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ST. PETERSBURG - The plan, at least in part, was to teach the kid a lesson. Show him what he was up against; prepare him for what had to be learned.
This explains what Delmon Young was doing in the Arizona Fall League, in the first place. He had just turned 18, never had played a game as a pro, and had no business facing some of baseball's best Double-A and Triple-A prospects.
When he hit .417, the Devil Rays figured it was time for a new plan.
Which brings us to today. To the early hours of spring training. To Young's latest impetuous turn. He's still 18, still hasn't played a regular-season game and is still knocking the bejeebers out of the ball.
"He has the type of power that can change games," general manager Chuck LaMar said. "There are very few players with power that can be felt from the on-deck circle. Delmon has a chance to be that type of player."
There's no rush, mind you. Young will likely be shipped out early in spring training. Will probably begin the season with Class A Charleston.
But, for now, the Rays are gazing at him the way a developer might look at beachfront property.
"You look at him, he's an 18-year-old kid," manager Lou Piniella said. "But, physically, he looks the same as these big-leaguers."
Everything about Young screams big time. His physical stature is impressive. His swing is powerful, yet in control. And his attitude is arrogant, bordering on rude. Should a movie be made of Barry Bonds' life, Young would be perfect for the part of the teenage years.
If you're seeking wide-eyed innocence, look elsewhere. Young, the No. 1 pick in last year's draft, is self-assured. At times, he can be boorish. Most teammates would seem to speak well of him, though dissenting opinions are not hard to find.
His brother Dmitri was a first-round draft pick in 1991 and Delmon has grown up around major-league clubhouses. If he is impressed about sharing a locker room with Fred McGriff and his 491 home runs, Young isn't letting on.
Nine at-bats into his career in the Arizona Fall League, he said he had yet to be dominated by a pitcher. Young told a magazine reporter if these were big-league prospects he was facing, he'd be in the majors by the end of 2004.
"Oh, he's confident," Piniella said. "If you asked him, I think he'd tell you he has an excellent chance of making this team."
Perhaps it is one of the qualities that makes Young unique. He was, by far, the youngest player in the fall league. And, obviously, the most inexperienced. Yet his performance showed no signs of nerves or intimidation.
Young has competed against older players for most of his life and has learned not to give an inch. For some players, confidence is what they feel in their hearts. For others, it is worn like a suit of armor.
"There were a couple of things said in the Arizona Fall League that people noticed. Teams picked on him about it," said pitcher Dewon Brazelton, who was a teammate in Arizona. "But everybody says stupid (stuff). I don't understand why people can't remember what it was like to be 18. I said stupid (stuff) when I came out and I was 21, with three years of college.
"You got the vibe in the fall league that some people didn't want him to do good. But the kid can play. He proved why he was the No.1 pick. He's got good bloodlines, he's an honest kid. I was real glad he did well there."
Already there are questions of how much and how soon. If Young tore up the fall league, against 24- and 25-year-old players, what will he do in Class A? Is he destined for a Rocco Baldelli-like ascent through the farm system?
The Rays, understandably, are torn. They want Young to succeed, but also to be prepared.
There is less reason to hurry Young than there was for Baldelli and Carl Crawford, who came along at a more precarious time in the franchise's development. And, as young as they were last spring, Crawford still had parts of four minor-league seasons and Baldelli had played parts of three.
"He looks good and he seems mature," said McGriff, who was in his fifth pro season the year Young was born. "But this is a humbling game. One minute, you think you have it figured out. The next, it slaps you in the face and you start all over again. The important thing is how you handle yourself when you're struggling. And you will struggle. Everyone does.
"You remember, a few years ago we were all talking about Josh (Hamilton). You can't get caught up in your clippings. It can fall apart real fast."
For the moment, that is not a concern. Young's career is too young and his talent too large to worry today about pratfalls.
The Rays have had more success than failure steering young players through the ups and downs of pro ball. Some have made the journey without a hitch. Others have needed a harsh lesson or two along the way.
The biggest issue is timing.
Is there enough time to teach Young how to be a big-leaguer before his bat actually gets him there?
Or will he be in too much of a hurry to learn?