Two thumbs up
Injuries to both thumbs caused FAU designated hitter Tom Hatcher to start slowly, but he's back hitting cleanup and driving in runs.
Originally published on
4/9/2009
by
Chuck King
BOCA RATON - It’s not that Tom Hatcher was all thumbs when the season started. Rather, the start of his season was all about his thumbs.
Hatcher, Florida Atlantic’s designated hitter, bruised his right thumb when he got jammed on a pitch in the first series of the season. That was after he sliced open his left thumb on a motionless food processor blade while preparing a preseason dinner.
“I’m not a gourmet or anything, I was just trying to get dinner on the table,” Hatcher said.
Hatcher homered twice in the opening game of the season, but incurred the second thumb injury shortly thereafter and had to sit out the Owls second weekend series.
He struggled upon returning to the lineup.
“I lost all my timing, but after a week or so I was able to get it back and I’ve felt good ever since,” Hatcher said.
Hatcher has the numbers to back up that statement. Even after his time off, Hatcher still leads the Owls with five home runs, and he just missed adding to that total on Tuesday at Miami. His .330 average trails only Nick DelGuidice and Travis Ozga on the Owls.
FAU coach John McCormack placed Hatcher in the clean-up role to start the season, but moved him nearer to the bottom of the order upon his return from the injury. Hatcher was back in the clean-up spot on Saturday against South Alabama, where he went 4-for-5 with two more home runs and six RBIs.
Moving Hatcher up to fourth in the lineup and Ozga from cleanup to third had several benefits for McCormack.
“I’ve always been a proponent of this, but the lineup we were using seemed to be working,” McCormack said. “If (Travis Ozga’s) our best hitter, we need him to hit in the first inning, thus he gets more at-bats. It also gave me the opportunity to put Will (Block) up at two. Maybe he’s going to get pitched differently. Maybe he’s going to approach it differently – try to break him out a little bit.”
McCormack had little concern that the move would have a negative effect on Hatcher.
“I don’t think you have to worry about Tom in terms of the mental side of things,” McCormack said. “He’s kind of a gorilla. He’s the Incredible Hulk. He just goes up there and does his deal, whether he’s hitting four or eight or two or one.”
Hatcher took it a step further.
“I like hitting the cleanup spot,” he said. “You get a lot of runners in scoring position, so you just have to get your job done.”
Florida Atlantic (17-13, 6-9 Sun Belt)
at Troy (22-14, 7-7 Sun Belt)
When: Friday, Troy 12m FAU 3, Saturday, 7 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m.
Where: Riddle-Pace Field, Troy, Ala.
Probable pitcher: Friday – FAU RHP Mike Gipson (2-2, 5.09) vs. Troy RHP Tyler Ray (3-2, 3.57), Saturday – FAU LHP Barry Rooks (3-1, 4.17), vs. Troy RHP Jason Walls (2-2, 3.75), Sunday – FAU LHP Adam Morrison (0-1, 5.68) vs. Troy LHP Travis Burge (2-1, 4.76)
Scouting the Owls: Shortstop Nick DelGuidice leads FAU in hits (42) and errors (13). …Reliever Chris Schmitt’s four wins are tied for third in the Sun Belt. …Reliever Alex Pepe’s 17 appearances are tied for second in the conference.
Scouting the Trojans: Troy has two starting pitchers (Tyler Ray, 3.57 and Jason Walls, 3.75) in the Sun Belt’s ERA Top 10. …Ryan Ditthardt’s 52 hits are second most in the conference. … Michael Precise’s 12 doubles are tied for tops in the conference.