West York grad Trent Kline enjoying his busy time at San Francisco Giants' camp

It was 7:30 a.m. in Scottsdale, Ariz., and rookie catcher Trent Kline had a decision to make.

He could return my call, or he could take his turn in the batting cage.

He made the right choice -- he took his swings in the batting cage at the San Francisco Giants minor league spring training facility located about 15 minutes from Phoenix.

Kline, 23, a 2003 graduate of West York High School and a soon-to-be graduate from the University of South Carolina (with a business degree), was drafted in the 49th round of the major league baseball draft last June.

After negotiating with the Giants for two months last summer, Kline signed a professional contract in mid-August that took his life in an altogether new direction, that of a switch-hitting catcher trying to eventually earn a spot on a major league team.

Kline took his first pro baseball steps in late-August, when he flew out to Arizona to work out with the Giants' Rookie League team. He did not participate in the instructional league last fall, choosing instead to earn credits toward his degree at South Carolina.
"I wanted to finish up my education. If baseball doesn't work out," Kline said, "I wanted to have that to fall back on."

So he took care of that piece of business, while working out every day through the winter -- "that routine really paid off once I got out here," Kline said -- to stay in baseball shape. He was expecting to go to spring training on Feb. 27 or 28. It was all lined up. But then he heard

from the Giants in late January. They wanted him in the spring training mini-camp by Feb. 14.

"About 35 of us were called to camp early," Kline said. "I have no idea why, other than they wanted to get an early look at us. I just figured an early call was a good call."

That was three weeks ago, and it's been one hectic day after another since, Kline said.

"There are no days off out here," he said. "We go seven days a week. We lift weights every other day -- one day for upper body and then the next for lower body. My day starts at 6 a.m. and, on the long days, can go until 5 p.m."

Other than that, Kline joked, it's been a "laid-back mini-camp."

Six catchers were invited to the mini-camp, he said. "And I'm the baby of the bunch." They'll all be assigned to a minor league team before camp breaks on March 31, and everyone will then head out to the team they'll be playing for this summer.

Kline is expecting to be sent to Augusta, Ga., where he'll get his feet wet playing in a low Class A league. That could change between now and the end of March, of course, but those are his expectations at this time.

It's a good opportunity to play pro baseball, Kline said.

"Being a catcher, especially, the Giants are a good organization to be signed with," he said. "The organization needs catching."

The most important thing, Kline added, "is to keep an even keel. Not too high one day and not too low the next. There are a lot of very good players here. You wouldn't be here if you couldn't play baseball. So I'm confident in my ability. It's a good situation, challenging, but I'm not intimidated."

It's an opportunity, Kline said. And a good one, certainly one that doesn't come along every day.

"I figure I have nothing to lose," he said. "It's a long process. As long as I'm making progress I'll keep at it. Within two years, I should have a pretty good idea what's going on. I'll give it my best shot.

"It's the best I can do."

On that note, the interview ended. It was 10 minutes before nine; Kline had to be on the field for practice at 9 a.m. The Giants' rookie catcher had a schedule to keep.

Sports columns by Larry A. Hicks, Dispatch colum nist, run every Thursday. Reach him by e-mail at: lhicks@yorkdispatch.com.