Lee Orr paid close attention to how Bowling Green closer Austin Hubbard pitched Fort Wayne teammate Mike Gallic.The TinCaps trailed the Hot Rods by a run in the ninth May 20 at Parkview Field.FORT WAYNE – Kevin Kiermaier received a nice hand as he walked to the plate for his first at-bat Wednesday against the TinCaps.
He then slapped the first pitch he saw to left field for an opposite-field single.
Ah, the comforts of home.
The Bishop Luers graduate went 2 for 4 and stole four bases for Bowling Green in the 6-3 victory.
Kiermaier said he asked for about 125 tickets for the series. He’s putting on quite a show for those ticket-holders. Kiermaier had a single in four at-bats in the first game of the series Tuesday and also threw a runner out at home from center field. He added a single and triple Wednesday.
“I’ve been looking forward to this the past week,” Kiermaier said. “It feels good to be home.”
After a slow start, Kiermaier is starting to get a feel for Midwest League pitching.
He didn’t have a hit in his first 10 at-bats. His single in the first extended a hitting streak to five games, the second five-game hit streak Kiermaier has had this season.
“It only takes one to get that confidence back up,” Kiermaier said. “I changed a few things, opened my stance and I did that quite often.
“Cal Ripken Jr. was known as the man of 1,000 stances and I feel the same way. If something doesn’t feel comfortable or is not working, I like to change it up a little bit. Nothing too dramatic, just a little adjustment that makes you feel that much better. I feel real comfortable now. That’s what made me help hit the ball to all fields and that’s when I’m at my best.”
Kiermaier has a .222 batting average with seven RBI. He leads the Hot Rods with nine stolen bases.
“I’ve had to accept failure,” Kiermaier said of the batting average. “I had a rough first two weeks of the season, but I stayed positive. I’ve been playing a lot better now.
“Some things that people don’t realize is that there are 140 games a season, and if I had a rough 15 games, what’s that? It sets me back a little bit, but nothing that’s going to make or break me. I kept a positive attitude throughout the year, and it’s starting to pay off for me now. I’m starting to feel a little better.”
Baseball America named Kiermaier as the breakout prospect in Tampa Bay’s organization in 2011. The publication ranked him as the No. 26 prospect in the Rays’ organization.
Selected in the 31st round in the 2010 draft out of Parkland College, the 21-year-old led the Princeton Rays with a .303 average after signing last year.
He also led the team with 44 runs, 66 hits, seven triples, 94 total bases, 17 stolen bases and an on-base percentage of .380 while adjusting to life as a pro.
That included moving from hotel to hotel and eating out and arriving to the ballpark four to six hours before a game.
“My body was so tired after the season. But this is what I love to do,” he said. “I’m going to stick it out as long as I can and try to make it to the big leagues. That is the ultimate goal.”
