Not acting his age: Vizquel lifts Giants
09/03/2006 7:54 PM ET
Not acting his age: Vizquel lifts Giants
Shortstop drives in three on two triples; Bonds belts No. 729
By Rich Draper / MLB.com
Shea Hillenbrand (center) celebrates with Omar Vizquel and catcher
Eliezer Alfonzo after the Giants finished off the Cubs on Sunday.
(Nam Y. Huh/AP)
CHICAGO -- Some may call Giants infielder Omar Vizquel a freak of nature; a
man who mocks time itself, still has the energy of a rabbit even in September
and seems to have an endless supply of hits and defensive tricks up his glove.
The 39-year-old Vizquel keeps his body trim by quickly scooting by fast food
restaurants and greasy foods, and doesn't do anything to excess, except
perhaps play the game better than any shortstop in history.
That's what's freaky, how his watch always is fully wound, how he punches a
single off Father Time in every at-bat and stays perennially upbeat and
playful nearing 18 seasons in the Majors.
Vizquel showed all his skills Sunday in San Francisco's 7-4 victory over the
Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, going 3-for-5 with two triples and three RBIs,
spurring the club to its fifth victory in the past eight games, and keeping
the Giants viable in the expected down-to-the-wire Wild Card chase.
Oddly enough, manager Felipe Alou thought briefly of giving Omar a day's rest
Sunday, just to keep him fresh, then changed his mind.
"He's indispensable," said Alou of the venerable shortstop, who's batting .309
overall with four homers, 50 RBIs and a team-high 24 stolen bases. "He woke
up the team today with that [fifth-inning] triple to tie the game."
The first of Vizquel's two three-baggers came moments after Cubs pitcher Angel
Guzman (0-5) was pulled from the game, having put two runners on then
cramping in his right forearm.
Vizquel then ripped the ball to the right-field corner off reliever Michael
Wuertz for two runs, and outfielder Shea Hillenbrand followed with his seventh
homer of the season.
Barry Bonds later hit his 21st homer of the year and 729th lifetime, and
Vizquel added a third RBI with his second triple in the ninth.
The shortstop's heroics gave Giants starter Jason Schmidt (11-8) a cushion to
work with after the right-hander struggled through the first four innings then
settled down to last seven frames.
"Incredible," said Schmidt of Vizquel. "I've heard over the years how good he
is, and then you get him on your team. Last year he was pretty good ... this
year [the same] -- it's amazing. He gets better every year.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"He's indispensable. He woke up the team today with that [fifth-inning] triple to tie the game."
-- Felipe Alou, on Omar Vizquel
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"He's had a career-year hitting," said Schmidt. "How many guys do that at age
39?"
Vizquel, who rarely has a strong September -- he has a career .212 mark that
month -- admits he has often struggled in the stretch, his body wearing down.
"It's just because I play a lot of games," he said. "I treat my body real hard
during the season, and when September comes I get a little tired. I think
it's normal. There's not too many players who feel better in September than
they do in April.
"I just had a good day," he said of Sunday's potent offense and spectacular
defense, which including a great ninth-inning grab-and-throw of speedy Juan
Pierre's infield grounder. "Hopefully I can maintain my swing and everything
I've been doing all season."
Hillenbrand's seventh homer was also key to the victory as he snapped out of
an 0-for-9 slide and boosted the Giants to a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
The first baseman boasts four homers and 12 RBIs in his last 10 contests.
"It was a huge win for us, and it was good for Schmitty to bounce back after
his last start," said Hillenbrand. "He battled his [rear end] off and gave us
a chance to put some runs on the board.
"But the biggest hit of the game was Omar's [first triple]," he said. "After
they changed pitchers, he kept his focus, and those runs tied the ballgame. It
put us in the position to do something."
Bonds' blast in the eighth off Chicago reliever Les Walrond -- Barry now has
hit homers off 431 different pitchers -- continued his power-laden road trip.
He's hit four homers with five RBIs and batted .538 heading into Monday's
start of a three-game series at Cincinnati.
Bonds has struggled at times this year due to knee pain, back problems, a sore
elbow and just plain tiredness at age 42, yet it appears his swing is back.
He's sharper at the plate, more selective.
"He could have a promising September with his swing," said Alou. "He's the key
. There are good things coming from him, and that keeps him in the lineup. He
feels better about himself, his swings and his workouts."
Rich Draper is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the
approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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嚴肅認真的COBRAS.......
幽默搞怪的COBRAS.......
還有.....溫柔體貼的COBRAS.......
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