ANGELS NOTEBOOK: ECKSTEIN EASES IN AS ANGELS SHORTSTOP.Byline: Joe Haakenson Staff Writer TEMPE, Ariz. - David Eckstein David Mark Eckstein, (born January 20, 1975 in Sanford, Florida), is a Major League Baseball shortstop for the St. Louis Cardinals. He is noted for his size, as he is a small (for professional sports) 5' 7", but weighs 175 pounds. came to camp last spring as an unknown, got an opportunity because of an injury to another player and became the starting shortstop. He returned home this past offseason to Sanford, Fla., a small town just north of Orlando, a hometown hero. Sort of. ``People would come up and talk to me,'' said Eckstein, who hit .285 last year and will be the club's leadoff hitter In baseball, a leadoff hitter is a batter who bats first in the lineup. Strategy Leadoff hitters must possess certain traits to be successful: they must reach base at a proficient rate and be able to steal bases. this season. ``My high school coach lived down the street from my parents, and when I'd walk the dogs every day, someone would say something. So my coach would see it and always make some comment, call me a big shot.'' When Eckstein wasn't at his parents' house, he stayed with his brother, Rick, an assistant baseball coach at the University of Georgia Organization The President of the University of Georgia (as of 2007, Michael F. Adams) is the head administrator and is appointed and overseen by the Georgia Board of Regents. . Eckstein worked out at the school, doing something - fielding grounders, hitting or lifting weights - at least six days a week. ``The game is played every single day,'' Eckstein said. ``The only way to get ready is to do something every single day.'' Primarily, the 5-foot-7, 170-pound Eckstein needed to work on his defense. A natural second baseman second baseman n. Baseball The infielder who is positioned near and to the first-base side of second base. Noun 1. second baseman - (baseball) the person who plays second base second sacker , he hoped to improve his range. So he worked on lateral footwork and getting better jumps on the ball off the bat. This spring, Eckstein has worked extensively on turning double plays with second baseman Adam Kennedy For other people with the same name, see Adam Kennedy (disambiguation). Adam Thomas Kennedy (born January 10, 1976 in Riverside, California) is a Major League Baseball player. He currently plays second base for the St. Louis Cardinals. Kennedy attended J.W. . ``Eck is definitely more at home at shortstop this spring,'' manager Mike Scioscia said. ``He's improved turning double plays, especially making the pivot on a 3-6 or 4-6 double play. He feels good and we feel good with him there.'' The reason the Angels felt they needed to find a spot for Eckstein was his offense. Last season he was third on the team in on-base percentage (.355), led the team in sacrifice hits (16) and led the league in being hit by pitches (21). He's hitting .309 this spring and has scored a team-high 15 runs. --Anderson sore: Left fielder Garret Anderson, bothered in recent days by a stiff back, left Sunday's game after four innings. He's expected back in the lineup today. --Amezaga optioned: The Angels optioned shortstop Alfredo Amezaga to Triple-A Salt Lake, cutting the number of players in major-league camp to 34. Amezaga hit .278 in 18 spring games. ANGELS vs. CHICAGO WHITE SOX The Chicago White Sox are a professional baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. The White Sox are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the White Sox have played in U.S. Time: 12:05 p.m., Tucson Electric Park Tucson Electric Park (TEP) is a stadium in Tucson, Arizona. It is home to the Tucson Sidewinders, the AAA affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. It is named for the local electric utility, Tucson Electric Power. Opened in 1998, it seats 11,500 fans. . Radio: 570-AM. Matchup: Scott Schoeneweis (2-0, 3.60 ERA) starts for Anaheim against Chicago's Danny Wright. Sunday's result: Tim Salmon, Scott Spiezio, Troy Glaus and Brad Fullmer each homered in the Angels' 13-3 victory over the San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California that currently play in the National League West Division. New York Giants history Early days and the John McGraw era at Tempe Diablo Stadium Tempe Diablo Stadium is a baseball field located in Tempe, Arizona. It is the spring training home of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the home field for night games of the Arizona League Tempe Angels. . Angels starter Aaron Sele gave up three runs and seven hits in six innings to get the victory. CAPTION(S): box Box: ANGELS vs. CHICAGO WHITE SOX (see text) |
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