TUCSON — When Brad Hawpe finds his groove, he’s beautiful to watch. His silky, left-handed swing sends baseballs soaring into orbit. His throws from right field can split a bull’s-eye.
With Matt Holliday wearing Oakland A’s green and gold, the Rockies need to see Hawpe’s beauty from start to finish this year. Hawpe is well aware of that.
“I was struggling all last year,” he said. “I had to battle to get to what, .240 before the all-star break? I should have been doing it at the beginning of the season to help keep us out of that hole. I didn’t start out like I should have.”
Actually, Hawpe’s averaged climbed to .252 by the break. His final numbers — .283 average, 25 homers, 85 RBIs — were pretty good, but clearly less than what Hawpe expected of himself.
His .239 average in April (with one homer), followed by a .218 average in May (two homers) that included a trip to the disabled list with a strained hamstring, mirrored a team-wide swoon that left the Rockies 18 games under .500 on June 2.
Hawpe, however, doesn’t plan to load excess weight on his shoulders or try to replace Holliday single-handedly.
“I don’t feel added pressure,” he said. “The most pressure in this game comes from the pressure you put on yourself. I just get up there, try to have a good AB and try to square the ball up.”
But the Rockies believe, and hope, the 29-year-old outfielder hasn’t reached his peak performance yet.
“I do believe there is more there for Brad,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “I think he’d be the first one to tell you that defensively there were some challenges out there (last season) that weren’t there the other two years.”
In 2006, Hawpe’s 16 outfield assists ranked second in the majors and he committed just four errors in 300 total chances (.987 fielding percentage). Last season was a right-field adventure. Though Hawpe threw out nine baserunners, he committed nine errors in 204 chances (.956).
An ankle injury at the beginning of the season, which Hawpe believes contributed to his hamstring problem, made for a bumpy ride in the outfield.
“It’s real easy to look back and give reasons,” Hawpe said. “But then reasons can turn into excuses, and I try not to make excuses.”
But Rockies first base-outfield coach Glenallen Hill gives Hawpe something of a pass, saying the outfielder wasn’t right most of the season.
“It was physical,” Hill said. “He didn’t really get his legs under him all season. To his credit, he battled. But it’s hard to run a race when your tires are half inflated.”
To prevent his wheels from coming off this season, Hawpe worked hard in the offseason on his flexibility. He also strengthened his core, hamstrings and ankles.
“I rolled my ankle in the batting cage five days before the season last year,” he said. “I didn’t have it taped up. This year, I’ve had my ankle taped from Day One. I’ll do that every day.”
The one significant area Hawpe did improve last year was against left-handed pitching. He entered last season with a career .220 average vs. lefties before hitting .282 (35-for-124), including six homers.
“I feel more confident out there, and I’m glad Clint is running me out there,” Hawpe said. “I feel like I’m in a good place against left-handers.”
Patrick Saunders: 303-954-1428 or psaunders@denverpost.com
