A few weeks ago, when Yankees rookie shortstop George Lombard Jr. had the yips with six errors in six straight games, Shawn Chacón told his players to chill if that ever happens to them.
“I say look at Derek Jeter’s rookie year,” said the manager of the Trenton Thunder team of the Major League Baseball Draft League. Jeter made a shocking 56 errors in his first professional season as a young minor leaguer. “They go look at it and they’re like, ‘Oh, man!’ and I’m like, ‘Exactly.’”
The MLB Draft League consists of six teams in a split season that serves as a bridge between amateur and professional baseball players. The teams play the first half from June to July for draft-eligible players from high school, junior college, and four-year college.
The second half continues through September for professional players who have used up their amateur eligibility playing roughly 80 games. The 2027 draft will be held in Chicago in conjunction with the All-Star Game at Wrigley Field.
Chacón, 48, an ex-Yankees pitcher (2005-06), is in his second year at the helm of the Thunder. He tries to instill confidence in his young players.
“It’s the persistence,” he said. “You’ve got to wear bad games. You have to be a glutton for punishment. You almost have to be a sociopath. That’s what [the game] does to you.
“Whether it’s a good game or a bad game, I try to keep them grounded.”
Chacón, an all-star for the Colorado Rockies (2003), also played for Pittsburgh and Houston. He finished his career with a 45-61 record.
“We provide more of a safety net for the guys that come into the draft, especially in the first half,” revealed the married father of four. “They’re all draft-eligible kids that have tools, something that attracts them to Major League teams.
“[They are] here to show out and not be afraid of failing or trying new things. You’re playing against guys that are equal in talent. It’s going to be a challenging experience. I just try to remind them there’s no cuts here. We’re trying to get you guys seen.”
While the Thunder didn’t make the postseason, finishing with a 39-34-4 record, Chacón still remembers when one of his teams got close. That would be the 2005 New York Yankees, with a squad made up of players including Posada, Martinez, Cano, A-Rod, Matsui, Williams, Sheffield, and pitchers Johnson, Mussina, Rivera, and the aforementioned legend Derek Jeter.
That squad lost the divisional series to the Angels three games to two. While Chacón is a mentor to his players, he learned from some of the best.
“Todd Helton and Larry Walker were some guys I leaned on,” said Chacón about his Colorado teammates. “Jeter was definitely a guy that I leaned on and Jason Giambi.” Helton, Walker and Jeter are all Hall of Famers. “Those guys showed me about winning and what it takes to be a winner,” he said.
Did Chacón always want to be a manager? “I didn’t, ironically,” he responded with a laugh. “I coached my sons when they were 11, 12, but I didn’t realize I wanted to manage until the opportunity came. After my first season managing last year, it just became more apparent. I really do love and appreciate being in this position.”
During the offseason back in California, he plans to concentrate on his golf game. He wants to play on the PGA Senior Tour when he turns 55. And there’s that one bauble he’s still seeking.
“I want to win a World Series ring,” he said. “ I don’t know how, but I want to put a ring on and be in a parade.”
