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Local Players in the Pros: Seabol enjoying his role in Class AAA

Local Players in the Pros: Seabol enjoying his role in Class AAA

St. Louis is rolling with Rolen.

The Cardinals (62-36) have surged the past month, taking a 10-game lead in the National League Central Division.

One of the main reasons is third baseman Scott Rolen, whose offensive and defensive credentials make him a prime MVP candidate.

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Admiring this, and not perplexed by it, is Scott Seabol, perpetual prospect.

Seabol, a South Allegheny High School graduate, is having a marvelous season with the Memphis Redbirds. He is batting .300 (110 for 367) and leads the team in home runs with 22.

His quandary is that Memphis is the Cardinals' Class AAA affiliate, and he plays the same position as Rolen. For now, there is no room in the big leagues for Seabol.

"Scott Rolen will be [the Cardinals' third baseman] whether he's hitting .350 or .150," Seabol said, chuckling mildly.

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Frustrated? "Not at all," he responded. "I'm just trying to secure my job here. I have to play this way for an extended period. Just because I've had a good couple of weeks doesn't mean I'm going to get called up.

"More than likely, I might be a September call-up who will give players a chance to rest before the playoffs."

Seabol, 29, has been conditioned to be philosophical and patient. He has played professionally for eight years, the past four in Class AAA, and has hit well at most venues. But he has only 21 days of major-league service.

Such is the plight of a player who has spent virtually his entire pro career with championship-caliber organizations rife with talent.

An 88th-round draft choice in 1996 out of West Virginia University, Seabol was in the New York Yankees' system for six years. He made the Yankees' opening-day roster in 2001, but was demoted in late April and hasn't returned to the majors since.

The Yankees released him after the 2002 season, and Seabol caught on with the Milwaukee Brewers' Class AAA affiliate in Indianapolis. He was released after a month on May 29, 2003.

Seabol joined Memphis 10 days after that, and now is in the midst of a second consecutive strong season there. And, for the first time as a pro, he is in his second consecutive season at the same position.

"Defensively, I might have been average at best before," said Seabol, who in the past had played various infield and outfield positions and has been a designated hitter, often in the same season. "I now feel very comfortable at third base.

"I also think I'm a more mature hitter."

He has been the type of hitter a major-league team with a need may try to acquire. For now, though, Seabol will keep swinging and hope for a Cardinals call-up in September, when major-league rosters expand from 25 to a maximum of 40.

If that happens, life in his Elizabeth Township home in the early autumn could be even more frenetic than anticipated. Scott and Diana Seabol are expecting their first children at that time -- twin boys.

"That [dual births and a concurrent promotion] would be a good problem," Scott Seabol said, chuckling again.

First Published: July 26, 2004, 4:00 a.m.

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