Camarillo's Boyer climbing his way up charts in Giants' organization
By Steve Ames Special to the Acorn

STEVE AMES/Acorn Newspapers MAKING THE ADJUSTMENTS- Brad Boyer, a Camarillo High grad and current member of the Single-A San Jose Giants, went from playing third base to second base in the minor leagues.

In his second season of professional baseball, second baseman Brad Boyer of Camarillo just can't get enough of his sport, nor can his San Jose Giants teammates.

Playing at San Jose Municipal Stadium 50 miles south of AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, the Single-A Li'l Giants are hoping to repeat as the California League champions, which makes the 2007 season even more intriguing for Boyer.

"It's exciting coming out here," he said. "We have a game at 7 p.m., and every day we've got guys showing up at 1 (or) 1:30.

"I love working hard out here because it's just that environment of being around a nice group of guys. The intensity picks up (during the games) a little bit, but it's fun being on a team like this, just picking each other up every day."

Boyer, who will be 24 in October, is 6 feet tall, 185 pounds and played at the University of Arizona. He bats left, throws right, and was taken in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft in 2006 by the Giants in the 13th round (386th overall).

In 2005, he was selected in the 14th round (413th overall) by the Seattle Mariners, but he did not sign a professional contract then.

A 2002 Camarillo High graduate, he's the son of Bob and Terry Boyer and has a half brother, Rich Crescio, in Chicago.

At Camarillo his head baseball coach was Scott Cline, who now teaches math at the high school. Boyer said his best memories of playing for the Scorpions were being on teams with outfielder Delmon Young of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Through Sunday, heading into the second half of the California League season, Boyer was batting .237 with no home runs and 12 RBI in 53 games. He has six doubles and two triples.

Last season, with the SalemKeizer Volcanoes in Short-Season ball, Boyer helped the Volcanoes win the Northwest League championship. He hit .246 with five home runs in addition to nine doubles, six triples and 28 RBI in 61 games played.

While playing at Arizona for four seasons, in 201 of the Wildcats' 216 total games, Boyer finished his career with a .309 batting average, 11 home runs and 154 RBI.

Another Ventura County member of his San Jose team this season- and last season at SalemKeizer- is left-handed pitcher Ryan Paul, a 2002 graduate of Moorpark High.

When he began at Arizona, Boyer played third base.

"I was the type of guy who, wherever you put me, I just tried to help the team win," he said, adding that he had to adjust to moving over to second base.

"The way the game is, the third-base profile is more of a power hitter guy, and second is more a fast guy who hits the ball in the gap. I knew that was going to be my spot at the next level."

Manager Lenny Sakata said he's pleased with how Boyer is learning to play second base.

"He's made a lot of improvement," Sakata said. "He's become an above average defensive player at the position now."

For a middle infielder, taking on a runner who is trying to distract him when sliding into second base is his biggest defensive challenge.

Because professional athletes are bigger, stronger and faster, Boyer said competing athletically has been the biggest adjustment from college to pro baseball.

"Catching and throwing- that's kind of the easier part," he said. "But when you have a big guy coming full-steam at you, you've got to be able to learn to make the adjustment to throw in the air and be athletic enough to do whatever it takes."

As Boyer continues to learn the defensive game as a professional ballplayer, he's also giving full attention to his work as a batter.

Sakata said that most of the learning for young players at the plate comes from game experience and at-bats.

"He's getting better and learning every day," the manager said. "He's a guy who will probably be able to hit with some power, and he runs the bases and has enough speed to steal."

Boyer said his slow start at the plate isn't a major concern at this point of the season.

"It's how you finish," he said. "I started off slow, but it's how you perform when it's coming down in the clutch. That's when it really matters."

Sakata said Boyer works hard at correcting his mistakes and that will help him continue to improve as his career moves forward.

"There's a good package there in terms of overall ability- offense, defense, and he's a good teammate and a good kid. It takes a hitter usually about 1,500 at-bats before he figures out really how to hit."

Boyer said that because he grew up as a Los Angeles Dodgers fan and went to games at Dodger Stadium with his seasonticket holding family, it was ironic that he was drafted by the Giants.

"It's funny when I see my dad come out in black and orange- that's a rivalry that has always been there," he said. "But right now my mind is set on the ultimate goal of playing for the Giants some day. It's just a funny thing to end up with this team."