For
the week of :
May 19, 2003
Interview with Matt
Kata
Interview with Garrett Atkins
Home
Minor League Ramblings is produced by Bill Mitchell for Minor League Watch.
|
Atkins needs only to
improve on defense before Hitting has never been a big problem for Colorado Rockies third base prospect Garrett Atkins. The UCLA product has been a consistently solid contact hitter throughout his three-year minor league career since being selected by the Rockies in the fifth round of the 200 free agent draft.
Atkins came into the current season with a .298 cumulative average, and is raking Pacific Coast League pitchers with a .359 average after the first 45 games of his initial AAA season. This follows a solid season in the advanced Arizona Fall League, when Atkins hit .353 in 33 games for the Mesa Solar Sox. It's his defense at the hot corner that Atkins knows must improve before he gets the call to make the short drive to Coors Field from the Rockies' AAA affiliate in nearby Colorado Springs. Third base is a relatively new position for Atkins, who spent his college years and the early portion of his minor league career at first base. This really is only his second year of significant action at third base, a position to which he refers in conversation as "over there." "I have my good days and my bad days over there," said Atkins, about his defensive play. "That's the biggest problem I have right now. I need to maintain the consistency. That's what's required at the big league level, being able to make the routine play every day. Right now, I'm probably not quite there yet, but I'm working on staying mentally prepared for every pitch." The only other rap on Atkins' game is his lack of power, though he's already smacked seven homeruns this year in 170 at bats after going deep only 24 times in his first three seasons. But it's not a concern to the 6'2", 190 pound right-handed hitter. "I try not to think about that, because whenever I do I usually get a long swing and go into a slump," said Atkins. "I'm just going to stick with the line drives and the doubles. As long as I'm driving in runs and scoring runs, that's all I really care about." Atkins, who credits his father as the biggest influence in the development of his natural hitting abilities, is finally getting his first chance to play in the rarified air of the Rocky Mountains. He isn't convinced that it's going to make that big of a difference in his approach at the plate.
"I think it's a little psychological," Atkins remarked about playing at high altitude, "but you can definitely tell the ball travels better and curve balls break a little bit less. It hasn't been that great there because it's been pretty cold and the wind's been blowing in. From what I hear, in July and August, it's a pretty good place to hit." Atkins knows that he needs to maintain consistency in all aspects of his game to make it to the major leagues. "Baseball's one of the toughest things you can do," he commented, "and playing the game every day for 140 games in 155 days is as tough as it gets." Again, Atkins is following the advice that his father drilled into him as a child. "He taught me to stay inside the ball and use the whole field," said Atkins. "I've had the same swing, the same approach for 15, 16 years. That makes it pretty easy to keep the same swing when you haven't been toying with too many things throughout your career." With third base being a problem spot for the parent club this year, does Atkins believe he's ready to make the job to Colorado when the call comes to him? "I hope so," he replied. "I hope that I can improve enough at third base that the Rockies give me a serious shot next spring training. That's all I'm thinking about now, just trying to shore up my game so if the phone rings for me, I'll be able to go up there and contribute." Atkins repeated what he needs to do to make it to the next level. "Being able to play defense ... that's my key to the big leagues." --- Bill Mitchell |
All contents Copyright © 2003, Blue
Night Productions.
All rights reserved.