance to be the next 
great University of Washington quarterback found himself floundering at 
his chosen
sport. He hit just .185 after being promoted to the Mariners' Double-A 
club in San Antonio at midseason, then followed with similar struggles 
in an Arizona
fall league.

Not exactly the stuff of a highly touted third-round draft pick in 2004 
who drew a $2.3 million signing bonus. But the Tuiasosopo name comes 
with more than
just extra vowels. Things like leadership, work ethic and a stubborn 
pride have the youngest of Manu Tuiasosopo's sons champing at the bit to 
get things
turned back around this season.

"That was one of the toughest things I've ever gone through in sports," 
Tuiasosopo said this week at the Mariners minor league complex. "I'd 
never failed
that much in any sport I've played. I tried to keep a good attitude and 
just go to the ballpark knowing every day is a new day. But it seemed 
like every
day was 0-for-4, 0-for-4."

He tried changing his approach. Tinkered with his stance. Altered his 
swing. In the end, he was fighting himself as well as the increased 
competition in
his jump to Double-A.

He'd been hitting .306 with 34 RBIs in 59 games at Single-A Inland 
Empire, so his sudden slide caught him like a fastball in the ribs.

"Obviously the biggest jump getting up to Double-A is the pitchers are a 
lot tougher," Tuiasosopo said. "At the same time, I'd changed my 
mechanics and
it just wasn't working. Then I said, screw that, just go back to what 
got me here. But I had a tough time doing that and I just kept going 
downhill. It
was like I was working on something new every day."

He headed home for the winter, frustrations fresh in mind. He committed 
himself to a rigorous offseason conditioning program with fellow 
prospect Chris
Minaker and a personal trainer every day at Safeco Field.

The added beef came quickly, giving him the look now of a linebacker 
instead of quarterback. The swing took longer, but he flew to Arizona 
and tutored with
Mariners instructors until things finally felt right.

"We just worked on my bat path and shortening my swing to make it 
quicker," he said. "The hard work is starting to pay off. My swing feels 
really good.
Now I'm just trying to keep that feeling and work on it day in and day 
out."

Tuiasosopo has transitioned to third base, having outgrown the shortstop 
position where he was originally drafted. There is some talk he'll 
eventually be
a strong-armed outfielder, but the Mariners are focused on keeping him 
in the infield for now.

"I think third base is his spot," Mariners minor league coordinator Greg 
Hunter said. "He's a big, strong kid. He struggled with the bat last 
year in Double-A,
but he's looked very good this spring. It's a matter of making 
adjustments, and I think he's starting to do that. He's a good makeup 
kid, so he's not going
to get down on himself. He'll work through it."

Part of Tuiasosopo's plan was to leave the fresh-faced, clean-cut 
teenage appearance behind. He arrived for his third Mariners' camp 
sporting the beard
and shoulder-length hair, though the latter was cropped for brother 
Marques' wedding a few weeks ago.

He took advantage of a month in the big league clubhouse to pick the 
brains of veterans who understand what he's going through before being 
sent down to
the minor league camp two weeks ago.

"I try to just be a sponge and soak up every bit of advice I can," said 
Tuiasosopo, who went 2-for-8 with the big club. "Guys like Raul Ibanez, 
I talked
with him a lot in workouts and in the cages about approaches, about the 
mind-set when you're up there hitting against different types of 
pitchers.

"This was my third spring training, so I'm not as shy as I was my first 
year."

Tuiasosopo figures to open the year in Double-A ball again, with the 
Mariners curious if he can solve that level of pitching. He heads into 
the challenge
this time with eyes wide open.

He could have played football like his brothers -- Marques just signed 
to play quarterback for the New York Jets on Friday after six seasons in 
Oakland,
while middle brother Zach is a fullback with the Philadelphia Eagles. 
But Matt took a different path and intends to see it through.

"This game will humble you like no other," he said, bat bag hanging 
easily over his broad shoulders. "I learned a lot last year. I learned 
how to deal with
failure so if it comes across in the future, I'll make some adjustments 
so I don't let it get down that deep. Try to stay level without too many 
ups and
downs. That's pretty much the name of this game.

"I've always known baseball was hard, but I like it. I enjoy working and 
competing and challenging myself. That's why it was a little tough last 
year, to
fail like that. Because I knew that wasn't me. I was thinking, 'What's 
going on? This isn't me. This isn't the type of player I am.' That's why 
I pushed
myself hard to get my swing back and work on my defense. I'm ready to 
go."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

P-I reporter Greg Johns can be reached at 206-448-8314 or 
gregjohns at seattlepi.com.

© 1998-2007 Seattle Post-Intelligencer 
-------------- next part --------------
Failure not an option for Mariners' Tuiasosopo
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/baseball/308886_tui24.html http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/baseball/308886_tui24.html
 
Failure not an option for Mariners' Tuiasosopo
 
Saturday, March 24, 2007
 
By GREG JOHNS
P-I REPORTER
 
PEORIA, Ariz. -- Maybe it's the scraggly beard on his once-boyish face. Or the 15 pounds of new muscle packed on his growing 6-foot-2, 230-pound frame.
Or simply the look of steely resolve in his eyes.
 
Something seems different about Matt Tuiasosopo this spring. No longer the quiet kid out of Woodinville, Tuiasosopo plans to change appearances on the field
as well.
 
Last year wasn't kind to the Mariners' young prospect. He struggled mightily after a promotion to Double-A ball, failing to hit for the first time in his
life. Failing, really, for the first time at anything.
 
Suddenly the 20-year-old kid who turned down a chance to be the next great University of Washington quarterback found himself floundering at his chosen
sport. He hit just .185 after being promoted to the Mariners' Double-A club in San Antonio at midseason, then followed with similar struggles in an Arizona
fall league.
 
Not exactly the stuff of a highly touted third-round draft pick in 2004 who drew a $2.3 million signing bonus. But the Tuiasosopo name comes with more than
just extra vowels. Things like leadership, work ethic and a stubborn pride have the youngest of Manu Tuiasosopo's sons champing at the bit to get things
turned back around this season.
 
"That was one of the toughest things I've ever gone through in sports," Tuiasosopo said this week at the Mariners minor league complex. "I'd never failed
that much in any sport I've played. I tried to keep a good attitude and just go to the ballpark knowing every day is a new day. But it seemed like every
day was 0-for-4, 0-for-4."
 
He tried changing his approach. Tinkered with his stance. Altered his swing. In the end, he was fighting himself as well as the increased competition in
his jump to Double-A.
 
He'd been hitting .306 with 34 RBIs in 59 games at Single-A Inland Empire, so his sudden slide caught him like a fastball in the ribs.
 
"Obviously the biggest jump getting up to Double-A is the pitchers are a lot tougher," Tuiasosopo said. "At the same time, I'd changed my mechanics and
it just wasn't working. Then I said, screw that, just go back to what got me here. But I had a tough time doing that and I just kept going downhill. It
was like I was working on something new every day."
 
He headed home for the winter, frustrations fresh in mind. He committed himself to a rigorous offseason conditioning program with fellow prospect Chris
Minaker and a personal trainer every day at Safeco Field.
 
The added beef came quickly, giving him the look now of a linebacker instead of quarterback. The swing took longer, but he flew to Arizona and tutored with
Mariners instructors until things finally felt right.
 
"We just worked on my bat path and shortening my swing to make it quicker," he said. "The hard work is starting to pay off. My swing feels really good.
Now I'm just trying to keep that feeling and work on it day in and day out."
 
Tuiasosopo has transitioned to third base, having outgrown the shortstop position where he was originally drafted. There is some talk he'll eventually be
a strong-armed outfielder, but the Mariners are focused on keeping him in the infield for now.
 
"I think third base is his spot," Mariners minor league coordinator Greg Hunter said. "He's a big, strong kid. He struggled with the bat last year in Double-A,
but he's looked very good this spring. It's a matter of making adjustments, and I think he's starting to do that. He's a good makeup kid, so he's not going
to get down on himself. He'll work through it."
 
Part of Tuiasosopo's plan was to leave the fresh-faced, clean-cut teenage appearance behind. He arrived for his third Mariners' camp sporting the beard
and shoulder-length hair, though the latter was cropped for brother Marques' wedding a few weeks ago.
 
He took advantage of a month in the big league clubhouse to pick the brains of veterans who understand what he's going through before being sent down to
the minor league camp two weeks ago.
 
"I try to just be a sponge and soak up every bit of advice I can," said Tuiasosopo, who went 2-for-8 with the big club. "Guys like Raul Ibanez, I talked
with him a lot in workouts and in the cages about approaches, about the mind-set when you're up there hitting against different types of pitchers.
 
"This was my third spring training, so I'm not as shy as I was my first year."
 
Tuiasosopo figures to open the year in Double-A ball again, with the Mariners curious if he can solve that level of pitching. He heads into the challenge
this time with eyes wide open.
 
He could have played football like his brothers -- Marques just signed to play quarterback for the New York Jets on Friday after six seasons in Oakland,
while middle brother Zach is a fullback with the Philadelphia Eagles. But Matt took a different path and intends to see it through.
 
"This game will humble you like no other," he said, bat bag hanging easily over his broad shoulders. "I learned a lot last year. I learned how to deal with
failure so if it comes across in the future, I'll make some adjustments so I don't let it get down that deep. Try to stay level without too many ups and
downs. That's pretty much the name of this game.
 
"I've always known baseball was hard, but I like it. I enjoy working and competing and challenging myself. That's why it was a little tough last year, to
fail like that. Because I knew that wasn't me. I was thinking, 'What's going on? This isn't me. This isn't the type of player I am.' That's why I pushed
myself hard to get my swing back and work on my defense. I'm ready to go."
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
P-I reporter Greg Johns can be reached at 206-448-8314 or mailto:gregjohns at seattlepi.com gregjohns at seattlepi.com
.
 
© 1998-2007 Seattle Post-Intelligencer