but 1st pro camp excites him, too

By PETE SWANSON

Clarion Sports Editor

He doesn't know when he's supposed to head from Princeton to Tucson, Ariz., or whether he'll travel by airplane or automobile, but Ed Roman is doing all he's supposed to do to get ready for his first professional baseball spring training camp.

"The Diamondbacks sent me a workout book and I've been following it," the 19-year-old Princeton Community grad said Thursday.

"I 'm supposed to leave sometime between March 2 and March 7. I can't wait to get there and see how things work.

"I will try my best, work hard every day and try to get to the major leagues as soon as I can."

In his only high school varsity season after a late-spring move from his native Puerto Rico in 2002, the 5-foot-11, 200-pounder batted .500 with a 1.032 slugging percentage and 38 stolen bases in 40 tries. Those 38 steals set not only a single-season record for the Tigers, they set a career record.

The total performance, and Roman's potential as a switch-hitter who runs 60 yards in 6.6 seconds, induced Arizona to offer a $100,000 bonus contract, which he signed August 12 in Dick Clark's Restaurant. He probably would have been drafted before the 20th round, probably much before, except for a shoulder injury that beset him last spring.

"I'm lifting weights for 2 to 2 1/2 hours every day," said Roman, who planned to play baseball at Wabash Valley before turning pro, and nonetheless completed the fall semester at the Mount Carmel junior college.

"Our lifting starts at 8 in the morning. I lift for upper body and abs strength, and also for my lower body. I can't forget the legs -they are my speed. So I do a lot of squats and leg presses."

That's not all. "The Diamondbacks' conditioning book calls for a lot of running," Roman said. "After lifting weights, I run for 10 ot 15 minutes. I also do stretching exercises and sprints, 90-foot sprints on the basketball court."

By 3 p.m. he is back at Princeton Community, working out with current Tigers, now coached by Buddy Swift, his manager with Indiana Yankees summer and fall travel teams the past three years. "We're in hitting cages," he said. "Probably 200 to 300 swings a day. I hit one bucket of baseballs lefthanded and one bucket righthanded."

A natural righthander, Roman taught himself to switch-hit at age 11 because "I just wanted to try it. I have more power righthanded, but maybe I can be a better hitter lefthanded."

A catcher, third baseman, second baseman and outfielder with the Yankees, Roman played center field last high school season until the shoulder injury curtailed his throwing. Then Coach Darren Cato moved him to second base in late-season.

"My shoulder is fine. It was tendinitis last spring," Roman said. "I'm doing a lot of long tossing when it's not too cold.

"The Diamondbacks told me I'll be in the outfield, but I'll play wherever they want me to play."

Roman was drafted by Caguas of Puerto Rico's winter professional league, but did not play the recently ended season.

"I needed to finish the semester at Wabash Valley. That was good experience and I liked it," he said. "My classes were math, computers, sociology and health. I don't remember exactly what my grades were, but they were good."

While Roman doesn't throw outside in cold weather, he said he has "gotten used to the cold up here. Actually, I like the cold. I like snow, too.You have to get used to the switches from warm to snow, the rain and snow. I've adjusted."

He acquired an Indiana driver's license on February 17. "I didn't need one before, because I was always playing baseball and could get around with friends," said Roman, who may ride to spring training with Diamondbacks minor league infielder Ramon Downing, formerly of Wabash Valley and the brother of Braves minor league infielder Juan Downing.

"Ramon wants his car in Arizona so he can get around," Roman said. "If we go by car, we'll take turns driving."

Diamondbacks scout Mike Daughtry, who signed the Princeton resident, expects Roman to begin his pro career at Missoula, Mont., of the short-season Pioneer League. That would mean extended spring training since the Pioneer season begins in late-June.

While he hopes to make a strong enough March impression to make a full-season club and enter competition in April, Roman insists, "I'm not nervous. I just want to go and play. This is what I have to do. I can't be nervous."