Glanville taking advantage of opportunity with Cubs

The 1992 Penn SEAS graduate has gone from platooning in leftfield to an everyday starter and a team contributor. CHICAGO -- In six years, 1992 Penn graduate Doug Glanville has gone from prospect to ballplayer. Second on the team with a batting average of .298, the former Quaker has also assumed the role of leadoff hitter for the Chicago Cubs, contributing x runs, y runs batted in, z stolen bases and j home runs to his team in their first v games. Selected in the first round (12th overall) by the Cubs in the 1991 June amateur draft, Glanville, age, first earned the attention of the major league scouts in the summer of 1990 while playing in the prestigious Cape Cod League. The praise from the scouts about his defensive skills, speed, and ability to hit for average led to his selection by Baseball America to its preseason second team All-American team. Following his junior year at Penn, Glanville's 3.3 GPA in addition to his baseball talent earned him first-team GTE academic All-American honors. After being chosen in the 1991 draft following his junior year of school, Glanville signed with the Cubs with the provision he be allowed to finish his degree. With his academic motivation, the current Chicago Cub graduated from Penn's School of Engineering and Applied Science in 1992. Even after spending his last five years playing professional baseball, Glanville still recognizes the importance of his Ivy League education. "It is important, in that for one it gives me some security if things don't work out," Glanville said. "The second is the academic environment. The thought process to be a better player is helped by a school that teaches you to approach things better." In attaining a starting job as leftfielder for a major league team, Glanville made many stops on his way from Philadelphia to Chicago. Glanville spent his first two years in A ball, playing for minor league teams in Geneva, ?, Winston-Salem, N.C., and Dayton, Ohio. After spending a year and a half at Double A Orlando, the 6'0'' ? Glanville moved to Triple-A Iowa. Although not playing in front of 20-30,000 people each game in the minor leagues, the pressure to perform well was always there. "In the minor leagues, it's tough, because everyone is in the same boat," Glanville said. "Even though you are competing against your opponent, you are kind of competing with each other trying to get a spot on the team. It is tough at times. You definitely have some frustrations coming through the minor leagues, but it is part of the process to pay your dues to get here." In his second year at Iowa, Glanville's .308 batting average, 53 runs, and 34 RBIs in 90 games earned him a promotion to the big leagues. Glanville played in his first major league game on June 9 and recorded his first hit on the next day. After being sent back down to Iowa for a month and a half, the former Quaker was again called up on September 3 and has remained in Chicago ever since. While appearing in 49 games last year, Glanville hit .241 with 10 runs, 10 RBIs and one home run. Coming into the 1997 campaign, Chicago Cubs coach Jim Riggleman had the dilemma of picking a leftfielder. In centerfield the Cubs had veteran Brian McRae, while in right was the Windy City favorite, Sammy Sosa. Riggleman initially chose to divide the duties of leftfield with Glanville and Brant Brown. "It was tough to platoon," Glanville said. "You have to stay sharp. You might not be in there for three or four days in a row. I did a lot of work in the cage early. I worked with some of the coaches. It is hard to be as productive as you can be when you play sporadically. I stuck it out." With Brown's natural talents at first base, and Glanville's better offensive numbers, the platooning situation has changed to Glanville's promotion to an everyday starter. "We were platooning him," Riggleman said. "He did a good job. He worked hard everyday to be prepared for the opportunity to play everyday if it came. The opportunity did come, and he has taken advantage of it." Not only his impressive numbers, but Glanville's defensive play has also earned him the respect of his teammates. "He is probably one of the better defensive outfielders in the league," said McRae, who has since been traded. to the New York Mets. "He has a real strong arm, and he can play all three outfield positions. He is fun to play with because I don't have to worry about anything in leftfield. He can run balls down, and we communicate well. This is my third year of seeing him play, and I am impressed with the improvement he has made over the last couple of years." Even with the pressures of performing, Glanville loves playing the game of baseball. As a rookie, the former Quaker looks up to current Cub leaders Ryne Sandberg and Mark Grace, and learns from veteran role players Dave Clark and Dave Hansen how to prepare for particular situations. The higher level of intensity and play at the major league level also intrigues Glanville. "You play against [Kenny] Lofton and [Barry] Larkin, and it is like they are coming at you at all times," Glanville said. "I like those types of guys with speed. But, probably one of my favorite teams to play against is the [Colorado] Rockies. Those guys are incredible hitters. They are not only powerful, but intelligent hitters." With a few years left on Glanville's contract, Riggleman and the rest of the team seem to have found a leftfielder they can depend on. "He has been great," Sosa said. "Last year he did not have that much opportunity. This year he has come through. He is a pretty good lead-off hitter. He can run. He can throw. He can do everything. I believe that we have one guy that we don't have to worry about for a long time." In about a combined year as a major leaguer, Glanville has been through more than some players go through in a career. He has seen and lived through the best of what baseball can offer while playing in Wrigley Field. From catching balls in the ivy to listening to Harry Caray's singing seventh inning stretch, the former Quaker has found his place as a Chicago Cub.

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