|
Tulowitzki, Now No. 2, Wants to be No. 1
by Dave Krieger, Rocky Mountain News
June 19, 2007
When Troy Tulowitzki joined the Rockies last August toward the end of
his second professional season, he wore uniform No. 14. The numbers he
would have preferred were taken.
This year, looking at a longer stay, he asked third-base coach Mike
Gallego if he would surrender the number of the player Tulo- witzki
idolized growing up.
So tonight, when the Yankees and Rockies square off at Coors Field,
both shortstops will be wearing No. 2.
"It's very exciting," Tulo-witzki said. "My favorite player.
Watched
him all the time in the World Series growing up. Such a winner and a
clutch player and leads the team, leads by example. So it's going to
be exciting, but I'm definitely going to compete."
Tulowitzki's admiration for Derek Jeter has always been from a
distance, but he expects to remedy that this week.
"I watched him do a commercial in Long Beach at our field,"
he said,
referring to his college career at Long Beach State, "but I've never
personally met him. It'll be the first time, so it'll be neat."
The two have more in common than their numbers. At 6-foot-3, Jeter and
Tulowitzki have an unusual combination of size and agility for the
position. At 205 pounds and still filling out, Tulowitzki should have
more power one day, although matching Jeter's career .318 batting
average - not to mention this year's .342 - will be harder.
With all due respect to Miguel Tejada, Jimmy Rollins, Jose Reyes and,
this year, Orlando Cabrera, Jeter, who turns 33 next week, remains the
best all-around shortstop in baseball. It is a title to which the
confident Tulowitzki, 22, aspires one day, even as some analysts
predict his size might land him at a corner spot instead.
They said the same thing about 6-foot-4 Cal Ripken Jr., who moved to
third at age 35 only after a long, record-setting career at short.
Tulowitzki will have plenty of competitors in the coming generation of
shortstops, among them the Mets' Reyes, 24; the Marlins' Hanley
Ramirez, 23; and the Brewers' J.J. Hardy, 24. But his rapid progress
after a slow start suggests big things are on the way.
Like catcher Chris Iannetta, Tulo began the season as a largely
untested prospect. While Iannetta has struggled with the transition to
major league pitching, batting .196 in part-time duty, Tulowitzki has
taken over at short, batting .267 in 243 at-bats. Only Matt Holliday
and Garrett Atkins have gone to the plate more often for the kid
Rocks.
"I'm a firm believer if you go out every day and play hard that
good
things are going to happen," he said. "I struggled early, but
a lot of
rookies struggle early, and I kept my head up and knew that I was a
good player and that I was here for a reason.
"I still have a long ways to go. I still can get better in a lot
of
areas. But I'm holding my own and definitely playing good defense and
helping us win some games."
In fact, Tulowitzki's defense has been better than good. His range and
bazooka arm allow him to make plays on the run, in the hole and behind
second base that can leave your jaw open. He has solidified a Rockies
defense that is now the best in baseball with a team fielding
percentage of .991.
His 342 total chances lead all major league shortstops. His 53 double
plays are second only to Jeter and Cabrera, who have 55. His five
errors give him a fielding percentage of .985, fourth-best among
shortstops. Jeter, with 11 errors, ranks 22nd at .964.
About the only aspect of Tulowitzki's game that hasn't yet come around
is the power he showed in college, where he hit 20 homers in 155
games, and the minors, where he hit four in 22 games for Modesto and
13 in 104 for Tulsa.
"I'm just hitting it where it's pitched," he said. "My
power isn't
quite there like it has been in the minor leagues - I felt last year
that I had a little bit more power - but I think that also is because
I'm trying so hard to go the other way and be short and quick. As a
young player, guys keep on saying power will come. I've still got a
lot to learn with my swing. It's definitely going to get better and I
think it'll be there."
In the meantime, Tulowitzki hopes to come away from this week's series
with a souvenir of some kind.
"I'm still a kid," he said. "I like to get autographs.
I did that with
Nomar (Garciaparra). He signed a bat for me. So I'll try to get
something, at least a ball or something. But more than anything, just
being on the same field with him is going to be the most memorable
thing."
Call it another rite of passage for a player who has become a Rockies
cornerstone in record time. |
