After Single A, Kalish has had Double trouble

Each time manager Chad Epperson watched from the third base coach's box as Kalish settled into his stance in the lefthanded batter's box, "you just had that feeling something good is going to happen," Epperson said. Kalish's time at Single A was drawing short.

"He got to the corner, and he needed to turn that corner," Epperson said. "There's no question in my mind that this guy was ready."

Even with his considerable potential, Kalish has proved how difficult the transition from one minor league plateau to the next can be. The Sox promoted Kalish to Double A one week ago. When Kalish, 21, arrived in Portland, he became the youngest player on the team. In his first six games, Kalish is batting .048, his lone hit in 21 at-bats a triple.

"I'm trying to do too much," Kalish said. "My effort level is going up. I just need to go back to being more relaxed. You want to make an impression on your manager and your teammates. Your effort level skyrockets. I just need to go out there and say, 'Forget it. See a pitch and hit it hard.' "

The only other 21-year-olds with the Sea Dogs are first baseman Lars Anderson and pitcher Felix Doubrant; Kalish is five months younger than Doubrant and six months younger than Anderson. In Single A, Kalish faced opponents just like him, youthful players finding their place in pro baseball. Two of the first starting pitchers he faced in Portland had recently played in Triple A, and each approached 30 years old.

Kalish found in high Single A compared with Double A "you get a lot more chances to hurt the pitchers." In Salem, he had grown comfortable with his teammates, guys he had played with for several seasons. He enjoys his new teammates, several of whom have counseled him on the transition, he said. But the unfamiliarity can be unsettling.

"This is probably the biggest jump, from high A to Double A," said director of player development Mike Hazen. "You make that step, it's a huge adjustment. They know what they're doing with the baseball. They're not giving you 2-0 fastballs and 3-1 fastballs. When you make that step, it's a huge adjustment."

It is also, in a way, a huge commitment. The organization believes Kalish proved himself too good for Single A, and he is not going back.

"When guys get to the point when they dominate the game on a consistent basis, it's time to move on," Hazen said. "He was doing that. It doesn't matter how old they are. When they get to a point they need to be challenged, they need to be challenged.

"When guys get to Boston, they're going to have down periods. Better to figure it out now and go through mini down periods. He's going to have to figure it out here. He's a really, really good player, and he's going to figure it out."

The Red Sox selected Kalish out of high school in New Jersey in the ninth round of the 2006 draft. He earned a promotion from low Single A Greenville to high Single A last year, and Baseball America named him the 13th-best prospect in the Red Sox farm system before this season.

His effort impressed Epperson immediately last season. Epperson loved managing Kalish, because he could expect the same focused routine each day.

"Ground ball to the pitcher, he's going full tilt," Epperson said. "He's a scout's dream. This guy doesn't let up. Lots of guys have above-average speed, but they're not very good on the bases. This kid's got both."

The most enticing aspect of Kalish's potential is not how vast it is, but how varied. His speed may allow him to steal 25 bases someday, and even though he hit third in Salem, "I think you could put this young man anywhere in the lineup," Epperson said. "I think there's some power in that bat that still hasn't come to its surface."

"There's a lot of projection," Hazen said. "Is he going to hit for power? Will he maintain the speed to steal 20, 25 bases per year? Who knows what he's going to become?"

Kalish believes once he relaxes, he'll start to answer that question. When Kalish fell into slumps last season, he found himself becoming too mechanical rather than reacting. He pulled himself out then, and he plans on doing it again.

"The start isn't where I want it to be," Kalish said. "I'm also the kind of person, I'm not going to back down. That's why we play in the minor leagues. I'm not sitting here satisfied. As a competitor, we get mad. You don't want to fail.

"I think people might be saying it's a little too early. I don't think so. I think I can definitely improve what I'm doing."

The lull set the stage for Anderson's monster afternoon yesterday in a 10-3 Portland victory. He drew walks in his first two plate appearances and smacked a two-run double in his third. In his fourth plate appearance, he walked again. In his fifth, he whaled a two-run homer. For the game, he reached base five times and knocked in four runs.

The walks, Hazen said, may have been the most encouraging part. Anderson has walked 12 times in his last 10 games.

"Not to make excuses for him, he's a big guy in this league," Hazen said. "Everybody knows who he is. If guys aren't going to pitch to him, he's got to figure it out, and he has."

Anderson's struggles against lefthanders have been most pronounced this season. He is batting .179 and slugging .250 with no home runs against them this year. Compared to his past splits, though, those numbers are an aberration. "He's always hit lefties," Hazen said. "I don't have any concerns."

Adam Kilgore can be reached at akilgore@globe.com