Linden becoming a two-sided threat
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FRESNO, Calif. -- Todd Linden's quest has always been to play in the
Major Leagues -- he's been there temporarily and he savors those moments
-- and now the Triple-A Fresno strongman is right on the brink again.
So very close.
The 24-year-old cracked a three-run homer and drove in four runs
for the Grizzles on Sunday, leaving him among the Pacific Coast
League leaders with 12 homers, 37 RBIs and a .645 slugging percentage.
He also boasted a healthy .303 batting average.
Yet surprisingly, Linden says doesn't care if and when San Francisco
calls him up. Kidding? Not in the least.
"I had a phone call from my brother and he asked me when I'd get
called up, but I try not to think about it," said Linden from
Grizzly Stadium recently. "Don't get me wrong, I want to get to
the big leagues, but what's the difference if it happens now or
in two weeks or a month or year from now? I just want to swing
the bat and keep rolling -- I found [the swing] and I want to
put up some numbers."
Hard to imagine this was the same Todd Linden who struggled in
Spring Training, batting .179 with a .205 slugging percentage
over 17 games. That prompted the Giants to demote him to Minor League
camp on March 21.
It was an embarrassing blow, but Fresno manager Shane Turner says
tweaking the rookie's stance and staying positive worked wonders.
"He's made some subtle adjustments, really, lifting his hands to
where they were when we first signed him. He's getting on top and
through balls a lot better and shown amazing patience at the plate,"
said Turner. "When he's gotten a mistake pitch, he's hit it hard.
"He's been outstanding, and [batting] left-handed is where he's doing
the most damage," said Turner. "He's worked his butt off since he's been
there and I like the direction he's headed. He's headed back toward the
big leagues, and hopefully for good."
Linden recalls a moment against Portland this season when he told
himself to "just throw the hands, throw the hands" at pitches, not
trying to muscle the ball into the stands, but keeping stationary
at the plate except for that minimal front foot raise -- without
his toe-tap -- and swinging free and easy.
Bingo. Talk about a lightbulb suddenly turning on.
"I ended up hitting an opposite-field home run," said Linden. "It's
like something clicked right there. I thought, 'I just hit that ball
to the opposite field off the scoreboard and I just flicked my hands.
' Sometimes you try and do too much. Now I keep it simple, like I did
my first year in Shreveport [in 2002]. I hit close to .300 there
left-handed."
That was the knock on the switch-hitting Linden, the Giants' sandwich
selection (41st pick overall) in the 2001 draft -- that he was weaker
from the left side.
Fans will long remember his mammoth homer at Dodger Stadium in 2003,
which landed in the loge section down the left-field line at Chavez
Ravine on Sept. 21. It was his initial -- and lone -- Major League homer.
And it came right-handed. There were some thoughts of keeping Linden
as a right-hander full-time, but the Giants' brass didn't want to
make him half a player, realizing that left-side power would eventually
come around.
It has been his lone Major League homer.
"I was always considered a streaky left-handed hitter, but now I'm
confident I'm back to where I was in college and at Shreveport,"
said Linden. "I was searching for an answer and thinking too much.
Too much information. But when you're going good you don't want to
talk hitting or think about it.
"As soon as you're thinking at the plate you're in trouble. I try to
keep it as simple as possible."
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