Persistence Paying Off For Presley, McGehee
By: Will Burchfield
@burchie_kid
"Alex Presley is the worst baseball player," laughed Casey McGehee, as Presley was getting dressed at the locker behind him.
Presley was in the Tigers' clubhouse for the first time on Thursday morning, preparing for his debut against the Red Sox, and McGehee quickly pounced on the opportunity to put the newbie in his place.
It was nothing more than some brotherly ribbing, of course, but it spoke to the bond between McGehee and Presley. The two were teammates for about a month in Triple-A Toledo, before McGhee was called up to Detroit in early August. Presley has since followed suit, and now here they are, these two journeymen, side by side in the Tigers' clubhouse.
"He's kind of similar to me – been a lot of different places, ups and downs," McGehee said of Presley. "I can relate to him from that standpoint."
Presley, 31 – "a fresh 31," he'll have you know – has played for 11 teams in the minors and six in the majors. McGehee, 33, has spent time with eight minor-league clubs and seven big-league clubs. Both of them have been cast aside numerous times, only to pick themselves up and press on.
"It can be taken from you very quickly, as I've found out," Presley said. "Any time you're in a big-league clubhouse it's definitely a privilege, and you want to take advantage of the opportunity."
Just last month, Presley was designated for assignment by the Brewers. Rather than accepting a demotion to Triple-A, he opted for free agency, soon agreeing to a deal with the Tigers. He didn't land in the majors immediately, but Presley knew he could forge his way there if he played well in Toledo.
"We thought the opportunity would be there and we got a good feeling from Detroit talking to them," said Presley, who nearly signed with the Tigers in the 2015 offseason. "Everything looked like if I performed and some things shook out, I would have a shot."
So he kept his nose to the grindstone in Toledo, never for a moment doubting his destiny, and was soon rewarded. Presley's strong numbers coupled with the Tigers' injury woes resulted in his call-up to Detroit late Wednesday night, thrusting him into the thick of a crowded playoff race.
"A lot of credit to him, he just keeps plugging away, comes with a good attitude every day," McGehee said. "Even when he was in Toledo he brought some good energy with him every day when he got to the park."
Presley figures to fill in for the hobbled Tyler Collins, yet another former Mud Hen, who took a fastball to the knee on Wednesday night against the Royals. Like Collins, Presley is a versatile outfielder with a capable bat. Over 34 games in Toledo, he slashed .293/.378/.398, while logging time at all three outfield positions. Both Presley's comprehensive skill set and his positive mentality stood out to McGehee during their time together in the minors.
"He plays a heck of a defensive outfield, all three spots he can cover, runs pretty good. He'll give you a great at-bat, he's competitive, plays hard, good teammate. He's got an idea what he's doing at the pate, he's going to grind out at bats and he's got a little sneaky pop that you don't see coming some times, he'll steal you a base. So he brings a lot to the table," McGehee said.
Between McGehee, Presley and shortstop Dixon Machado, three Mud Hens have been called up to the Tigers in the past two weeks. Though the temptation exists for the trio to smile and pound fists, satisfied with their collective success, McGehee made it clear they won't be resting on their laurels.
"It's nice to see guys, especially the good guys, when they get an opportunity, so I'm definitely happy for Alex and Machado," he said. "But this isn't really time to be too sentimental. This is what we all work for and what we all expect out of ourselves and at the end of the day we've got a job to do and we wouldn't be here if we weren't needed.
"So it's not time to start counting your chickens. It's time to get to work."
Not surprisingly, Presley shares the same mindset.
"Walking into a team that's contending in the stretch run, I'm definitely looking to help out and do some positive things out there."
The future is uncertain for Presley and McGehee beyond this season. They are used to this, of course, and their wobbly past has taught them to make the most of every opportunity. Presley came up short earlier this season with the Brewers, but he has rebounded and risen once more, eager for his next shot in the bigs.
