Tim DeCinces
Bryce Alderton
As sure as the smell of freshly cut grass and kicked-up dirt are a
part of every baseball diamond, catcher’s gear has become synonymous
with Tim DeCinces.
He tastes it, wants it and has no intention of stopping before he
gets it.
For the son of a former major leaguer, the idea of making it to
the “big time” has never wavered. It’s all DeCinces ever wanted.
DeCinces, the son of Doug, who played for 15 years with the
Orioles, Angels and Cardinals, is now with his fourth team in eight
seasons in quest to land a catching spot in the big leagues.
The former Corona del Mar High and UCLA standout begins anew with
the Buffalo Bisons, the triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians
after spending a year with Oakland’s double-A affiliate in Midland,
Texas, where he suffered a devastating season-ending shoulder injury
a year ago.
On a play at home plate last May, a runner collided with DeCinces,
causing him to suffer a separated shoulder and fractured collarbone
that required surgery.
“I thought the guy would slide ... it was a funny angle and I knew
it would be bad,” DeCinces said Thursday in a hotel room in
Rochester, N.Y., where the Bisons were getting ready to play later
that day. “It was tough. The season was going well and I had worked
hard to get a job in spring training.
“I remember being in tears in the shower because at my age, who
knows if you will get another chance. I wanted that shot again
against good enough competition.”
DeCinces will turn 29 next Saturday. He hardly sees age as a
factor in making the majors.
“Look at the Angels,” DeCinces said. “Brendan Donnelly and Ben
Weber each made it after they were 30. If I didn’t think I still had
a chance to get there, I would do something else.” Donnelly spent 10
seasons in the minors with nine teams before being called up to the
Angels last year.
For the past three years, DeCinces has done marketing for Money
Line Technologies, a company that installs software with a niche in
the banking industry. He even received his real estate license in the
off-season.
The off-season for DeCinces runs from September to February, when
he gets a chance to return to his home in Costa Mesa to spend time
with wife Melissa and daughters Delaney and Riley. Delaney will turn
3 on Tuesday while Riley is seven months old.
The rest of the year, DeCinces is traveling from city to city,
which can be taxing, both physically and mentally, he said.
“The hardest thing about baseball is getting ready to play every
night,” DeCinces said. “The hardest part is the traveling, making
sure you eat right and finding time to work out. But traveling is fun
because you get to see a lot.”
And DeCinces has seen much during his minor-league tenure that
included a six-year stint in the Orioles’ organization, which drafted
DeCinces out of UCLA in the 16th round of the free-agent draft in
June 1996.
The team that drafts a player keeps him for six years before he’s
eligible for free agency.
DeCinces worked his way up to a starting spot at triple A with the
Orioles before being acquired by the Padres in the double-A phase of
the Rule V Draft prior to the 2000 season.
DeCinces finished second on the Mobile BayBears -- the double-A
affiliate of the Padres -- in hitting at .271 with 11 home runs and 44 RBIs in 2000.
He started the next season at triple A, but was sent back down to
double A, one of DeCinces’ more frustrating experiences, but one that
was short-lived as Oakland came calling.
“Oakland provided more of a fit and it was a fresh start for me, I
got more confidence,” DeCinces recalled.
He soon realized a stronger mental approach held the key to
success.
“When you try to do more than you can do, that’s when the problems
start,” DeCinces said. “It’s tough to play angry. I got back to
trusting what I do and to keep things simple.
“When you’re struggling, you try to do so many different things
and that can play with your confidence. You have to enjoy competing,
but not competing against yourself.”
If DeCinces needs a quick answer, he knows where to turn.
“My dad is my biggest hitting coach,” he said. “He’ll let me know
if I’m doing something wrong and he’s always been supportive.”
Family members probably aren’t the only ones rooting for DeCinces.
He was an All-Sea View League catcher and Orange County All-Star
for CdM in 1992, batting .443 that year under Coach Scott Magers. He
ended a three-year career at UCLA, after redshirting his freshman
season, with 37 home runs, 166 RBIs and a .321 average.
“I have an appreciation now for the game and think that everything
will work out,” DeCinces said.
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