Phils' Hewitt puts first-year struggles behind him

CLEARWATER,Fla. - During the most difficult days last summer, when Anthony Hewitt made another error at his new position or returned to the dugout after a strikeout, he would mutter to himself.

"Don't be a punk," he would say. "Keep going. You want this, don't you?"

Hewitt, 19, is learning just how much work, and how much commitment, is needed to succeed in professional baseball. Selected by the Phillies in the first round of last year's draft (24th overall) as a shortstop out of Connecticut's Salisbury High School and given a $1.38 million signing bonus, the Brooklyn-born infielder reported to the Phillies' Gulf Coast League affiliate in early July.

He batted .197 in 33 games, struck out 55 times in 117 at-bats, and made seven errors in 24 chances while learning third base.

Despite those statistics, both Hewitt and the Phillies viewed last year as an important step in his baseball education, and remain excited about the future. "He's a high-ceiling athlete," said Chuck LaMar, the Phillies' assistant general manager for player development and scouting. "We took him in the first round, and we're happy we did. He's got tremendous power; it's just a matter of making consistent contact."

Still, Hewitt could not help but grow frustrated at times last year while trying to adjust. "It was a struggle at first, though struggling helped me learn a lot of about the game," he said. "I had to learn who I was as a hitter, had to adjust to the speed of the pitching, how to get my timing right on curveballs and sliders. Some days I was in a bitter mood. I tried to keep that to myself. I'm pretty quiet, so guys didn't probably notice when I was down."

In addition to timing off-speed pitches and trying to rein in a free-swinging approach, Hewitt was told to learn third base. He took ground balls nearly every day, focusing on his footwork.

"It's just repetition, and it's interesting to learn how to react from a different angle," he said. "A lot of it is finding your footwork, because when you have good footwork, your hands work a lot better."

With a broad smile, he added: "People say [third] is an ugly position, but I can make it pretty."

After the season, Hewitt returned to Brooklyn, where the first-year struggles motivated him to continue working. He spent most days at a local gym and batting cage. "I'm competing against thousands of guys for a big-league job," he said. "So I have to mind my P's and Q's."

Now in major-league camp for a few weeks, Hewitt has impressed general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. Hewitt's assignment this season will be determined after he completes minor-league camp.

"He is handling himself extremely well," Amaro said. "He has a very mature approach."

That approach will serve Hewitt well when he returns to the minor leagues for another year, hoping that the struggle recedes, and the hard work and talent begin to yield results. "As with anything, doing it just depends on how bad you want it," he said. "You have to will yourself to keep on going."