Clevenger Knocking on the Major League Door

Steve Clevenger was not listed among the top 30 prospects in the Chicago Cubs' minor league system prior to this season by Baseball America, the industry leader in the coverage of the minors.

And he was listed fourth on the depth chart among catchers in the Cubs' system. Even so, the former Mount Saint Joseph High School standout is gaining the attention of the Chicago front office.

"He has always had a knack for swinging the bat," said Tom Beyers, a minor league hitting coordinator for the Cubs. "He has come a long way. He has also been able to catch on an every day basis."

Clevenger lived in Glen Burnie while attending Mount St. Joseph's during his high school days. He lived in Glen Burnie for about 10 years with his family before a recent move to Baltimore County.

Clevenger, who has been playing pro baseball in the minor leagues since 2006, is knocking on the door of making it to the Major Leagues.

He currently is playing at the Class AA level with Tennessee in the Southern League after hitting .407 in 86 at bats earlier this season for the Class AAA Iowa Cubs, the top team in the minor league system.

The Major League rosters expand Sept. 1 and there is a chance Clevenger could be promoted to the Cubs.

"There is a possibility. At the same time I have to prepare myself down here and not worry about that," Clevenger said in a phone interview Tuesday from a hotel in Jackson, TN, where his team was playing on the road. "I would love for it to happen.

"I started the year in Double A and that gave me the opportunity to play every day," he said. "It was a good opportunity for me as a catcher."

This season he hit .278 with four home runs and 29 RBIs in 241 at bats for Class AA Tennessee in the Southern League.

He was then promoted to the Class AAA level with the Iowa Cubs, then earlier this month was sent back to Class AA Tennessee so he could catch on a regular basis.

Another top catching prospect with the Cubs, Welington Castillo, is playing on a regular basis with Iowa.

Clevenger, in games through August 17, was hitting .2782 with four homers and 30 RBIs in 250 at bats at the Class AA level with Tennessee.

As a freshman at Mount Saint Joseph's, Clevenger was teammates with Gavin Floyd, who now pitches for the Chicago White Sox. Another former Mount product is Mark Teixeira, a first baseman for the New York Yankees. But Clevenger was not a first-round pick like Floyd or Tex.

He was drafted in the seventh round as a shortstop by the Cubs in 2006 out of Chipola Junior College in Florida. Clevenger began his pro career in Boise, ID, with the Hawks and hit .286 in 63 games. The Cubs moved him to catcher earlier in his minor league days.

He worked his way up the minor league ladder of the Cubs and made it to Class AA Tennessee in 2008. He was a Class AA All-Star with Tennessee in 2009 and also advanced to the Class AAA level with Iowa that year.

Last season he was named a Southern League All-Star again with the team as he hit .317 on the season and .383 after the All-Star break with an impressive on-base average of .435.

He was invited to spring training this year by the Cubs for the third straight time.

This fall he will play in the Dominican Republic in order to face strong pitching and give him more chances to play catcher.

"There are not too many left-hitting catchers in the big leagues. I think it is to my advantage," he said.

And one day soon he may make it to the big leagues.