Diamondbacks: Augie Ojeda
http://js.mlblogs.com/archives/2009/05/diamondbacks_augie_ojeda.html
PHOENIX -- Since joining the Diamondbacks in 2007, infielder Augie Ojeda has
gone from being an extra man on the bench to being the man to root for at
Chase Field.
His manager Bob Melvin respects him. The D-backs fans love him. Ojeda even
has his own chant: Augie, Augie, Augie, Oy, Oy, Oy!
It's hard to call Ojeda a journeyman when the most of his trips consisted of
being shipped back and forth to the Minor Leagues early in his career, but
there are at least two certainties in the present -- Ojeda has found a home
in Arizona, and he's having a blast in the Valley of the Sun.
Why wouldn't he? Ojeda likes to say it takes only a second to swing a bat or
to field a ground ball, so what's not to enjoy?
And yes, he admits the chants are a nice touch.
"I'm just trying to play the game the right way," Ojeda, 34, said. "You
always want support from the fans, because they can give you that little push
and you appreciate it. I know I have seen guys get booed at their home
stadium and I feel bad for them. I can't imagine what they feel like."
It's hard to imagine Ojeda getting booed at Chase Field these days. He's
hitting .325 through 17 games. He has three doubles, two RBIs and six base on
balls. For his career, which began with the Cubs in 2000, Ojeda is a .240
hitter who can play all around the infield. He will see plenty of action at
shortstop until Stephen Drew comes off the disabled list because of a
strained hamstring. Josh Wilson made a start at shortstop Thursday because
Ojeda was nursing a sore groin, but the Diamondbacks don't expect Ojeda to be
out for an extended period of time.
"Augie's strength is to be able to fill in any type of role, whether it's an
extended period or whether it's a day off for somebody at third, second or
shortstop," Melvin said. "There are very few players that can handle it like
he can. He's done a terrific job for us."
But what is the reason for Ojeda's popularity? His numbers are not
staggering, and before he played in 105 games for the Diamondbacks last year,
his highest number of games played was 78, and that came back in 2001 with
the Cubs. Perhaps the D-backs faithful simply love his effort on the field,
or his popularity stems from the belief that fans traditionally root for the
underdog. Ojeda is listed as 5-ft-9, but he's closer to 5-ft-6. He looks like
your neighbor, he talks like your big brother and he plays with the
enthusiasm of a child.
The fact that he is Mexican-American in Phoenix, a city with a large Hispanic
population, does not hurt. In many ways, Ojeda is a role model for the
community. Ojeda was one of many Mexican-Americans to play for Team Mexico in
the World Baseball Classic, and although many Mexican fans did not know who
he was, he quickly won them over. During the tournament, Ojeda was known to
the Mexican fans as Octavio, his given name.
It didn't matter. They cheered his effort.
"He's a hustler and fans like guys that hustle and dive, get dirty and run
balls out," Melvin said. "You are never going to get booed if you do that
type of thing. You'll have your share of struggles at times, but fans will
always relate to a guy who is out there playing hard every inning of every
game, and that's exactly what he does."
Ojeda says he'll never change his approach on the field, in part because he
feels fortunate to get paid to do a job he loves. He also says he is a
professional, and being and acting like a professional means something.
"The way I look at it is that it is a game and you have to have fun, and you
go out there and you have four at-bats and enjoy it," he said. "The fans pay
a lot of money to watch you play, so you want to go out there and give them
what you got all the time. Sometimes the performance is not good enough, but
at least the effort is always there."
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