The kid should be able to improve down on the farm.

The disappointment was apparent on the kid's face. He was hoping for the big break. He wanted to start right at the top. But the farm assignment is probably better for his career.

"The kid looked great in camp," said the coach, "but he'll be an even better player after developing his skills down on the farm. When he learns to put the ox before the plow, get his ducks in row, and learn who's running the henhouse, he'll be ready for the big club. This kid's got potential. We want to make sure he's not too green, and doesn't get cut down when we throw him to the wolves. Otherwise, he'll get slaughtered."

The farm is where many players plant the seeds of their career. Players can't take their opportunity for granted. They have to be willing to get their hands dirty and pay their dues instead of just milking their way to professional success.

"It's not a demotion," said the coach, who once ran the farm himself. "Many players--even better than the kid--started out on the farm. I could name a few of the big stars of the game who began down there, learning to take the bull by the horns, before they started living high off the hog. Right now the kid's as stubborn as a mule, and he needs to realize that he's not the cock of the roost. Once he beefs-up a little we'll give him another shot."

The coach sees greener pastures in the kid's future, but right now he'll need to live up to the expectations he's been branded with.

"He'll learn a thing or two from the other young bucks, and from some of those old stallions that have gone to pasture," said the coach. "Sure, I could see how a young hot-shot might be tempted to cry over spilled milk, but there's no quicker way to get my goat. You can't count your chickens before they hatch, and this kid is still a yolk. I'd be leaving the barn door wide open if I started playing these guys before they're ready to be brought up--and I've got to bring home the bacon, so I can't put all my eggs in one basket."

Despite the way the coach chewed the cud, you could tell he didn't think it would be long before the kid would be razing the roofs in the big league. Rumour on the street was that he already had a position sown up, ready to reap the rewards of being a stellar professional player.

The kid proved himself in the minors. But will he be tempted to bale on the team and test the markets after his contract expires?

It's too early to tell.

It's true that what they make down on the farm is just chicken-feed compared to the salaries they earn in the big league, but that isn't the motivating factor here. It's about pride. About talent.

"We're just trying to harvest the best talent we can for our team," said the coach. "If this kid isn't a bad apple and can germinate into something fruitful, he'll be ready to leave the farm soon enough. That's how we do it. It's just good horse-sense."