Garrett Atkins entered Saturday night’s game against the Dodgers with a misleading .279 average.
Misleading, because by another measure – quality at-bats – the rookie third baseman tops the Rockies’ charts.
“He has more quality at-bats than anybody else on the ballclub,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “And with a guy like Todd Helton on the team, that’s quite impressive. Year in and year out, Todd has been far and away our leader in that department. Garrett’s .279 average might not show it, but he has struck the ball with more consistency and harder than anybody else on the team.”
From opening day to closing day, the Rockies chart every at-bat, measuring not just homers, doubles and RBIs, but how many times a hitter advances baserunners, smashes a deep sacrifice fly or simply makes the pitcher wear out his arm with an eight-pitch at-bat.
Atkins was at his best in his first trip to the plate Saturday against Dodgers starter D.J. Houlton. Atkins worked the count to 2-2, then smashed a double to left to open the second inning, extending his hitting streak to a career-high nine games. In the fourth, Atkins singled, then followed that up with a solo homer to left in the fifth.
BIGBIE’S ACHILLES: Larry Bigbie wants to be the Rockies’ starting center fielder next season, but he’s got to earn the job. And in order to do that, he’s got to heal his sore Achilles tendon, return from his rehab stint with Triple-A Colorado Springs and prove to Hurdle that he’s got the bat to match his glove.
“I’d like to see some quickness to his bat and see him get the barrel on the ball with more regularity,” Hurdle said. “Defensively, I think he’s shown us enough that he will be able to take that slot. I don’t think that is an issue.”
After playing five innings for the Sky Sox on Friday night, Bigbie sat out Saturday’s game to rest his Achilles. He’ll rejoin the Rockies after the Sky Sox’s season ends Monday. Hurdle believes he’ll still be able to get a good look at Bigbie during the final weeks of the Rockies’ season.
BUNT TRAUMA: Rockies starter Byung-Hyun Kim needs to spend more time in the batting cage working on his bunting. Twice Saturday, in the second and fourth innings, he had a chance to advance runners with a sacrifice. Both times he laid down a poor bunt, and both times Atkins was forced out at third.
HURRICANE RELIEF: To support the Hurricane Katrina relief effort, the Rockies are donating all revenues from walk-up ticket sales of today’s Dodgers-Rockies game to the McCormick Tribune Foundation’s relief fund.
