Newest Star has raw power

While shaking hands with Shea Morenz, one feels sorry for white ash trees twice over. Not only are they chopped down to make baseball bats, but they then must endure Morenz' stranglehold grip.

Look closely when the new Las Vegas Stars outfielder is at the plate. Sawdust might be falling from his bat handle.

And Morenz' strong-arm tactics aren't limited to the plant kingdom. Think about those poor cows that get slaughtered every year to make footballs. Morenz squeezed his share when he was the starting quarterback for the University of Texas.

Fortunately for the leather, Morenz gave up his football aspirations three years ago. When the New York Yankees drafted him in the first round following a marvelous junior year for the Longhorns, he couldn't say no.

"I loved playing football," Morenz said prior to the Stars' 11-4 victory over the Tacoma Rainiers Thursday night at Cashman Field. Morenz, who came to the Stars in Sunday's Jim Bruske trade, went hitless in four at-bats.

"I grew up in West Texas where your whole identity is football. I never even saw myself as a baseball player."

Morenz actually has three sports coursing through his veins. He is the great-grandson of NHL Hall-of-Famer Howie Morenz, as is Shea's cousin, Seattle Mariners outfielder Shane Monahan.

Coming out of San Angelo Central High, Morenz was a prize recruit. He was named the big-school player of the year in a state where football is religion. One magazine named him the best offensive player in the country.

His baseball exploits were honored just as much. USA Today placed him on its annual all-star team. Baseball America rated him among the nation's top 25 players.

Morenz was drafted in the sixth round by the Toronto Blue Jays. He turned down a sizable signing bonus to play football and baseball at Texas.

He still ranks third on the Longhorns' all-time passing yardage list, but repeated injuries on the gridiron and increasing success on the diamond guided him.

"Every day I focus only on baseball I love it that much more," Morenz said. "It used to be I couldn't even watch baseball on TV; it was too boring. With football there's so much energy.

"But now I know what to watch for. I emulate the good hitters. I try to take something from what I watch and apply it to improve myself."

Morenz, who already has played all three outfield positions since the trade, is experiencing Triple-A for the first time with the Stars. He hit .252 with 15 home runs and 52 RBIs with the Yankees' Double-A affiliate in Norwich, Conn.

He acknowledges a need to completely dispense his football mentality if he wants to flourish at baseball.

"It's still a learning process," he said. "They're totally different things. I need to have patience with myself.

"If I want to be in the big leagues next year, I have to hit well right here. So there's going to be tension. You can always get your frustrations out on the football field, but you can't do that in baseball. If I tried, I'd be spinning in circles."

Stars manager Jerry Royster agreed Morenz is too aggressive.

"He's displayed a lot of opposite field power," Royster said. "But that's because he jumps at the ball too much. His swing is so nice that if he stays back a little, he'll start to show the kind of hitter he's going to be."

With the college football season starting this weekend and the NFL's opening week upcoming, Morenz was asked if he ever gets itchy at this time of year.

"I didn't even know the football season was upon us," he replied. Morenz then waited a few seconds for his inquisitor's reaction before he realized he was fooling no one.

"Well, it sounded good anyway."

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