Past or Present: It's the Chukars' Time to Shine - East Idaho News
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Past or Present: It’s the Chukars’ Time to Shine

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IDAHO FALLS — It’s good to be a Chukar.

Former Idaho Falls Chukars Salvador Perez and Mike Moustakas currently lead their respective positions in the Major League Baseball All-Star voting for the American League. This after becoming household names after leading the Kansas City Royals on an improbable run to the 2014 World Series against the San Francisco Giants.

This year’s crop of players are hoping to emulate those former Chukars and one day make an impact at the top level. Idaho Falls general manager Kevin Greene says it just shows the talent that comes to town every summer.

“It brought a lot of attention how so many former Chukars can really contribute at the Major League level. It continues to bring credibility to how close we are to the major leagues,” he said.

One current player who is likely to see the big leagues comes from an unlikely place. Infielder Martin Gasparini grew up in Italy. Not exactly a baseball hotbed. He credits his family for helping him find baseball.

“My mom was from England, so she had English and American books and movies. So I got the learn what baseball was,” Gasparini said.

He was able to find a small independent team in Italy and began his career there. Now, at 18 years old, he is considered a top 25 prospect by Baseball America. He says he doesn’t play much attention to the hype.

“(That’s) journalist talk,” he said. “They want the fans to get excited. I am confident in my capabilities. I know that one day I will be a big-leaguer. I will just focus on what I can do on the field and not what they write about me off the field.”

One who has seen it all in the majors is pitching coach Jeff Suppan. The 2006 NLCS MVP won the World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals that year. He says young pitchers have the physical tools, but sometimes struggle between the ears.

“I think it’s the worry. It’s the stress involved in the starting and relieving,” he said. “Being able to control what you have control over. I think that’s where a lot of mistakes happen. A little more on the mental side of the game.”

The Idaho Falls Chukars will be led by first year manager Justin Gahmoll. So far, he likes what he sees from his club. “We’ve got a great mix on this team,” he said. “We’ve got some young players. We’ve got some returning players. Getting in this environment under the lights with fans in the stands, it’s going to be exciting.

The current Chukars start off the 2015 season Thursday night at Melaleuca Field against the Grand Junction Rockies. They hope when their season ends they can celebrate like some former Chukars did last season.

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