PORTLAND, Maine –– Arnie Beyeler is hands-on.

The Portland Sea Dogs’ manager moves around the field at an intense pace with the precision of a drill sergeant. To some extent he needs to be. His job, along with all the other managers and coaches in the Red Sox player-development system, is to help the prospects understand and cope with the mental and physical grind of being a minor-leaguer.

In order to help these young players, Beyeler makes that grind tougher.

When the Sea Dogs are in the midst of a homestand at Hadlock Field, the team goes through daily drills as though it’s still spring training. Pitchers’ fielding practice (or PFP), bunt defenses, pick-offs, rundowns, catcher drills, outfield and infield work are all part of the normal schedule.

The players will take the field around 1:30 in the afternoon in preparation for a 6:05 game.

"It's definitely a huge grind," outfielder Josh Reddick said. "Arnie is doing the best he can for us, and getting us to work hard every day and getting us used to that atmosphere. It’s exactly like spring training, but it will only make us that much better. We’re not going to like it every day, but it will make us better."

There's a fine line between winning and development at the minor-league level, and the Red Sox are more interested in the latter. Beyeler believes the two go hand-in-hand.

"Winning is part of development," he said.

That’s why the organization pushes the players at the lower levels and as they progress through the system, eventually they’ll be on their own. If they can't produce, they’ll never taste the big leagues. You can’t just flip and switch and be a great player. Sure, there are those very few athletes who have been given a God-given ability to perform at the highest level with ease, but without this philosophy, the Red Sox wouldn’t have the sustained success they’ve enjoyed.

"It is a daily grind," catching prospect Mark Wagner said. "It's a little bit different routine from what goes on up there in the big leagues. That's why you’re down here working your butt off and hopefully you will get rewarded in a good manner. You’re obviously not in the big leagues, so you have to work. If you were big-league ready, then you wouldn’t be here. If you put in the hard work, hopefully you can get to where you want to be, and that’s being an established big-leaguer helping the Red Sox win a championship."

Throughout the Red Sox system there's a synergy. The work and the consistency is the same at every level, so when these players move up, they’re not surprised with anything. The routine is the same and that allows players to be comfortable and perform at their best.

"It's very important," said Beyeler. "The guys are used to working, so when they get up here they don’t miss a beat. When they get up to Triple-A it’s the same, and then on into Boston. You have to work and guys understand that."

After the Red Sox swept the Yankees last weekend, manager Terry Francona credited Sunday’s win as an organizational victory. The key players, mainly pitchers Justin Masterson, Hunter Jones and Michael Bowden, are all homegrown talent.

While the accolades are always nice, Beyeler and his staff aren’t looking for a pat on the back. Their satisfaction comes from seeing the players’ hard work at this level pay dividends down the road.

"We enjoy the game. We enjoy the kids and the opportunity to work with the guys, and see them get better and see them improve and grow into men," Beyeler said. "They develop as people and players. You work hard out here every day and hope one or two guys get a chance to play in the big leagues."

The Dogs' manager quickly corrected himself because over the last few years there have been a lot more than one or two.

Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia, Jed Lowrie, Jonathan Papelbon, Manny Delcarmen, Masterson, Bowden, Clay Buchholz came up through the organization, including stops in Portland.

"Boy, just in the last three years since I've been here, to see the steady stream of guys go up there," Beyeler said. "And it starts with the scouts."

The aforementioned players learned the mental aspect of the game pitch to pitch, and at-bat to at-bat, in the development system. Everything they did, the current Sea Dogs players are still doing. Fortunately for Beyeler and his staff, most of these players were in big-league camp during spring training, so they got a first-hand look at the preparation and dedication it takes to be an everyday player in the big leagues.

"When you see the best guys do it, it shows you what you need to do and what needs to get done to get there," said Wagner.

Beyeler, along with PawSox manager Ron Johnson, were asked to join Francona’s staff last September after their respective minor-league seasons were over. Beyeler was able to see first-hand the result of player development.

"A lot of people don’t understand the high level of concentration that goes on in that dugout in Boston," he said. "Those guys are locked in and it's about winning the ballgame. The regimen that those guys have up there, that performance routine, is pretty strict and pretty intense. When it’s time to go, it’s time to go."

The difference between major-leaguers and the players still developing is the concentration level. Beyeler’s staff is responsible to help these prospects keep that mental focus to be successful and hopefully one day help the parent club win.

That dedication is on display on a daily basis in Portland.

jmcdonal@projo.com