By TODD JACOBSON
Washington Nationals relief pitcher Jason Bergmann made the drive from New Jersey to Northern Virginia for the next step in his baseball education last weekend, bringing his glove and a pair of workout shorts.
They weren't necessary.
Bergmann and Nationals rookies Ryan Zimmerman and Brandon Watson were among approximately 90 big-league prospects who attended the league's Rookie Career Development program last weekend in Lansdowne, Md., and the instruction they received went far beyond bunting or base running.
Think money, groupies and gambling--among other topics.
And the only equipment needed was pen and paper.
"There is stuff you know already but they displayed and told you it in a way you didn't think about," Bergmann said. "They used examples that went beyond your belief.
"You think: 'This can't go that bad. Oh, maybe it can.'"
Some of the topics during the four-day event seemed far-fetched, such as criminals approaching ballplayers for gambling-related favors or the need to protect an identity.
Others hit closer to home, like the talks on steroid and recreational drug use. Some topics were more practical, like how to invest the hundreds of thousands of dollars players will start to make, and how to deal with the media.
"It gives you a heads-up," Watson said. "If you don't know, you can't be ready for what you don't know."
But the messages are grounded in truth. Exposing young players to potentially dangerous scenarios before they turn into the next Pete Rose, Steve Howe or Dwight Gooden has proved to be beneficial at the start of their careers.
Bergmann, 24, is expected to be a member of the Nationals' bullpen in 2006, 24-year-old Watson will compete for an outfield spot in spring training and 21-year-old Zimmerman--less than a year removed from the University of Virginia--is projected as the team's third baseman of the future.
"The waters get quite deep, and it's important they understand the pressures on them are going to be great across the board," said Kevin Hallinan, MLB's senior vice president for security. "If we can give them a bit of a primer on how to best deal with some of those challenges, without giving them a playbook with the answers, we can get them thinking about being proactive."
The way the information is dispensed helps, too.
The days at a resort and conference center in Lansdowne are long, Bergmann said, punctuated only by a sightseeing trip and dinner at the U.S. Capitol. Years' worth of off-the-field learning is jammed into days Watson likened to high school.
But this time the teachers are former major-leaguers such as Bobby Bonilla, Jeff Reboulet and Bob Tewksbury, and there are more discussions than lectures to provide the players information.
"It really gives guys an understanding of what to expect as a major-league athlete and as a professional athlete," Nationals farm director Andy Dunn said.
Money magazine senior editor Walter Updegrave dished out financial advice, and former mob boss Michael Franzese has in the past spoken about gambling and organized-crime issues.
The Second City Creative comedy troupe performed skits to help illustrate some different scenarios.
"In a funny way we got to kind of look at things and step back and discuss them and see what we could do to better ourselves in those situations," Bergmann said.
Though a lot of the information seemed like common sense, some was valuable, specifically the financial-planning information, Watson said.
"They showed you that a million dollars isn't really a million," Watson said. "It is, but it can go away really fast if you are not careful."
Watson paid particular attention when the seminars focused on how to deal with fringe friends who want to latch onto a player's newfound celebrity.
"You come back from a big-league season as a rookie and they think you have so much money and they want to include you in the wrong things sometimes," Watson said. "You've got to kind of distance yourself from those guys that you kind of know but don't really know."
The Rookie Career Development program has been around since 1991, and mimics similar programs held by the NFL and NBA, which educate their young players in similar settings.
The one thing that wasn't present was baseball--other than the hovering cloud of expectations for many of the prospects there. Chipper Jones, Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter are graduates of the program, and clubs generally send three or four of their brightest prospects.
Seattle fireballer Felix Hernandez, Atlanta outfielder Jeff Francoeur and Orioles prospect Nick Markakis also attended this year's program.
"Were sure in that group that went through, certainly we'll have some people we'll be watching pretty soon," Hallinan said, "and we want to give them a good foundation to be successful."
To reach TODD JACOBSON:
Email: tjacobson@freelancestar.com