mercurynews.com
It's still just spring training, but already Kansas City Royals center fielder David DeJesus is battling to keep the sophomore jinx at arm's length.
Two minor injuries in recent weeks limited his playing time. And when he has played, an overaggressive approach backfired and limited his effectiveness.
"It's been annoying," he acknowledged. "I wanted to come out here and hit the ball well, but my timing has been screwed up all spring. I'm jamming myself in some at-bats.
"My goal is to get everything working right in this last week and go from there."
The Royals, already scrambling for offensive production, can't afford any slippage this season from DeJesus, who blossomed nicely a year ago as a rookie once he replaced Carlos Beltran as the club's regular center fielder.
"I had a talk with him," general manager Allard Baird said. "He needs to get into better offensive counts. He's swinging at pitches out of the strike zone. He's trying to do too much."
That talk came earlier this week, when DeJesus missed three days' worth of games because of bruised fingers on his left hand_the result of getting hit by a pitch last Sunday by Colorado's Jason Jennings.
"He told me to work to my strengths," DeJesus said, "which is to see a lot of pitches and not swing at balls. I just need to concentrate on swinging at strikes because Allard said my contact was still good enough to get hits."
Maybe the talk did some good. DeJesus went two for three with a sacrifice bunt Friday in the Royals' 5-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners. That boosted his spring average above the Mendoza Line, to .205 with eight hits in 39 at-bats.
"I've been trying to be too aggressive," he said. "I was taking a lot of pitches last year that I felt I could hit. This year, I'm swinging at that 1-0 (pitch), and it seems like they're always throwing me that little cutter inside.
"I should be taking that pitch, but I keep going after it. And I'm getting myself out."
DeJesus, 25, endured a similar struggle last year during a late April promotion. He got just one hit in 23 at-bats, which led to a quick return to the minors until the June 24 trade that sent Beltran to Houston.
DeJesus returned, more relaxed at the prospect of regular duty, and batted .303 thereafter with two 15-game hitting streaks. He led the club in virtually every offensive category after the All-Star break, which led to his selection as the Royals' player of the year.
"I got my swing back to normal," he said. "Before, you could tell I was tense because I kept doing all those little taps with my foot. When I came back, I just played like I was playing at (Class AAA) Omaha."
His success made him a perfect candidate for the sophomore jinx.
"I heard a couple of scouting reports on me," DeJesus said. "So, I know what they're going to do. I've just got to adjust to it. It's like a personal little game that we've got going."
A game he's been losing.
"He'll be fine," manager Tony Pena said. "We need David to be productive, and he will be. I'm not worried. He'll be fine."
Baird is also confident.
"The thing that differentiates David from a lot of major-league players with limited experience," he said, "is when he gets into a slump, he has the survival skills to get himself out of it.
"He can lay down a bunt. He can run a deep count. He does some things that will get him through the bumps of a 162-game season that a lot of inexperienced hitters do not have. I think he's going to have a fine year."
That's what DeJesus expects, too.
"I'm not going to put any doubts in my mind," he insisted. "I'm going to go out there and keep working. I'm not going to put myself down, and I'm not going to put any pressure on myself. I'm just going to go out there and do the job."
For reinforcement, DeJesus consults occasionally with Chris Carr, the organization's performance psychologist.
"I know (doubts) can sneak into the back of your head," DeJesus said. "You can't let the mental part overcome your physical part. It's a tough game mentally, but you can't let it affect you. You've got to remember that every at-bat is a new at-bat.
"I'm trying to make it like I'm starting the season right now. I want to see as many pitches as I can, try to only swing at strikes and try to hit the ball hard."
It's still just spring training, but already Kansas City Royals center fielder David DeJesus is battling to keep the sophomore jinx at arm's length.
Two minor injuries in recent weeks limited his playing time. And when he has played, an overaggressive approach backfired and limited his effectiveness.
"It's been annoying," he acknowledged. "I wanted to come out here and hit the ball well, but my timing has been screwed up all spring. I'm jamming myself in some at-bats.
"My goal is to get everything working right in this last week and go from there."
The Royals, already scrambling for offensive production, can't afford any slippage this season from DeJesus, who blossomed nicely a year ago as a rookie once he replaced Carlos Beltran as the club's regular center fielder.
"I had a talk with him," general manager Allard Baird said. "He needs to get into better offensive counts. He's swinging at pitches out of the strike zone. He's trying to do too much."
That talk came earlier this week, when DeJesus missed three days' worth of games because of bruised fingers on his left hand_the result of getting hit by a pitch last Sunday by Colorado's Jason Jennings.
"He told me to work to my strengths," DeJesus said, "which is to see a lot of pitches and not swing at balls. I just need to concentrate on swinging at strikes because Allard said my contact was still good enough to get hits."
Maybe the talk did some good. DeJesus went two for three with a sacrifice bunt Friday in the Royals' 5-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners. That boosted his spring average above the Mendoza Line, to .205 with eight hits in 39 at-bats.
"I've been trying to be too aggressive," he said. "I was taking a lot of pitches last year that I felt I could hit. This year, I'm swinging at that 1-0 (pitch), and it seems like they're always throwing me that little cutter inside.
"I should be taking that pitch, but I keep going after it. And I'm getting myself out."
DeJesus, 25, endured a similar struggle last year during a late April promotion. He got just one hit in 23 at-bats, which led to a quick return to the minors until the June 24 trade that sent Beltran to Houston.
DeJesus returned, more relaxed at the prospect of regular duty, and batted .303 thereafter with two 15-game hitting streaks. He led the club in virtually every offensive category after the All-Star break, which led to his selection as the Royals' player of the year.
"I got my swing back to normal," he said. "Before, you could tell I was tense because I kept doing all those little taps with my foot. When I came back, I just played like I was playing at (Class AAA) Omaha."
His success made him a perfect candidate for the sophomore jinx.
"I heard a couple of scouting reports on me," DeJesus said. "So, I know what they're going to do. I've just got to adjust to it. It's like a personal little game that we've got going."
A game he's been losing.
"He'll be fine," manager Tony Pena said. "We need David to be productive, and he will be. I'm not worried. He'll be fine."
Baird is also confident.
"The thing that differentiates David from a lot of major-league players with limited experience," he said, "is when he gets into a slump, he has the survival skills to get himself out of it.
"He can lay down a bunt. He can run a deep count. He does some things that will get him through the bumps of a 162-game season that a lot of inexperienced hitters do not have. I think he's going to have a fine year."
That's what DeJesus expects, too.
"I'm not going to put any doubts in my mind," he insisted. "I'm going to go out there and keep working. I'm not going to put myself down, and I'm not going to put any pressure on myself. I'm just going to go out there and do the job."
For reinforcement, DeJesus consults occasionally with Chris Carr, the organization's performance psychologist.
"I know (doubts) can sneak into the back of your head," DeJesus said. "You can't let the mental part overcome your physical part. It's a tough game mentally, but you can't let it affect you. You've got to remember that every at-bat is a new at-bat.
"I'm trying to make it like I'm starting the season right now. I want to see as many pitches as I can, try to only swing at strikes and try to hit the ball hard."
