BALTIMORE (Jul 26, 1995 - 15:01 EDT) -- When Curtis Goodwin was a teen-ager, he learned to steal bases by studying an instructional video of his favorite major-league player.
Repeatedly, Goodwin played and rewound the tape. Then he went out and put his knowledge to good use, darting from one base to another for San Leandro (Calif.) High.
"I tried to be just like Rickey Henderson," Goodwin said. "I still try to look at the things he does when he's going from first to second or stealing third base. The way he sets up and takes off, that's the way to steal bases."
Goodwin, now a 22-year-old rookie center fielder with the Baltimore Orioles, apparently learned quite a bit from baseball's all-time leader in stolen bases. Since making his major-league debut June 2, Goodwin has swiped a team-high 17 bases in 21 attempts.
Playing for Double-A Bowie last season, Goodwin had 59 steals -- 22 more than anyone else at the AA or AAA level. Although he now must compete against catchers with stronger arms and more experience, nothing's changed.
"It didn't take me long to realize he's one of the best base stealers in baseball right now," Baltimore left fielder Brady Anderson said. "It's a talent that, if you've got it in the minor leagues, you can take it with you to the big leagues."
The Orioles knew long ago that Goodwin had enough speed to steal at any level. The big question, though, was whether he had the ability to reach first base with a measure of consistency.
The answer, thus far, is a decided -- and surprising -- yes. Although he had never played above the Triple-A level before this season, Goodwin was batting .310 through Tuesday -- 29 points higher than his career mark over four minor-league seasons.
He has 20 multi-hit games in 49 games and reached the 50-hit plateau quicker than any rookie in Orioles history.
Goodwin has cooled off recently -- he's batting .128 over his last 12 games -- but he remains a fixture in the Orioles lineup despite his first slump at the major-league level.
"Look at his minor league career -- he had good times and bad times," teammate Kevin Bass said. "I don't think it's going to be any different here. He may not hit .350, but if he hits .280 or .270 that's a great season."
Goodwin, a four-sport star in high school, figured he was on his way to the majors when the Orioles made him their 12th choice in the June 1991 draft. Little did he know that his big-league debut was still a long way off.
"I thought if you got drafted, like football, you go right to the big leagues," he said. "I didn't even know what minor league baseball was."
So when the Orioles called him up from Triple-A Rochester last month, Goodwin made it a point to double-check the arrangements, asking, "Orioles? Like THE Orioles?"
Now that he's made it to the big leagues, it appears as if Goodwin might stick around for a while.
"He's a good player, and I think he can become a great player," Bass said. "Experience is just going to make him better."
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