Hot-hitting Sanchez is no fluke

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By Rob Rossi
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Freddy Sanchez has his doubters.

They have their reasons, too.

After all, a Pirates fan needs only to remember the 2005 season, when Rob Mackowiak came off the bench to join the everyday lineup and immediately jumped into the National League batting race.

Mackowiak ended up hitting a respectable .272 for the season. He was then traded to the Chicago White Sox during the offseason.

So, there's at least one difference between Mackowiak and Sanchez -- one was shipped out of Pittsburgh, while the other figures on being here for quite some time.

Another difference...

"What he's doing is no fluke," said Sean Casey of Sanchez. "I saw it last year when I was with Cincinnati and he started getting a chance to play more. He was the Pirates' toughest out. He's probably the toughest out we have on this team.

"He's a great hitter. He has ridiculous hands; they're sick. That guy has a knack for getting the barrel of the bat on a baseball. He can be off-balance, out in front of the pitch, backing away from the pitch, you name it -- he almost always gets the barrel of the bat on the ball. That's exactly what great hitters do consistently."

Casey should know. He has a career batting average of .305.

When Joe Randa went down in late-April with a bone contusion on his right foot -- an injury that would cost him five weeks -- Sanchez was given the opportunity to start every day at third base.

Sanchez took his opportunity and had made a case to become the Pirates' third baseman of this season and the ones to follow.

His .351 batting average was third among National League entering Monday, behind only Matt Holliday of the Colorado Rockies (.353) and Nomar Garciaparra of the Los Angeles Dodgers (.362).

Coincidentally, back in 2003, when Garciaparra was still the beloved hero of Red Sox Nation, Sanchez was an acclaimed prospect for Boston, considered to be a batting champion-in-waiting.

Boston's need for a starting pitcher during the stretch run of 2003 resulted in Sanchez coming to the Pirates in return for Jeff Suppan, Brandon Lyon and Anastacio Martinez. General manager Dave Littlefield also reacquired Mike Gonzalez in that deal.

Gonzalez is the Pirates' designated closer of today and tomorrow.
As for Sanchez, consider the following scene:

Upon his return from a minor-league rehab stint with Class AAA Indianapolis, Randa sat down with manager Jim Tracy to discuss his place on the roster.

"Joe completely understood that there was no way we could take Freddy out of the lineup," said Tracy. "As a professional, he realized that this team was better off now with Freddy at third. He also realized that Freddy was the future at third."

The sudden conversion of third-base prospect Jose Bautista to a center fielder certainly speaks to Sanchez's future in Pittsburgh.

"This organization gave me my first chance to show what I can do at this level," said Sanchez. "Pittsburgh has been great for me and great to me. I'm very happy here."

Those noticeable chants at PNC Park ("Fred-E!, Fred-E!") are evidence of just how happy Pirates fans are to have Sanchez -- even if some are privately are waiting for the shoe to drop and flatten his awesome average.

"People are going to be waiting a long time if that's what they are waiting for," said Jack Wilson. "He's a feel-good story, but not that kind that is waiting to be exposed. Freddy has always been a great player. He just needed a chance to play. Now he's got that chance and everybody is seeing what he can do."

Rob Rossi can be reached at rrossi@tribweb.com or (412) 380-5635.