Fresh arms come and go
Young relievers learn never to stray too far from their suitcases

By: DAN HAYES - Staff Writer | Tuesday, August 21, 2007 12:07 AM PDT ∞

Heath Bell learned a tough lesson in 2006: being a pitcher with minor-league options for a contender stinks.

As a designated fresh arm for the New York Mets' organization, the Oceanside-born player spent the entire season living out of his suitcase.

Over the course of the campaign, Bell was shuttled back and forth between the big leagues and the Triple-A Norfolk (Va.) Tides five times. And that doesn't account for two instances in which he was summoned as insurance for an ailing pitcher only to be returned to the minors without appearing in a game.

Because of his travels, Bell has an intimate knowledge of the recall process. And it's not hard to understand why it's an experience the 29-year-old would prefer to avoid for the rest of his career.

On Monday, Bell and the Padres arrived at New York's LaGuardia Airport -- a location Bell is all too familiar with -- as they begin a three-game series against the Mets at 4:05 p.m. today.

"It is a pain-in-the-ass process," Bell said. "There were times I got (recalled) and came back two days later. I'd come back and leave again. Guys didn't know when I was coming or going. I had lots of frequent flier miles. If you're smart, you get one of those cards. People at LaGuardia started recognizing who I was.

"And that's not a good thing."

Justin Hampson is getting familiar with the drill. The left-handed reliever has been up and down between the Padres and Triple-A Portland Beavers three times this year. His shortest stay lasted 11 days. His longest was 64.

First, Hampson said, comes the call from Portland manager Rick Renteria. When he was initially recalled, Hampson heard from Renteria at midnight that he had a 6:30 a.m. flight to San Diego because the Padres were short on arms and needed him in uniform for a 12:35 p.m. game against Arizona.

Hampson then headed to the park to pack his baseball gear and pick up a plane ticket and cab fare from Beavers trainer Jason Haeussinger. From there, he headed back to his apartment to pack.

After a few hours of sleep, Hampson woke up, took a cab to the airport, caught a flight to Lindbergh Field and hopped in another taxi to Petco Park, arriving a little more than three hours before first pitch.

"I ended up getting to bed around 2:30 a.m.," Hampson said. "And I wasn't sleeping very good. It was tiring."

The fatigue showed during that afternoon's game when Hampson walked to the mound from the bullpen, believing he had been summoned. He hadn't.

Brian Prilaman, who doubles as the Padres' clubhouse manager and traveling secretary, said a lot of players are given advance notice. For example, pitcher Clay Hensley arrived in San Diego last Wednesday night for a start against Colorado the following evening.

But occasionally a rush job, like the one Hampson endured, takes place.

"Usually it's the night before," Prilaman said. "It depends. But if someone gets hurt, you have to rush 'em up."

Bell is envious of Hampson's situation in at least one way. All three of his recalls have come while the Beavers were at home, meaning Hampson had access to all of his belongings. Of Bell's five call-ups in 2006, four occurred while he and the Tides were on the road.

"You could go on a three-day road trip in the minors," Bell said. "But you have to pack like you're going on a 10-day road trip, because if you get called up, all your clothes are going to be down there. What if you're up for a month?"

Both pitchers agreed that dealing with the uncertainty was tricky. Ultimately, they know it's part of the process. Twice in 2006, Bell was up and down within three days. On April 30, Hampson was sent to Portland, only to return four days later.

The topsy-turvy nature keeps Hampson from trying to overanalyze the process. He knows it's an impossible one to avoid.

"You've gotta put that stuff out of your head when you're on the mound," Hampson said. "It's a lot easier to sleep when you're not worrying. ... Walking back into the clubhouse is always a great feeling. Walking out with your bags is the feeling that's not as great."

-- Contact staff writer Dan Hayes at dhayes@nctimes.com.

Frequent flier

Heath Bell's 2006 roller-coaster ride between Triple-A Norfolk (Va.) and the New York Mets

March 31: Leaves Port St.Lucie, Fla., to join the Tides in Norfolk.

May 9: Leaves Toledo, Ohio to join the Mets in Philadelphia.

May 12: Leaves Milwaukee to join the Tides in Norfolk.

May 24: Leaves Syracuse, N.Y., to join the Mets in New York.

July 4: Leaves New York to join the Tides in Charlotte, N.C.

July 15: Leaves Louisville, Ky., to join the Mets in Chicago.

July 28: Leaves Atlanta to join the Tides in Indianapolis.

Aug. 16: Leaves Indianapolis to join the Mets in Philadelphia.

Sept. 1: Leaves Norfolk to join the Mets in Houston.