Cust knows never too get too comfy in the majors

ShareThis

With Jack Cust, it always seems like he's one hyper-crank, spin-out-of-your-shoes swing-and-miss from being shipped out to Ottawa, Yokohama or parts unknown.You might think the man earned a tiny measure of big-league job security with last season's bust-out performance, when he emerged from the bushes to lead the Oakland A's in all the key power and on-base stats.But when Cust started off this season with a prolonged slump, there was a buzz among the baseball people who buzz. Maybe Cust was a one-season wonder. The pitchers figured him out. Maybe there is a reason he spent his first 10 seasons of pro ball knocking around the minors.Late bloomer, early wilter?But manager Bob Geren and the A's hung with Cust, partly because even when he's fanning like a fainty Southern belle, Cust gets on base a lot.Cust finally eased out of that slump, and now he seems to have achieved some security with the A's, or as much as one can achieve on a team in flux. The A's clubhouse is like a Greyhound terminal -- everyone knows they'll be leaving eventually, going somewhere, and nobody gets too comfy.Wednesday afternoon Cust slammed two long two-run home runs off Tampa Rays' pitching -- a jolt to deep right in the fifth, and a deep slice to left in the seventh.Cust also made a tumbling catch in left field, part of his ongoing effort to live down his rep as a klutzy fielder.Although Cust leads the team in homers with seven, and in on-base percentage, on a team desperate for both, he refuses to take his job for granted, because of where he's been."It's embedded in my brain, that whole (minor-league) lifestyle," Cust said. "I was down there for so long, been through so many things, that I'm really just cherishing this opportunity to play in the big leagues."Was he worried when he slumped early this season?"Yeah, definitely," Cust said. "Last year I had a decent year. I think I could've done better. ... But this year I got off to a slow start. I was confident in my ability, but I've been in so many situations before where maybe (the big-league team) wouldn't stick with you."Like every major-league chance he ever had. Before the A's, Cust had cups of coffee with four big-league teams, but they were half cups of decaf, not enough to wake you up.In 2001 Cust got two at-bats with the Diamondbacks. He had four separate call-ups with the Orioles, averaging 18 at-bats per drop-in visit. San Diego gave Cust three at-bats before regurgitating him back to the land of dim lights and long bus rides.You try grooving your swing and getting confident when they fasten your name to the back of your jersey with Scotch tape.When the A's phoned his agent last May, Cust hesitated just a beat. He had an offer to play ball in Japan, where they would let him hang around long enough to unpack his bats. But he couldn't say no to the A's."I said (to his agent), 'This could be my last shot,'" Cust said.Cust's last stand, at age 28.The A's welcomed him May 3, 2007, he homered in his first game, and within two weeks he had eight homers and 20 RBIs. It was one of the great clutch-hitting performances ever, because Cust's entire lifetime of hopes and dreams would die unless he could make an instant impression. If he gets off to a slow start, why in the world would the A's keep him around? Why would anyone (in the Western Hemisphere) want him?Cust was exactly what the A's suspected/hoped he was -- a "Moneyball'' kind of guy with flaws, like too many strikeouts, and undervalued talents, like getting on base.Cust went into Wednesday's game leading the American League in walks (37), and was second in on-base percentage (.424) and fourth in pitches per plate appearance (4.25).Wednesday, Cust struck out his first two times up, missed a couple hittable pitches, but didn't throw fits."Some players wear their emotions more on the outside," Geren said. "After a home run or a strikeout, his demeanor is pretty much the same."Cust visited the clubhouse to study video of the two whiffs, decided his swing was fine, then unloaded the two bombs. He lifted his batting average over .250 (.254) and helped keep the A's over .500.Then he showered and dressed in a big-league clubhouse.What does Cust miss about the minor leagues, his home for the past decade? His answer was as quick and decisive as his swing."Nothing."(E-mail Scott Ostler at sostler@sfchronicle.com.)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)