News
Kendrick fixes flaw, rediscovers swing
Infielder talks to veterans, Carew about early-season slump
By Rhett Bollinger / MLB.com
04/27/09 7:47 PM ET
ANAHEIM -- Having a locker next to 13-year Major League veteran and Angels team leader Torii Hunter has its advantages for young hitting machine Howard Kendrick. Hunter has served as a mentor for the 25-year-old and has tried to help him become the perennial batting champ the Angels know he can become. But Hunter apparently is also teaching Kendrick about having a sense of humor, too, as evidenced by Kendrick's reasoning for getting out of his early-season slump. The second baseman has five hits and six RBIs in his last two games, including a career-high four RBIs and a home run on Sunday. "I just started doing yoga and meditating in the morning," said Kendrick while trying not to laugh -- and in the process fooling a few reporters. "Just thinking about my at-bats. It's good for the mind. It helps you relax a little bit." But then Kendrick admitted that he looked at some video, too, and confessed it wasn't the yoga and meditation that ended his 4-for-31 slide. In actuality, Kendrick worked long and hard with hitting coach Mickey Hatcher and compared video from his Spring Training at-bats, when he hit .339, to that of his regular season at-bats. They both noticed just one little change that Kendrick had made before he started his swing. "It was something so small that I didn't even know that I was doing it," Kendrick said. "It was my hands. They were too far back. I think that adjustment freed up my upper half and made me relax a little more." Angels manager Mike Scioscia has noticed the difference and praised Kendrick for making the adjustment. "His upper body was a little over-rotated to where he couldn't get his hands in play," Scioscia said. "This guy has a quick bat, but he had to get into a better fundamental position, and I think he's there now." Kendrick seems to have figured it out over the last four games, as he is batting .467 (7-for-15) with a home run and six RBIs over that span. But his .258 batting average on the season still isn't near his .303 career mark, because of that early-season slump that saw him batting just .196 after 12 games. "It's funny, because when you're in one, you never think it's going to end," Kendrick said of his early hitting funk. "But you just have to think positive and try to get advice from teammates." Kendrick sought out a contingent of veteran Angels hitters such as Bobby Abreu, Chone Figgins and Hunter for advice. But he also had the benefit of talking with former Angels player and Hall of Famer Rod Carew, who happens to own 3,053 hits. Kendrick met with Carew on Friday based on the advice of Hunter, who knew Carew from his days with the Twins. "I told him that would be a good thing to talk to him, because Rod is all about the mental side," Hunter said. "Rod Carew has always had different ways of hitting and different ways of setting up the pitchers, and I think that talk helped him out a lot." The talk seemed to help, because Kendrick had six hits in the series against the Mariners, including two doubles and four runs scored. Now, Kendrick appears to be in a better mental state with the slump behind him, which is important according to Hunter. "I really don't get caught up in mechanics," Hunter said. "Mechanics are in your mind. Baseball is really about the mental side." Hunter then added that when Kendrick has all of that figured out, he has the potential to be one of the game's best hitters. "I definitely think he has the capability of winning a batting title," Hunter said. "If he can stay on the field, I promise you, if he can get 500 at-bats, he'll win a batting title someday."Rhett Bollinger is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
