Sanchez says consistency the priority, not another batting title
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
BRADENTON, Fla. -- Two springs ago, Freddy Sanchez kept a low profile in a quiet corner of the McKechnie Field clubhouse. His main concern: Stay healthy after a long bout with an ankle injury.
Last spring, Sanchez was back in that same corner with another modest concern: Earn a place on the bench, backing up Joe Randa.
This spring?
Suffice it to say that it is amazing, given all Sanchez has experienced in the past year, that his head fit through the doorway when he showed up at McKechnie yesterday morning for a light workout.
Never mind that National League batting title.
Or even the multimillion-dollar contract he signed last month.
This is someone whose offseason included having "Freddy Sanchez Day" declared in his native Burbank, Calif., having his uniform No. 21 retired by Burbank High School and being counted among Pittsburgh Magazine's 25 most beautiful people.
"Yeah, it's been a lot," he said yesterday after suiting up for the first time. "But nothing's going to change about me, I can promise you that. Nothing's going to change as far as the hunger and the way I play my game, no matter what happened last year. My game stays the same."
Well, one aspect might change, as he allowed in the next breath.
"What I think can change is that I go into the season with a little more confidence, and maybe I can try to become a little more of a leader. We all need to get things going early for us to be successful, and we need to work together to make that happen."
It is not uncommon for Sanchez to talk about the team even when asked about himself, and that again appears to be his mind-set.
"It's time for us to start winning. That's what I'm thinking about. No more excuses. And that means players like me, Jason Bay, Jack Wilson, Xavier Nady ... we all have to step it up and make sure we're setting the right example."
For Sanchez to step it up individually might be more difficult than for the team. It is not easy to produce an adequate sequel for a season's output that includes a .344 average, 200 hits and 53 doubles.
Which probably explains why he is setting no such goal.
"It's not a matter of trying to get better. It's a matter of being consistent, of doing it year in and year out," he said. "I'm not looking at this like I've got to do better than last year. Am I going to hit .340 every year? No. Not even the best hitter in the world hits .340 every year. But can I take the same approach and be consistent for my team? Yeah, I think I can do that."
As such, this spring promises little new for Sanchez, save a couple of elements.
One is that he might not know which position he will play this season until just a few days before the April 2 opener in Houston. Management is having Jose Castillo and Jose Bautista duel for the lone remaining starting job in the infield. If Castillo keeps his place at second base, Sanchez will stay at third. If Bautista wins, Sanchez will switch full time to second.
"I'm not worried about that at all. I'm used to it," Sanchez said. "Wherever they play me, I'm ready for either. Obviously, I'm going to have to work hard at each position. It's possible I might not know which one I'm playing until three days before the opener, but that's fine. If I work hard at both all spring, it won't matter."
The other change: Sanchez's locker stall finally is out of that corner and part of a set of three that stands prominently at the forefront of the clubhouse, alongside fellow All-Stars Bay and Wilson.
As for that head fitting through the doorway ...
"It's not swelled," Sanchez said. "I'm a firm believer in that it doesn't matter what you did last year, whether you hit .202 or .342. I'm the same person, and I'll work hard to be the same player."
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(Dejan Kovacevic can be reached at dkovacevic@post-gazette.com. )
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