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Paul Hagen: Phillies' Howard has big impact on Padres' Gonzalez
IT STARTED with a casual conversation around the bag after Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez got on against the Phillies 2 years ago at Petco Park.
"I asked Ryan Howard why he uses a bigger bat," he told the San Diego Union-Tribune. "I liked what he told me and tried it for myself, and it's definitely helped."
Ya think? Going into play yesterday, he led the majors with 15 homers, despite playing his home games in one of the roomiest parks in baseball.
Gonzalez admitted that going to a heavier bat isn't going to automatically turn a player into Babe Ruth.
"Everybody's unique," he said. "Everybody's got to find out what works for him. It helped me a lot. It allowed me to become more of a power hitter. The leverage you create with a 35-inch, 33-ounce bat is going to be far greater than with a 34-inch, 31-ounce bat, which is what I used to use."
Not all hitting coaches agree. And even Gonzalez concedes that there is a downside. It's more difficult to stop a heavier bat once a swing is started, leaving the hitter more susceptible to strikeouts.
Still, he obviously believes the trade-off has been worth it.
It's not unusual, by the way, for ballplayers to discuss the finer points of their craft with each other, even with guys from other teams. The reality is that baseball is a close-knit fraternity. The whole idea of hating the opponent to the point of not even talking to him pretty much went out around the time of Ty Cobb.
They compare notes. Then they go out and try their level best to beat each other. Old school sorts might not like it, but that's just the way it is.
Of course, there are times when it gets interesting. Like, say, a week from Monday when the Phillies open a three-game series against the Padres in San Diego.
The hot corner
* Red Sox scouts have been shadowing Nationals first baseman Nick Johnson, the Boston Globe reports. But Washington would want top pitching prospects in return, and the Sawx are famously reluctant to part with those.
* Now that the Padres have agreed to trade Jake Peavy to the White Sox - even though he turned it down - don't be surprised to see Brian Giles, Chris Young and Kevin Kouzmanoff leaving Petco Park before the July 31 trading deadline.
* The surprising Brewers would consider a trade to replace second baseman Rickie Weeks, out for the season following wrist surgery. But general manager Doug Melvin cautions that players like Mark DeRosa won't come cheap. "I don't know if we have enough pitching to trade right now," he admitted.
Around the bases
* Royals icon George Brett didn't react well when asked at a golf tournament this week about criticism leveled at the team and manager Trey Hillman. Check it out on YouTube (type in "Brett & Hillman" in the search box). It's hilarious. "I apologize for the language, but I believe in the message," Brett said.
* Indians general manager Mark Shapiro disagrees with those who think the Tribe's problem is lack of leadership since CC Sabathia and Casey Blake were traded. "This isn't football. I don't know if you're looking for a guy to come out and scream and yell and throw stuff around the room and get pom poms," he said. "We have guys who care. We have guys who prepare the right way. I think in the game of baseball, that is leadership."
* There's no gentle way to say this. Free-spirited Orioles first baseman Aubrey Huff likes to take his clothes off. "I like shock value," he explained. "I like messing with people. If I don't feel like doing an interview that day, I'll just get buck naked and most [reporters] won't come up to me."
Finally
The Mets made five errors against Los Angeles on Monday night, and Dodgers Hall of Fame announcer Vin Scully had a little fun describing the ineptitude.
In the 11th, there was a near-collision between leftfielder Angel Pagan and centerfielder Carlos Beltran. "If you weren't around to see the 1962 Mets, here's a reminder," he intoned.
The reference, of course, is to the team that still holds the record with 120 losses.
And after Jeremy Reed airmailed a throw to the plate for New York's fifth error, Scully remarked, "Marv Throneberry lives!" Marvelous Marv was the player who came to epitomize the fumbling and bumbling of Casey Stengel's Amazin' team. *
Send e-mail to hagenp@phillynews.com
