Power surge in Baltimore
BALTIMORE – The February trade that brought Sammy Sosa to Baltimore provided the Orioles with a potent slugger who leads the team in home runs.
His name is Brian Roberts.
When the Orioles sent Jerry Hairston and two minor leaguers to the Chicago Cubs for Sosa, they acquired a cleanup hitter with 574 career homers, including 66 in 1998. The trade also ended a longtime duel between Roberts and Hairston, who had competed for the starting job at second base for four consecutive seasons.
There was no animosity between Roberts and Hairston, just a fierce competition that ultimately wore on both of them. Now that Hairston is gone, Roberts knows a few hitless performances won’t send him to the bench. That’s one big reason he’s off to a torrid start, one that has enabled the Orioles to press the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees in the A.L East.
Through the first 2 1/2 weeks of the season, Roberts had at least one hit in every game and ranked in the top 10 in 11 key offensive categories, including batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, triples and steals. He also had six home runs in his first 14 games, a pace that would enable the 5-foot-9, 178-pounder to eclipse Sosa’s best season.
Roberts, whose previous career high in homers was five, dismisses his surprising power surge as a “fluke,” and laughs at the suggestion he will finish with more than 20 homers. But he expects to continue to drive the ball with authority, thanks to the experience he’s gained since his rookie season in 2001.
And because he doesn’t have Hairston to worry about.
“That’s part of the comfort level, of course,” he said.
Others are more emphatic about the effect the trade had on the success of Roberts, who was slated to begin last season on the bench before Hairston broke a finger in spring training. Roberts flourished as a starter, but figured he was a slump away from a backup role.
That fear was erased by the trade.
“I think a lot was taken off his shoulders. We had two pretty good second basemen,” Orioles manager Lee Mazzilli said. “Not knowing who’s going to play and whose job it is, that’s tough. Sometimes it’s addition by subtraction.”
Melvin Mora became a star last year after Mazzilli told him the third-base job was his for keeps. Mora believes Roberts also has benefited from that kind of assurance.
“It’s easier when you don’t have to compete with nobody. That’s the key,” Mora said. “What I see from last year when Jerry was here – I want to be honest – is that Jerry was on the bench waiting for his time to play. That’s a lot of pressure for the guy playing in front of you.
“That’s the best move the Baltimore organization made, to trade Jerry. It’s not easy to play with one good guy on the bench, especially because Jerry was the starting second baseman before.”
Orioles vice president Mike Flanagan traded for Sosa to give Baltimore a right-handed power hitter. But Flanagan also knew Baltimore, and Roberts in particular, would benefit by clarifying the situation at second.
“I think it did have an effect on Brian’s development, the worrying that if you go 0-for-4 maybe I’m not in there tomorrow,” Flanagan said. “He’s not worried about that now.”
Roberts, 27, proved he was more than just a singles hitter last year, when he set an A.L. record for doubles by a switch-hitter (50). He overcame an 0-for-15 start to finish with a .273 batting average, then embarked on a rigorous off-season conditioning program.
“I’ve put a lot of work in to get better,” he said. “Last year, some of it translated into doubles and a little bit more power, and this year, at this point, it’s turned into a little bit more.”
His improvement has not gone unnoticed. He left the Yankees in shambles last weekend, spearheading a three-game sweep by going 7 for 12 and hitting a three- run homer in a 7-6 comeback win.
“He can play defense. He runs the bases. He can hit, and now he’s hitting with power,” Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter said. “He can do all the things you like to see a player do. He seized the opportunity and made the most of it.”
The Yankees have 19 games this season against the Orioles and Roberts, who hit .300 against them last year and has a lifetime batting average of .318 vs. New York.
“He’s a good little feisty player,” Yankees manager Joe Torre said. “He looks so calm at the plate. That comes from success and being patient and waiting for your pitch. He just doesn’t miss it when he swings at it. It’s a streak I’m sure he’s enjoying, but then he’s going to dry out somewhere along the line.”
Roberts won’t end up hitting .400 with 60 homers, but he expects that setting a career high in homers is only the beginning of a banner year.
“I have no idea what the future holds, but at this point it’s just a matter of getting more comfortable, understanding the type of hitter you are and getting better every year,” he said.