Sharpe on the mend with Visalia Oaks
By Steve Ames Special to the Moorpark Acorn

Blake Sharpe

As a minor league infielder with the Arizona Diamondbacks organization, former Moorpark High graduate Blake Sharpe is learning that patience and baseball often go hand in hand.

Sharpe was selected by the Diamondbacks in the 16th round (477th pick overall) of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft during his senior year at USC. After signing a professional contract, Sharpe was assigned to the Yakima Bears in the short-season Northwest League.

As Sharpe began preparing for the 2007 season, however, pain in his shoulder caused him to shut down just before spring training began.

"It was definitely a scary beginning," said Sharpe during a recent round of batting practice at Recreation Park, where he's playing for the Visalia Oaks AdvancedA California League team.

When Sharpe started throwing in January to get in shape, he noticed a little pain in his shoulder. It wasn't going away as spring training got closer.

"I ended up calling the Diamondbacks and telling them I'd been doing a throwing program, but every time I got past 90 feet my shoulder felt like there was a knife in it," he said.

Sharpe went to the team's spring training facility in Tucson, Ariz., and had two doctors take a look at his shoulder. X-rays and an MRI were done. The MRI showed a minor tear in his labrum, and shortly thereafter he began rehab in Arizona.

In early April, while he continued doing physical therapy and trying to rehab, his teammates broke off for their assignments to play for the Yakima Bears, South Bend Silver Hawks and Visalia Oaks.

Sharpe was cleared to play in a few extended spring training games, where he logged four innings at second base and another day at shortstop. While playing shortstop, he felt pain once again.

"There was a weird ball up the middle," he said. "I jumped up and got it and came to throw, and I felt that sharp pain again. That was another setback."

Sharpe drove to Yakima in late June and played one game- getting a double in four at-bats.

Sharpe sat out the next game. After taking a shower, he was told by team manager Mike Bell that he and minor league field coordinator Jack Howell had to talk with him.

When told they had good and bad news, Sharpe told the men he wanted to hear the bad news first.

"I was told the bad news was that I wasn't going to be in Yakima anymore," Sharpe said. "I said, 'OK, what's the good news?'"

"We're going to send you down to Visalia," the coach responded.

"I said, 'That's OK. That's great news.'"

He began driving back to Southern California that night, playing in his first game for the Oaks on June 28.

In 14 games with the Oaks through Wednesday, Sharpe, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 185 pounds, was hitting .300 with one home run and eight RBI.

"The injury has pretty much limited me to playing second base until my arm gets back in shape," Sharpe said. "If they want me to play short, I'll definitely go out there." His parents are Gary and Kim Sharpe. His younger brother Sean is a student at San Diego State.

"I've grown up playing baseball my whole life," he said. "My dad loves baseball. My dad and grandfather (Cory Sharpe of Newbury Park) had the dream with me. You are surrounded all the time. It's such a big part of your life. I just love playing it."

In 1996, Sharpe and his Moorpark team played in the 50th annual Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa., and finished with a 1-2 record.

He later earned All-Ventura County honors in baseball as a senior at Moorpark High in 2002 and was an AllCounty and AllMarmonte League firstteam selection during his junior season at MHS.

Sharpe also played on the Musketeer basketball team, working as a guard and earning All-League honors during his senior season.

At Los Angeles Pierce College as a freshman in 2003, he hit .395 with three home runs, 30 RBI and19 doubles, playing in all 43 of the Brahmas games.

Sharpe closed out his collegiate baseball career at USC. In three seasons as a Trojan, he batted .312 with seven homers and 94 RBI, hitting 35 doubles in 177 games.

During his first season in pro baseball playing for the Yakima Bears, Sharpe's batting average was .272 with two home runs, 27 RBI and 12 doubles while playing in 71 of the team's 76 games.

Oaks hitting coach Jay Gainer, manager of the Bears during the 2006 season, said Sharpe is a guy who comes out, is optimistic and has a smile on his face every day.

"He's going to give you what he has. I think everybody on the team knows that," Gainer said.

"There's no better type of ballplayer than a Blake Sharpe. He personifies the type of player the Diamondbacks want in their system. Without a doubt, he's very valuable and a big part of our system. Right now, he's a little bit hurt."

Sharpe said it's tough missing games because everybody wants to get out there and contribute on the field.

"I understand what the doctors are saying," Sharpe said. "I'll wake up in the morning; I'll be in pain and think, 'Man, if I had to play every day my shoulder would be toast.'"

"I'm just happy that I'm actually out of the training room all the time and actually on the field, actually being able to play some baseball."