“Attaboy!’’ yelled Valentine, who was swinging as if he were trying to make the team.
Iglesias then ranged behind second base and in one motion used his glove to flip the ball to Tejeda from between his legs. By now, a crowd of fans had gathered to watch the magic show.
Iglesias made several more dazzling plays before Valentine went off in search of a bottle of water.
“Thanks, Bobby,’’ Iglesias said. “That was fun. You had me running.’’
Later, when speaking to reporters, Valentine was careful not to heap too much praise on the 22-year-old shortstop.
“My first impression is that he can catch it,’’ said the manager. “I bet you he can throw it after he catches it, too.’’
But can he hit it? In two minor league seasons since his arrival from Cuba, Iglesias has hit .261 with a .308 on-base percentage. In 618 at-bats, he has only 27 extra-base hits, one of them a home run. Those numbers suggest that Iglesias will be overmatched at the major league level, perhaps badly.
But he has taken steps to improve. Iglesias added 10 pounds over the winter and cut down on his body fat, giving himself a better a chance to drive the ball.
“I’m stronger, and I know that’s going to help me,’’ Iglesias said. “I had to make my body better and I did a lot of work.’’
Iglesias hit two balls over the fence in left field during batting practice yesterday and sprayed several well-hit balls to right field. His swing appeared more fluid than last year, and clearly there was more power behind it.
“I just need to play more, see more pitches,’’ he said. “That’s what is going to help me the most. My biggest goal this year is just to play and be more consistent and more disciplined.’’
Iglesias spent his winter in Miami working out with Marco Scutaro, one of his mentors. When Scutaro was traded to the Rockies in January, a door opened for Iglesias.
“It was sad news, because I love Scutaro,’’ said Iglesias. “He is a great man and great teammate. He always helped me out.
“But it’s a great opportunity for me. Marco told me this was my chance.’’
