PAWTUCKET — Like every minor-league baseball player, all Bobby Scales wants is the opportunity to play for a major-league team and show them what he’s got.

After being named All-Big Ten in 1999 at the University of Michigan, the 6-foot, 170-pound switch hitter was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 14th round and has been playing in the minors.

Over the last eight years, Scales has risen from the rookie level to playing all 28 games for the Boston Red Sox during spring training this year.

But when the Red Sox signed the versatile 29-year-old slugger in December, he knew that he was going to begin the season with the PawSox. That was all right with him.

“I had a good spring training,” Scales said last night after the PawSox’ game with Rochester was rained out and rescheduled for early August at McCoy Stadium. “I was fortunate enough to stay in the big-league camp the whole time and then they told me I was coming here but that’s pretty much what I expected when I signed. It wasn’t a surprise. I’m glad to be here. It’s a great place to play. The fans get really behind us. There are a lot worse places you can play minor-league baseball. This is at the top of the heap as far as I’m concerned.”

Scales impressed a lot of people during spring training. He hit .250 (9-for-36) and drove in five runs.

Now, after spending his first seven seasons in the San Diego Padres organization and last season with Scranton/Wilkes Barre of the Philadelphia Phillies organization, Scales is finding his place among the PawSox.

“It has been good,” Scales said about his experience with the PawSox so far. “We have a great coaching staff and this is a good bunch of guys and that always makes it fun. I don’t care where you are, if you have good people surrounding you it’s going to be a good experience.”

Scales is hoping for the opportunity to play in more games. He has only seen action in four games but Scales was impressive in three of them. He leads the team, and the International League with a .462 batting average (6-for-13). But because he only has 13 at bats, he hasn’t had enough of them to be listed among the International League batting leaders.

He is batting .600 (6-for-10) on the road, and of his six hits, one was a triple, and another was a home run. He also has three RBI.

Last season with Scranton/Wilkes Barre, Scales tied for fourth in the league in triples with seven; tied for 11th with a .291 batting average; and tied for 14th with a .369 on-base percentage.

He played in 105 games for the Red Barons last season and collected 22 doubles, 7 homers, 44 RBI, and 46 runs scored.

Scales said that one of his strengths is his versatility.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to play a lot of positions in my career,” Scales said. “I’ve been in a lot of different situations playing-wise, so I feel like I can adapt to a lot of different situations. At this point in my career being able to switch hit, play a lot of different positions, and the good Lord blessed me with good health so I can still run.” Scales appeared in 54 games in left field, 17 at third base, 9 at second base, and 4 at first base last season and committed only five errors.

He said that his dream is to play in the majors.

“That’s why you are here,” Scales said. “I don’t care who you are. You’re here to try to do something to prove yourself to earn a promotion to Boston.”

rlee@projo.com