By Tom Krasovic
STAFF WRITER

July 6, 2008

When Jack Cust botched a routine flyball while Padres General Manager Kevin Towers was scouting the Triple-A Portland Beavers two years ago, it reinforced the organization's view that Cust cannot be trusted in left field.

Not that Towers formed his entire evaluation of the player off one play, but he eventually sold Cust to the Oakland Athletics in May 2007, after several Padres evaluators placed the future designated hitter behind left fielders Termell Sledge and the homegrown Paul McAnulty.

Point being, it's not just what a minor leaguer does, but who sees him do it – which is good news for Padres prospect Steve Garrison and some of his Double-A teammates.

With Towers and farm overseer Grady Fuson in the scouting section at San Antonio on Tuesday, Garrison carved up the Tulsa Drillers to improve to 6-3 with a 2.98 ERA. The left-hander's seven-inning, two-run performance wasn't his best of the season – it was the 11th time in 16 starts that he allowed two runs or fewer – but it elicited a strong review from Towers.

“Outstanding,” the GM said, calling it the best performance he witnessed in the three games. “Garrison will be real fun to watch in the big leagues. He has command of all three pitches – fastball, slider, change-up – with a plus delivery. There are Tom Glavine, Mike Hampton comparisons.”

Towers acquired Garrison in the Scott Linebrink trade last summer. The 21-year-old has 24 strikeouts and one walk over his last five outings. As for his teammates, Towers described corner outfielder Chad Huffman as San Antonio's best player and said of reliever Gabe DeHoyos: “I really liked him. He's potentially a Heath Bell kind of reliever.”

Triple-A

As Towers watched the Portland Beavers in Sacramento, second baseman Matt Antonelli went 2-for-12 with two walks, dropping his batting average to .192; and left-hander Wade LeBlanc allowed 10 hits and seven runs in 3 2/3 innings to raise his ERA to 6.40. “Just fair,” Towers said of the two. Outfielder Will Venable had a hit in all four games and is batting .316.

Double-A

Old for the Texas League at 28, DeHoyos is giving younger hitters a lesson or two. The 5-foot-11, 225-pounder has struck out 70 in 51 2/3 innings and allowed a .220 batting average. Like DeHoyos, Kyle Blanks is from New Mexico and having a good season. This month Blanks started out 9-for-15 with two home runs and two doubles; the first baseman is batting .325 with nine home runs.

Single-A

Jaff Decker is exceeding projections of a fast start to his career. The former Peoria, Ariz., prep star, drafted by the Padres last month, batted .441 in his first nine games in the Arizona League. Decker reached base three times per game, posting a .578 on-base percentage to go with a .588 slugging percentage. . . . Three levels above Decker, former Atlanta prep star Cedric Hunter, now 20, is playing well for Lake Elsinore. “He's removed the 'if' from whether he can play center field,” said Fuson, the vice president of scouting and development. A left-handed hitter, Hunter is batting .303 overall and .413 (31-for-75) with runners in scoring position.

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Tom Krasovic: (619) 293-2207; tom.krasovic@uniontrib.com

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