Talking Sports And Fitness With Zeke

Eric Valent tells Zeke the story of his five-year Major League playing career as a valuable utility man for the Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets as an outfielder/first baseman with good power from the left side of the plate. Valent discusses with Zeke the transition of going from a three-time All-American at UCLA -- where he helped lead the Bruins to the 1997 College World Series; was Pac-10 Player of the Year in 1998; hit 69 career homers in three seasons, the most in Pac-10 history; and played with future MLB stars Troy Glaus, Chase Utley, Eric Byrnes and Garret Atkins -- to a role player in the majors. Valent, who played for the Reading Phillies in 2000, cites two factors why he didn't enjoy the same level of success in the big leagues -- he didn't have the same power with wooden bats as he did with aluminum bats and he didn't hit with enough consistency. "They've done a lot with the guidelines to the aluminum bats," Valent tells Zeke. "I think the aluminum bats offer just a bit