Orioles prospect one of Eastern League stars Decision to play baseball right for ‘Tripper’

PORTLAND – His given name is Nelson Alexander Johnson, III; but if you yelled it to him, he likely wouldn’t answer.

Nobody calls Nelson “Nelson,” not even his mom and dad. The third generation Nelson of the Washington state-based Johnson family goes by Trip or Tripper and has since before he ever swung a bat or threw a ball for the first time.

With a nickname/name like that, you’re almost destined for baseball greatness, and as the Baltimore Orioles’ eight-best major league prospect (ranked by Baseball America), Johnson appears well on his way toward fulfilling that destiny.

Johnson was one of 48 players of destiny in Portland the last two days for the Eastern League All-Star Game. He earned his second pro All-Star selection in five seasons by hitting .263 with eight home runs, 44 RBIs, 17 doubles, three triples and three steals in 84 games for the Bowie Baysox this season.

It seems a tough decision he had to make as an 18-year-old recent graduate of Newport (Seattle) High School back in 2000 is paying off.

“I’m from Seattle, which is also not known for the best weather. It was tough to play a lot of games and I never played year-round because I also played football and basketball. “I was going to the University of Washington and try to play baseball and football, my two first loves, but I got drafted in a spot I couldn’t turn down and decided to follow my dream,” explained the first-round pick (32nd overall) of the 2000 draft.

“It was a tough call, but I think I made the right choice,” Johnson added. “You miss out on a lot as all your friends go off to college, but I can’t be happier with the situation I’m in.”

Although he won’t be able to play collegiate baseball for the Huskies, he does still plan to attend college as part of his contract calls for his college education to be paid for by the Orioles, no matter when he finally enrolls.

So how does a 6-foot-1, 200-pound athlete like Johnson earn a moniker like Tripper? Surely it wasn’t because he was a klutz as a child.

“No, and it wasn’t because I hit a lot triples either,” Johnson said with a chuckle. “I think my parents had it planned out early on. Since I’m the third Nelson in my family, the third is like triple. I think they also got the idea from (John Ritter’s character) Jack Tripper in the ‘Three’s Company’ comedy.”

Whatever the primary motivation was, the name stuck.

“I like it. It’s kind of unique,” Johnson said. “It’s a lot better than Nelson.”

Johnson’s family includes parents Nelson and Wendy, an older half-brother and a younger sister. His father goes by “Nels” and not “Junior.”

The 23-year-old Seattle native is Baltimore’s heir apparent at third base, but with an established Major League All-Star named Melvin Mora already entrenched at the hot corner in Baltimore, Johnson doesn’t figure to be inheriting any playing time there for quite some time.

“I’m just trying to be steady and get better every year. They see me as a third baseman so they’re going to keep me there,” said Johnson. ” Mora’s very good and they want him there, so all I can worry about is myself and keep playing hard. I can’t worry about who’s in front of me.”

This kid has a future

It’s tough to have a breakout year when much is already expected of you, but that’s what Detroit Tigers blue chip pitching prospect Joel Zumaya is doing this season.

While Wednesday’s 2005 Eastern League All-Star Game was a career first in terms of pro all-star game participation for many of the players assembled at Hadlock Field, it was Zumaya’s second – this season.

“This is my third overall. I was in the 2003 Midwest League All-Star Game and a few days ago, I was in the All-Star Futures Game. Now I’m here,” he said. “It’s nice here. I like it. I’m from San Diego and we get an ocean breeze like this.”

Zumaya was one of only three Eastern League players to go to the prestigious Futures Game last Sunday in Detroit. Teammate and fellow right-handed pitcher Justin Verlander and New Hampshire lefthander Zach Jackson were the other two.

The 20-year-old Zumaya, who is already in his fourth pro season, is 8-3 this season with a 2.77 ERA. Through his first 107 1/3 innings of work, he has walked just 52 batters while notching an eye-catching 143 strikeouts.

No wonder the 6-3, 210-pounder is gaining so much notoriety – the most recent of which comes from a feature story in “Baseball America” about Verlander and him. Despite the attention, Zumaya remains very low key.

“I don’t know how to say it, but I don’t really worry too much about what someone says about me. I don’t take things too seriously,” he said. “Everybody has opinions and something to say, but I don’t let that get to me. There’s high hopes for me and I’m on the fast track right now, but I’m taking it one day at a time.”

If he continues his current torrid pace (6-0 in his last 11 starts with a 1.37 ERA and 95 strikeouts, it won’t be too many days before his uniform reads “Tigers” instead of Seawolves.”