Baseball is more than just a game for Emeel Salem. It’s his job. But the Renegades center fielder hasn’t lost his love for the sport he grew up playing in Birmingham, Ala. In fact, said Salem, in order to become a successful ballplayer, you have to love what you do.
Judging from his first season in the pros, Salem is enjoying himself thoroughly. Named the New York-Penn League Offensive Player of the Week in mid-July, at press time Salem ranked in the top-10 in five offensive categories, including runs, hits and triples, and is leading the league in stolen bases. So far, so good.
“When you’re a kid you always think about playing pro baseball. Now that it’s here, it’s a lot of fun,” said Salem. “It’s a lot of hard work but at the same time you play because you love it. Each step of the way is fun.”
Before being drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the sixth round of the ’07 draft, Salem, 22, played for the University of Alabama, where he was named to the 2007 ESPN the Magazine First-Team Academic All-American Baseball Team.
This season Salem has made the transition from college to the pros look easy.
Adjusting to life in the minor leagues has been a mental challenge, not a physical one, said Salem. “You’re playing against guys with a lot of the same skills,” said Salem, other talented players from college or high school. More than anything, said Salem, “you have to get used to the lifestyle.”
The Renegades play almost every day, sometimes playing as many as 20 games in a row without taking an off-day. In college, said Salem, he played only once or twice a week. And in the pros, said Salem, the focus is entirely on baseball. “Baseball is just a game,” said Salem. “But when it’s your job you have to approach it in a different way.”
Salem, who rooms with Renegades teammate Reid Fronk at a host family’s home in Fishkill, said he doesn’t have a lot of time to go out on the town. “You’re here to play baseball,” said Salem. “We’re at the stadium for the majority of the day and you play every day so you need to get home and rest.”
If rest is the key to success, Salem must be taking a lot of naps. Although he started the season off slowly at the plate, his hitting has taken off. During his recent Player of the Week stretch, Salem hit .424 with 10 runs scored, four extra-base hits and a .667 slugging percentage. In one game, Salem went 5-6 with two doubles and a triple.
“I’ve started feeling more comfortable each day. It was an honor (to be named Player of the Week) but you can’t look too far into it,” said Salem, who added that the season is a very long one and there’s bound to be ups and downs. “You have to approach each day the same and not get too high or low.”
Fun as a team
Salem said the camaraderie between his Renegades teammates helps keep everybody level-headed as they try to deal with the rigors of professional baseball. “We have a great group of guys,” said Salem. “Everyone comes from a diverse background but we have a common goal and we get along great.”
One person the entire team looked to for encouragement earlier in the season, said Salem, was Tampa Bay Devil Rays pitcher Doug Waechter, who made four rehab starts with the Hudson Valley following off-season shoulder surgery. Waechter, himself a former Renegades player, successfully completed the difficult journey to the major leagues that every Renegde dreams of, including Salem.
Playing in the majors “has been a dream of mine since I was a kid,” said Salem. “I have an opportunity here so I’ll give it my best shot.” In the minor leagues, said Salem, a player never knows where he’ll be next season – or even next month. So instead of worrying about front-office decisions, Salem said he just does what he’s paid to do: play ball.
“In minor league baseball, all you can control is how you play,” said Salem. But isn’t there immense pressure to succeed, to make it to the show? “I don’t put pressure on myself. I see this as an opportunity,” said Salem. “Besides, I know a ton of guys who would kill to be where I am right now.”