Struggling Rose Jr. Receives Advice From Hits King
Pete Rose Jr. spoke with his famous father on Tuesday - about hitting, of course.
Since the Cincinnati Reds called him up on Sept. 1, Rose Jr. has struggled at the plate. He is 2 for 7 with four strikeouts and two singles.
That’s a big departure from what he did for Double-A Chattanooga this season. His .308 average with 25 homers and 98 RBIs earned his first major-league promotion at age 27.
His dad, the all-time hits leader, knew the problem instinctively: Junior is pressing.
“I had a talk with my dad,” Rose Jr. said. “He knew something was wrong. I’m swinging at balls I normally don’t swing at.”
His dad’s advise was basic: Relax and wait for your pitch. Given the circumstances, that’s been hard to do.
“I’m a high-strung kid anyway,” Rose Jr. said. “The pitcher could be picking up the resin bag and I’d swing at it.
He hopes to get invited to the Reds’ training camp next spring with a chance to make the team as a utility player.
“Next year, I just want to go to spring training with a legitimate chance to make the club,” he said. “I know I can do it. It’s just a matter of getting the chance.”
Ex-Mariner makes it big
It’s all happening so fast for precocious San Francisco Giants left-hander Shawn Estes, he sometimes seems bewildered by his dreamlike first full major-league season.
Estes, 24, was pitching in the lower minors for the Seattle Mariners two years ago. He was acquired, along with Wilson Delgado, by the Giants in a trade for pitcher Salomon Torres in 1995. Entering 1997, his major league experience consisted of 14 games and 87-1/3 innings. The results hadn’t matched his potential.
A few months and a string of victories later, Estes is the Giants’ ace and ranks among the finest pitchers in the National League with an 18-4 record and a 3.07 earned-run average.
With at least four starts remaining, including today against the St. Louis Cardinals, Estes has a reasonable chance to become the first lefty to win 20 games for the Giants in 24 years.
“There’s no added pressure on me because I’m close to 20,” he said. “There’s added pressure, period, because of the magnitude of being in a pennant race in September. That’s the fun part.”
Hundley injured striking out
Mets catcher Todd Hundley hyperextended his right elbow while striking out Tuesday night and will undergo an MRI today. “If it shows the ligament’s lengthened, then it will be rest,” Hundley said. “If it’s detached, then it’s Tommy John (reconstructive) surgery.”