Davidoff: Yankees prospect Gumbs a proud role model

Role model

The Yankees' second-round pick, Angelo Gumbs, isn't just a promising shortstop/outfielder from Torrance, Calif. He's also an alumnus of Major League Baseball's Urban Youth Academy in nearby Compton.

Since he was 13, Gumbs said, he went to the Academy for about 20 hours a week during the summer and eight hours a week during the school year. He worked with former Angel, Twin and Dodger Ken Landreaux on his hitting and other top-notch instructors on his defense and baserunning.

Now, as a graduate of the Academy, he'll plan to help younger players who share his ambition. "I tend to help a lot of kids with whatever they need," Gumbs told Newsday in a telephone interview. "I consider myself a role model. I'm so excited that I get to play, finally."

Gumbs said that he didn't grow up rooting for one team, but rather certain players on his "dream team." The second baseman on his dream team was the Yankees' Robinson Cano. The shortstop? Atlanta's Alex Gonzalez.

Bottoms up

A scout from an American League club includes Binghamton, site of the Mets' Double-A affiliate, among his annual stops. He regarded his 2010 visit as considerably more worthwhile than the prior year's.

"It's a completely different atmosphere there," the scout said, on the condition of anonymity.

The B-Mets entered play last night with a 57-61 record, so it's not like they're taking the Eastern League by storm. Yet they do have some players worth noting, and some of those are diamonds in the rough.

Actually, the scout noted, the Mets seem to have more success in the later rounds of the amateur draft than the earlier rounds. At Binghamton, the scout noted, lefthander Michael Antonini - an 18th-round selection in the 2007 draft out of Georgia College & State University - has pitched better than righty Brad Holt (sandwich-round pick in 2008) or lefty Eric Niesen (third-round pick in 2007). The Mets recently demoted Holt to Class A St. Lucie.

To be fair, 2008 first-rounder Ike Davis is already helping the Mets - "He's been better than I thought he would be," the scout said - and '08 third-rounder Kirk Nieuwenhuis has played pretty well at Binghamton.

"He's just a good player," the scout said of Nieuwenhuis, a centerfielder. "He's got enough power to be interesting, and he's got enough speed to be interesting. He runs into walls. He's blue-collar. He comes to play every night. He's a grinder. New York fans are going to like the way he plays.

By the way, the Mets are optimistic they'll sign Matt Harvey, their first-round selection this year, by Monday night's deadline.

Lemons to lemonade

The Twins simply didn't do well on the Johan Santana trade with the Mets. Not initially, anyway. But they are doing better on the return's second generation, if you will.

Outfielder Carlos Gomez still is what we thought he was, a defensive specialist, yet the Twins traded him to Milwaukee for shortstop J.J. Hardy, who has performed capably if not brilliantly.

Pitcher Kevin Mulvey - another high Mets draft pick (second round, 2006) who didn't pan out - went to Arizona for reliever Jon Rauch, who has helped cover up for the yearlong injury absence of closer Joe Nathan.

Remember Deolis Guerra? He's currently with Double-A New Britain and is pitching horribly.

Hats off, Hank's Yanks

Hank's Yanks - a team of New York City players funded by the Yankees' Hank Steinbrenner - will play for the Baseball Heaven championship Sunday, at the complex in Yaphank. The club has put together a 20-2 record.

"Most of these kids have turned their lives around," Hank Steinbrenner said in a statement. "I will always be proud of them."