CINCINNATI — Brad Hawpe is a former first baseman, not a current one. But that will change tonight.
Hawpe, a first baseman at LSU and in his early years in the Rockies’ system before switching to the outfield, has taken groundballs at first since the earliest moments of spring training. But playing first in a game as he will tonight vs. the Reds?
When asked the last time he had started a game at the position, Hawpe said, “I may have played a game or two in Double-A and maybe four or five innings in spring training.”
Hawpe will be using Todd Helton’s glove tonight but doesn’t expect to have Helton’s feel for the position.
“We’ll see what we get,” he said. “I’m excited about it. I’m not scared about it at all. I’ve got a lot of confidence. That’s part of what’s helped me become a major-league player.”
Jason Giambi started at first Friday, but manager Jim Tracy doesn’t want to overwork him in the intense heat and humidity the Rockies will face on their 11-game trip to Cincinnati, Florida and Philadelphia. Hawpe will join the mix tonight, with Brad Eldred, Melvin Mora and Chris Iannetta also in the picture.
“I’ll be ready,” Hawpe said. “Honestly, I don’t know what I’m going to get out there. It’s not the groundball part that’s any question for me. The thing I’m going to have to get comfortable with and continue to improve on is the work around the bag. I’ve been fielding groundballs, flyballs, popups, and all that’s the same. The difference is going to be footwork around the bag.”
