goreds
03-26-2002, 10:45 AM
SARASOTA, Fla. -- Time will tell whether the Cincinnati Reds' love affair with Juan Encarnacion is more than just a spring romance.
The Reds believe they could be on the brink of seeing their new right fielder realize his potential, which has been perceived as huge. "We're seeing glimpses of it here in spring training that make us excited," manager Bob Boone said.
This is nothing new for the Reds. General Manager Jim Bowden has brought in numerous "tools" players, hoping that they can mature, jell, or recapture lost skills in a Cincinnati uniform. Some thrived, such as Mike Cameron, Ron Gant, Kevin Mitchell and Reggie Sanders, though only Sanders spent more than two seasons as a Red. Others, such as Willie Greene, Mike Kelly and Michael Tucker, fell short of expectations.
It's not imperative for Encarnacion to succeed, but it's close. The Reds obtained him and promising right-hander Luis Pineda from the Detroit Tigers for Dmitri Young, the switch-hitting outfielder who hit .300 or higher in each of the last four seasons. If Encarnacion is to provide an upgrade, he must improve dramatically upon his performance with the Tigers, for whom he hit .269 with 53 homers and 224 RBI in 3 1/2 seasons. Detroit finally lost patience with Encarnacion after last season, when he hit .242 with 12 homers and 52 RBI.
"Sometimes those are the biggest breaks you can get because if he had had a good year, we could never get him," said Boone, ever hopeful. "But we know he's capable of them. From our standpoint, it's certainly worth the risk."
Feeling upbeat about Encarnacion has been easy for the Reds. Though his Grapefruit League average was an ordinary .258 after the Reds' 7-3 victory Monday night over the Boston Red Sox, he was riding the crest of a eight-game hitting streak, during which he had hit .367 (11-for-30). The right-handed batter had homered in three consecutive games before Monday.
"He's turning into a more patient hitter," Boone said. "He's always had the terrific power and bat speed."
Said Encarnacion, "I just wanted to make a good impression ... Everything is coming along well. I'm happy; that's the key. I think everything's going to happen and come my way if I stay healthy."
Encarnacion has indicated that he's as sharp mentally as well as physically. In early January, nearly a month after the Reds obtained him, they sent him to batting coach Jim Lefebvre's hitting school in Scottsdale, Ariz., with the intent of doctoring his swing. Encarnacion tended to hold his hands relatively high in his batting stance, then would drop them as he'd launch his stride, which threw off his swing. Lefebvre wanted to eliminate that drop by asking Encarnacion to carry his hands lower, thus leveling the plane of his swing.
When Encarnacion arrived and took his first cuts, Lefebvre was pleasantly surprised to find that his pupil already had made the correction. This countered the reputation Encarnacion developed in Detroit for being unable or unwilling to make the constant adjustments required of all Major League hitters.
"I was kind of mystified," Lefebvre said. "I told him, 'I thought you had this big, loopy swing.' He doesn't say a lot, but he's a very bright guy. I said, 'We're staying right where you are.' He opened my eyes."
Lefebvre's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets later during Encarnacion's visit at an outdoor hitting session. The 26-year-old hit a ball onto a freeway situated beyond the ballpark's outfield fence, a poke Lefebvre estimated at 500 feet.
"He has tremendous power all over the field, not just pulling the ball," Lefebvre said. "Everybody's known he's had tremendous potential. It's just a matter of putting it together."
Encarnacion downplayed the refinements he has made. "Nothing's been different," he said. "I'm just trying to have good at-bats. My approach has been the same."
When Encarnacion will approach the plate remains to be seen. He has migrated in Boone's Grapefruit League batting orders among second, third, fifth, sixth and seventh. Since the No. 3 spot is Ken Griffey's Jr.'s exclusive domain, Encarnacion won't hit there during the regular season unless Griffey's injured or resting. Sixth and seventh are likelier options.
"I'm not really concerned about it," Boone said. "I can use two homers from the seven-hole hitter just like I can from the three-hole."
Encarnacion considered this subject trivial. "I'm happy that I'm in there," he said. Adopting Boone's perspective, he added, "You never know when people are going to be on base."
Given Encarnacion's past, you never know how he's going to perform. As Boone said, "He has to go out and do it."
Chris Haft covers the Reds for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
The Reds believe they could be on the brink of seeing their new right fielder realize his potential, which has been perceived as huge. "We're seeing glimpses of it here in spring training that make us excited," manager Bob Boone said.
This is nothing new for the Reds. General Manager Jim Bowden has brought in numerous "tools" players, hoping that they can mature, jell, or recapture lost skills in a Cincinnati uniform. Some thrived, such as Mike Cameron, Ron Gant, Kevin Mitchell and Reggie Sanders, though only Sanders spent more than two seasons as a Red. Others, such as Willie Greene, Mike Kelly and Michael Tucker, fell short of expectations.
It's not imperative for Encarnacion to succeed, but it's close. The Reds obtained him and promising right-hander Luis Pineda from the Detroit Tigers for Dmitri Young, the switch-hitting outfielder who hit .300 or higher in each of the last four seasons. If Encarnacion is to provide an upgrade, he must improve dramatically upon his performance with the Tigers, for whom he hit .269 with 53 homers and 224 RBI in 3 1/2 seasons. Detroit finally lost patience with Encarnacion after last season, when he hit .242 with 12 homers and 52 RBI.
"Sometimes those are the biggest breaks you can get because if he had had a good year, we could never get him," said Boone, ever hopeful. "But we know he's capable of them. From our standpoint, it's certainly worth the risk."
Feeling upbeat about Encarnacion has been easy for the Reds. Though his Grapefruit League average was an ordinary .258 after the Reds' 7-3 victory Monday night over the Boston Red Sox, he was riding the crest of a eight-game hitting streak, during which he had hit .367 (11-for-30). The right-handed batter had homered in three consecutive games before Monday.
"He's turning into a more patient hitter," Boone said. "He's always had the terrific power and bat speed."
Said Encarnacion, "I just wanted to make a good impression ... Everything is coming along well. I'm happy; that's the key. I think everything's going to happen and come my way if I stay healthy."
Encarnacion has indicated that he's as sharp mentally as well as physically. In early January, nearly a month after the Reds obtained him, they sent him to batting coach Jim Lefebvre's hitting school in Scottsdale, Ariz., with the intent of doctoring his swing. Encarnacion tended to hold his hands relatively high in his batting stance, then would drop them as he'd launch his stride, which threw off his swing. Lefebvre wanted to eliminate that drop by asking Encarnacion to carry his hands lower, thus leveling the plane of his swing.
When Encarnacion arrived and took his first cuts, Lefebvre was pleasantly surprised to find that his pupil already had made the correction. This countered the reputation Encarnacion developed in Detroit for being unable or unwilling to make the constant adjustments required of all Major League hitters.
"I was kind of mystified," Lefebvre said. "I told him, 'I thought you had this big, loopy swing.' He doesn't say a lot, but he's a very bright guy. I said, 'We're staying right where you are.' He opened my eyes."
Lefebvre's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets later during Encarnacion's visit at an outdoor hitting session. The 26-year-old hit a ball onto a freeway situated beyond the ballpark's outfield fence, a poke Lefebvre estimated at 500 feet.
"He has tremendous power all over the field, not just pulling the ball," Lefebvre said. "Everybody's known he's had tremendous potential. It's just a matter of putting it together."
Encarnacion downplayed the refinements he has made. "Nothing's been different," he said. "I'm just trying to have good at-bats. My approach has been the same."
When Encarnacion will approach the plate remains to be seen. He has migrated in Boone's Grapefruit League batting orders among second, third, fifth, sixth and seventh. Since the No. 3 spot is Ken Griffey's Jr.'s exclusive domain, Encarnacion won't hit there during the regular season unless Griffey's injured or resting. Sixth and seventh are likelier options.
"I'm not really concerned about it," Boone said. "I can use two homers from the seven-hole hitter just like I can from the three-hole."
Encarnacion considered this subject trivial. "I'm happy that I'm in there," he said. Adopting Boone's perspective, he added, "You never know when people are going to be on base."
Given Encarnacion's past, you never know how he's going to perform. As Boone said, "He has to go out and do it."
Chris Haft covers the Reds for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.