TheFightinPhils
02-03-2005, 02:03 PM
DENVER -- His wide shoulders serve Colorado outfield prospect Brad Hawpe in almost every instance -- except, he feared, possibly one.
"My wife just had our first child on Oct. 12, but shortly before she gave birth, she said, 'I hope she doesn't have shoulders like my husband does,' " he said.
No matter how broad baby Avery's shoulders are, the Rockies hope that her dad, in the infancy of his Major League career, can bear a power-hitting load in their lineup soon, if not now.
Hawpe, 25, hit .322 with 31 homers at Triple-A Colorado Springs last season, bringing his total to 99 in 4 1/2 minor league seasons since being drafted out of Louisiana State in the 11th round in 2000. That production, in the future, could make him an offensive force for a franchise that thus far has produced just one such threat in its minor league system, Todd Helton.
Spring Training will go a long way toward determining how soon Hawpe's future will arrive.
The Rockies eyed him twice last season, during 22 games in May and 20 more at the end of the season. He displayed his dynamic swing at times -- on his debut day, he went 4-for-5 with his first big league homer and a triple in a doubleheader against Atlanta, and clubbed a pair of homers in his second tour -- but also showed that he needed more work.
The left-handed-hitting Hawpe batted .248 with the Rockies, including .154 (2-for-13) against left-handed pitching. He struck out 34 times in 105 at-bats.
Hawpe believes that simple experience could reverse some of that.
"I wasn't as much nervous or fearful as I was excited and anxious about everything," he said. "But I've been there."
Hawpe believes that one key to his improvement is being able to consistently reach the outside pitch, something he concentrated on between tours with the Rockies. According to hitting coach Duane Espy, Hawpe's main area of improvement occurs before he even swings. Espy said that Hawpe had a hard time getting his body into a consistent hitting position.
"He doesn't need to do one thing when he's ahead in the count, another thing when he's behind in the count, or whatever," said Espy. "Once he gets a consistent setup, a good hitting position, he'll be fine. He's strong enough that he doesn't have to do anything extra to hit the ball a long way."
When an outfield hole opened after Jeromy Burnitz departed via free agency (and eventually signed with the Chicago Cubs), the Rockies did not pencil in Hawpe at right field. Instead, Colorado signed former Minnesota and San Francisco outfielder Dustan Mohr, who fits the lineup better as a right-handed hitter and has power potential of his own.
In addition, the Rockies believe that Preston Wilson is healthy enough to play center field after a year of knee injuries. To preserve him, the Rockies can switch him and Mohr occasionally. For Hawpe to make the team, he'll have to hit well enough against frontline pitchers this spring to justify at least semi-regular playing time.
If not, regular at-bats at Colorado Springs could be the better option.
"I feel no pressure," said Hawpe. "That's no disrespect to any other players coming into camp. I know what I can do. Last year I went to Spring Training thinking, 'I'm happy to be here, so I'm ready to go to Triple-A and have a good season.' This year I'm going into Spring Training knowing what it's like and knowing what I can do."
The Rockies hope that Hawpe, who is 6-foot-3 and a trim 215 to 220 pounds, helps the Rockies put together a home-grown lineup of home run threats. The team envisions projected 2005 regulars Matt Holliday and Garrett Atkins finding their power at the Major League level, and more power coming from such prospects as Jeff Baker, Ian Stewart and Ryan Shealy, depending on which positions become available.
"I don't worry about that because I know I can -- there's nothing cocky about that," said Hawpe, the MVP of the 2000 College World Series for champion LSU. "If I square the ball up, I know it's going to go, and I can jog around the bases."
http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/col/news/col_news.jsp?ymd=20050203&content_id=938939&vkey=news_col&fext=.jsp
"My wife just had our first child on Oct. 12, but shortly before she gave birth, she said, 'I hope she doesn't have shoulders like my husband does,' " he said.
No matter how broad baby Avery's shoulders are, the Rockies hope that her dad, in the infancy of his Major League career, can bear a power-hitting load in their lineup soon, if not now.
Hawpe, 25, hit .322 with 31 homers at Triple-A Colorado Springs last season, bringing his total to 99 in 4 1/2 minor league seasons since being drafted out of Louisiana State in the 11th round in 2000. That production, in the future, could make him an offensive force for a franchise that thus far has produced just one such threat in its minor league system, Todd Helton.
Spring Training will go a long way toward determining how soon Hawpe's future will arrive.
The Rockies eyed him twice last season, during 22 games in May and 20 more at the end of the season. He displayed his dynamic swing at times -- on his debut day, he went 4-for-5 with his first big league homer and a triple in a doubleheader against Atlanta, and clubbed a pair of homers in his second tour -- but also showed that he needed more work.
The left-handed-hitting Hawpe batted .248 with the Rockies, including .154 (2-for-13) against left-handed pitching. He struck out 34 times in 105 at-bats.
Hawpe believes that simple experience could reverse some of that.
"I wasn't as much nervous or fearful as I was excited and anxious about everything," he said. "But I've been there."
Hawpe believes that one key to his improvement is being able to consistently reach the outside pitch, something he concentrated on between tours with the Rockies. According to hitting coach Duane Espy, Hawpe's main area of improvement occurs before he even swings. Espy said that Hawpe had a hard time getting his body into a consistent hitting position.
"He doesn't need to do one thing when he's ahead in the count, another thing when he's behind in the count, or whatever," said Espy. "Once he gets a consistent setup, a good hitting position, he'll be fine. He's strong enough that he doesn't have to do anything extra to hit the ball a long way."
When an outfield hole opened after Jeromy Burnitz departed via free agency (and eventually signed with the Chicago Cubs), the Rockies did not pencil in Hawpe at right field. Instead, Colorado signed former Minnesota and San Francisco outfielder Dustan Mohr, who fits the lineup better as a right-handed hitter and has power potential of his own.
In addition, the Rockies believe that Preston Wilson is healthy enough to play center field after a year of knee injuries. To preserve him, the Rockies can switch him and Mohr occasionally. For Hawpe to make the team, he'll have to hit well enough against frontline pitchers this spring to justify at least semi-regular playing time.
If not, regular at-bats at Colorado Springs could be the better option.
"I feel no pressure," said Hawpe. "That's no disrespect to any other players coming into camp. I know what I can do. Last year I went to Spring Training thinking, 'I'm happy to be here, so I'm ready to go to Triple-A and have a good season.' This year I'm going into Spring Training knowing what it's like and knowing what I can do."
The Rockies hope that Hawpe, who is 6-foot-3 and a trim 215 to 220 pounds, helps the Rockies put together a home-grown lineup of home run threats. The team envisions projected 2005 regulars Matt Holliday and Garrett Atkins finding their power at the Major League level, and more power coming from such prospects as Jeff Baker, Ian Stewart and Ryan Shealy, depending on which positions become available.
"I don't worry about that because I know I can -- there's nothing cocky about that," said Hawpe, the MVP of the 2000 College World Series for champion LSU. "If I square the ball up, I know it's going to go, and I can jog around the bases."
http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/col/news/col_news.jsp?ymd=20050203&content_id=938939&vkey=news_col&fext=.jsp