San Diego rookie third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff could be the man that brings a little heat back to the Padres hot corner. If he follows in the footsteps of Adrian Gonzales (Eastlake High), “Kouz” could be the next Padres star with local ties. The former Sweetwater Valley Little Leaguer and Sunnyside School Alum could be the big right-handed bat that local fans have longed for almost a decade.From 1994 to 1998, the late Ken Caminiti was the mensula di caminetto, the mantelpiece that lead the San Diego Padres to two National League West titles and a National League Championship. In only five years with the Padres, Caminiti earned three gold gloves, a batting title and the 1996 NL MVP. Although his numbers might nave been fueled by substances a little stronger than Snickers bars, it’s hard to find another Padres third baseman with production like Caminiti.
Enter Kouzmanoff, who has hit at every level he’s played in. His past two seasons in the minors, Kouzmanoff hit .333 in 2005 and .379 with 22 home runs in 2006. He was also named the 2006 MiLB.com Minor League Offensive Player of the Year and has just finished the Arizona Fall League batting a paltry .382. His numbers have been monster. All he needs to do is produce at the Major League level.
Described as a great hitter, but a below average fielder, Kouzmanoff has been enlisted by San Diego to create some impact at third base. Graig Nettles, Gary Sheffield, Phil Nevin and Caminiti are the only Padres third basemen to have ever been named All-Stars. Only Caminiti was named more than once. Cammy’s highlights are part of Padres lore, hitting homers from both sides of the plate and throwing runners out while sitting on his wallet.
The only other Padres third baseman to sniff the World Series, Nettles was a great fielder in the decline of his career while playing in his hometown. The former Yankee All-Star only hit .237 during his three-year tenure in San Diego. In 1992, Sheffield came close to winning the Triple Crown hitting .330, slugging 33 home runs with 100 RBI. Sheffield was only in San Diego for year and a half. His glove-work at third was horrible and his bat was quickly sold to the highest bidder during the 1993-94 Padres fire sale. Another huge bat without a glove, Nevin hit 41 homers in 2001. He smashed a total of 132 in his five and half year career as a part-time Padre third baseman.
Kevin Kouzmanoff, welcome to great abyss called Padres’ third base. Kouzmanoff could be the second coming of Brooks Robinson or Mike Schmidt, thankfully he doesn’t bare their weight on his shoulders. Many fans will settle for the next Caminiti or Nevin. On the other hand, “Kouz” could become another footnote in the long list of Padres failures at third. Here’s hoping that the kid who attended Sunnyside Elementary and played Little League in Bonita puts up productive numbers and exorcises the ghosts of Sean Burroughs, Vinny Castilla, George Arias, Lou Merloni, Gabe Alvarez, Jeff Cirillo and so on.
