Kieboom savoring every minute of his first major league camp

VIERA, Fla. - It's not hard to spot the guys at spring training who aren't long for camp. Every clubhouse is full of guys who fill a necessary role: to log innings once starting pitchers and key relievers have finished throwing their allotted pitches, or take the field or grab a bat late in games when the regulars are done their work for the day.

Many are wide-eyed and baby-faced. Most wear numbers you'd find stretched across the back of a burly football offensive lineman. Most are crammed together in the corners of the clubhouse, in the low-rent real estate, where overfilled equipment bags hold what cozy locker stalls can't.

Spencer Kieboom, a 23-year-old catcher who looks beefy enough at 6-foot and 220 lbs. to be an interior lineman, is one of those guys. He's at the end of row of seven Nationals backstops on one side of the home clubhouse at Space Coast Stadium, tucked in next to second baseman Anthony Rendon's locker. The placement is worthy of a guy thought highly enough of to be a fifth-round pick in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft out of Clemson, a power hitter with decent defensive skills. It's not unusual for a guy considered a decent prospect to locker up next to someone more established who can help teach him the ropes.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit - I don't want to use the word nervous - but anxious when I showed up," Kieboom said Sunday as he prepped for the Nats' second pitchers/catchers workout of the spring. "But the minute I stepped through the door, it's a great locker room atmosphere, which I love. It's a lot of people, different personalities and it's fun. ... To me, it's exciting just to be back around baseball."

Kieboom's invite to camp as a non-roster player was a reward for his stellar 2014, when he hit .309 with nine homers and 61 RBIs at low Single-A Hagerstown. He was invited to play in the Arizona Fall League after last season, slashing .324/.390/.471 with a homer and seven RBIs in 10 games. He's targeted for high Single-A Potomac this season, part of the organization's renewed depth behind the plate.

Yesterday, he crouched and caught right-handers Tanner Roark and Eric Fornataro, then took batting practice on the field at Space Coast Stadium. Today? Who knows, but whatever is asked of him while he's needed at camp, Kieboom is happy to comply.

"I like being around the field," he said. "When people say, 'I love baseball and it's fun,' baseball is fun and playing is fun. For me, everything else around it is fun, too, and that's what makes it great for me."

No one would have been shocked if the Nats had delayed Kieboom's arrival at camp until minor leaguers report during the first week of March - he was in minor league camp last year after spending his sophomore season with the Rookie-level Gulf Coast Nationals. Kieboom admits he would have been disappointed if he hadn't been asked to big league camp. Extra catchers are needed because of the plethora of pitchers around during the first two weeks of workouts and the first week or so of Grapefruit League games. As soon as a few pitchers are cut, Kieboom and Pedro Severino are likely to be reassigned, with more experienced backup backstops like Steve Lerud, Sandy Leon and Dan Butler getting more work to spell starter Wilson Ramos and reserve Jose Lobaton.

Until that time comes, Kieboom will soak in every minute, every experience, every hack, every pitch he's lucky enough to catch.

"It's definitely a plus," he smiles. "All these guys, you hear about them through the organization but you don't get a chance to watch games because we're playing all the time. It's nice to meet these guys and put a true face with a name. Meet them and see their personalities. I'm trying to get to know as much about people as I can, who they are and how they operate. For me, it's a great opportunity."

Yesterday, during the first day of workouts, a local photographer snapped a photo of Kieboom in full gear bending over to pick up a ball. It took him about an hour to figure out who was pictured, because the catcher's name and number were mostly obscured. Such is the life of non-roster anonymity.

Kieboom's name is Dutch and the native of Marietta, Ga., carries dual citizenship in the United States and Holland. His unique moniker draws a lot of attention from creative fans, who love its mellifluous flow and its second syllable, which sounds like a hard-hit ball after contact with the bat.

"I've had some people come up with some creative stuff," he chuckles. "It was a while ago, but somebody made a key cutout with a 'Boom!" sign next to it. It's a hard last name to complain about. Boom's great - it's a great last name. I love it. Thanks to my dad, I guess."