BRADENTON, Fla. – Shortly after West Virginia’s walk-off win on Friday night, Cole Tucker found out that he was getting a promotion to Bradenton.
“Tito Polo hit a walk-off double, and five minutes later I was in [West Virginia Manager Brian Esposito’s] office, finding out that I was coming down here,” Tucker said. “I was excited. I had a lot of fun up there. I played 15 games or so up there, getting my feet wet, and now it’s good to be back down here.”
Tucker got off to a slow start in West Virginia, but picked up his production at the plate after the first week, and showed good signs defensively, as Abigail Miskowiec recently reported. He carried that over to his Bradenton debut today, looking good on the field and with his throws, and having a big day at the plate. He went 2-for-3 with a walk, picking up two hard hit singles up the middle in his first two at-bats.
“Felt great,” Tucker said. “It was exciting getting back with this group of guys, and getting on the field and being here. It was a lot of fun finishing off the sweep, and going into an off-day on a high note was a plus as well.”
The one downside to his day was that he was thrown out twice on the bases. The first time came on a caught stealing in the first inning, which was a result of a good throw on a close play. In fact, it wasn’t obvious to everyone in the stadium that he was out.
“I think he was safe on the first stolen base attempt, to be honest with you,” Bradenton Manager Michael Ryan said. “I love the aggressiveness on the bases. That’s his identity. That’s what we’re trying to do as a club. He’s going to be at the top of the lineup trying to set that tone. I have no problem with it.”
The second out came after his next single, when he was picked off at first base. Ryan said that he got caught leaning on the play, but still embraced the aggressive approach.
This Bradenton team is largely the same group Tucker played with last year in West Virginia, while also having the same hitting coach, Keoni DeRenne. That puts him in a comfortable situation from a team perspective, but also in a good place to continue the development that was working so well in the second half last year.
“I’m in a good spot right now,” Tucker said. “It’s good to be back working with Keoni, and talking about hitting and sequences and all the stuff here. Just trying to play catch-up, and learning what these guys have been learning the last couple of months.”
Bradenton Notes
**Kevin Newman is still with the team in Bradenton, and will be flying up to Pittsburgh next week after getting hit in the face with a pitch this week. The holiday weekend made it a bit difficult for him to get out and get an appointment right away. I talked to him briefly today, and he had a bruise under his left eye, but no swelling. There won’t be any update on his condition until after he sees a doctor in Pittsburgh. As for the pitch that hit him, it wasn’t a direct shot, but deflected off of his helmet.
“I think it deflected off the helmet, and then hit him in the eye, and a little bit on the side of the nose,” Ryan said. “We heard helmet. It’s something I’m not going to watch again.”
**Pablo Reyes got three starts at shortstop after Newman went down, and before Tucker arrived. Reyes isn’t the same quality of player as Newman or Tucker, but is a guy who would be starting on a regular basis for any other team that didn’t have first and second round picks taking up the middle infield spots. He’s shown some good results this year, and might be pushing for more playing time soon. He got the start at second base today, with Kevin Kramer getting a day at DH. He can also get some work in the outfield.
One of the drawbacks with Reyes in the past has been that he gets a bit too out of control. He’s got the skills to play shortstop, but not the consistency. He also has power at the plate, but can be a free swinger at times. Ryan said that this problem still exists, although not as much as in the past.
“At times he gets that way,” Ryan said. “He gets out of control. He’s just got to slow it down at times.”
Unless Kramer gets promoted to Altoona late in the second half, it would be hard to see Reyes getting regular playing time at one position this year. He might have to get used to the utility role, since he will be moving up with this group, and will remain stuck behind the same people as he goes through the system.
