The capital of the state of Delta Amacuro in northeastern Venezuela, Tucupita was founded in the late 19th century as a trading depot for corn, sugarcane and tobacco. Before the summer of 2015, the ballfields cut out of the swamplands surrounding the Caño Manamo river had not produced a better player than Raul Jose Marcano, his reputation in the region so far-reaching that he came to be known simply as “Tucupita.”

Eventually the nickname was passed on to Marcano’s son, a quiet, slightly-built middle infielder seated next to him for a 10-hour car ride to a professional tryout in Maracay.

The commute left plenty of time to talk.

About life.


About perseverance.

About a future in baseball.

“A lot of advice was given,” a 19-year-old Tucupita Marcano, speaking through an interpreter, recalled Thursday evening before doubling in the first run of a 5-3 loss in the Don Welke On Deck Classic at Petco Park. “My dad has always been my support system and has always encouraged me to work hard. He said whatever you put your mind to you can achieve.

“For me to take that advice and have it translate into results is special.”


Marcano was speaking before his first start in the third annual showcase of a farm system considered one of the game’s deepest and brightest.

It’s crown jewel, shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr., starred in last year’s event, was recently cleared for a full return following his season-ending thumb injury and will resume his ascent to San Diego in the Dominican winter league, perhaps as soon as November.

Behind Tatis, the Padres are teeming with shortstop prospects and four of them were in the starting lineup Thursday in an exhibition against a team of Texas Rangers’ minor leaguers: Slick-fielding Gabriel Arias at the actual position, 2018 supplemental first-rounder Xavier Edwards at second base, third-rounder Owen Miller at first base and the 6-foot, 165-pound Marcano at third base, his reward for an eye-opening first full season in pro ball.

“This is my dream,” Marcano said before going 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and two walks. “It’s a dream I’m still in the process of realizing, but I think the ultimate goal is to be here. To be here would be a dream come true.”


Indeed, after hitting .206 last year in the Dominican Summer League, there’s been a lot to write home about.

His .395 average gave Marcano a 40-point cushion for the rookie-level Arizona League’s batting title. He walked nearly three times (26) as often as he struck out (10) in that circuit and didn’t miss much of a beat when the Padres pushed him to short-season Tri-City (.314/.355/.438) ahead of his 19th birthday.

“He plays with a chip on his shoulder, like he has something to prove,” said Chris Kemp, who doubles as the Padres’ international scouting director and minor league field coordinator. “He wasn’t a high-paid guy. He’s not the biggest guy, but there’s some fight in there. He knows how to use the barrel and play the game. He’s a winning baseball player.”

Kemp sensed as much three years ago as he spoke with Raul Jose Marcano ahead of that tryout in Maracay as the 15-year-old boy stared at the field in silence.


“It just struck me – this kid was serious,” Kemp recalled. “Just the way he looked, the way he was getting ready for his game. From the first day I saw him, it was line drive to left, double in the gap. That’s how he did it. He was always on base. He was always doing something.”

That something earned Marcano a $320,000 payday, a drop in the bucket during a spending spree that piled up more than $80 million in bills.

The Padres’ biggest expenditures from the 2016-17 international class – Cubans Adrian Morejon ($11 million), Jorge Ona ($7 million) and Michel Baez ($3 million) and Dominican Luis Almanzar ($4.05 million) – shared the field Thursday night under Petco Park’s bright lights, nearly 4,000 miles away from the start of Tucupita Marcano’s journey.

“It’s a very small town, a very humble town,” Marcano said of the town of Tucupita. “There’s a lot of hard-working people there. The people support each other. We do have a bit of poverty … but I love my town.


“I love where I come from.”

Remembering Welke

The final event of the Padres fall instruction league, Thursday’s annual exhibition game was named for Don Welke after the Padres’ vice president of scouting operations died last week, two days shy of his 76th birthday. Before the game against the Texas Rangers – who previously employed Welke – General Manger A.J. Preller spoke of his mentor.

“He had a lot of impact on a lot of people (in those two organizations) – players, scouts, front office personnel in both spots,” Preller said. “Don, he loved all baseball but grassroots baseball, scouting, prospects, young players on the come – that was what he was all about. Trying to get the guy before they were the guy. He loved this event the last two years. Naming the game after him just made a ton of sense.”

Double-A search

The Padres search for a Double-A affiliate has been narrowed to finalists, Preller said. Since the deal with San Antonio ended this season, Preller said front-office representatives have traveled the country to find a good fit.


He told a group of fans assembled Thursday during a “social summit” event at Petco Park that the list had been narrowed to Chattanooga, Tenn.; Amarillo, Texas; and Pensacola, Fla.

Since the Reds are reportedly returning to Chattanooga, that appears to leave just two.

Notable

RHP Andres Munoz closed a one-two-three ninth with a 102 mph fastball that produced flyball to right field. The 19-year-old relief prospect mostly sat 99-101 mph and threw one 87 slider.

closed a one-two-three ninth with a 102 mph fastball that produced flyball to right field. The 19-year-old relief prospect mostly sat 99-101 mph and threw one 87 slider. RHP Reggie Lawson struck out seven and allowed two runs on two hits and a walk in four innings and RHP Michel Baez struck out four while allowing a run on two hits and a walk in three innings. RHP Dauris Valdez took the loss, allowing two runs in the eighth inning.

struck out seven and allowed two runs on two hits and a walk in four innings and RHP struck out four while allowing a run on two hits and a walk in three innings. RHP took the loss, allowing two runs in the eighth inning. DH Esteury Ruiz homered to straight-away center field in the second inning and RF Edward Olivares singled and walked three times.

homered to straight-away center field in the second inning and RF singled and walked three times. Josh Naylor played left field and went 1-for-2 with a walk.


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jeff.sanders@sduniontribune.com; Twitter: @sdutSanders