PLOUFFE OVERCOMES ADVERSITY
A significant rite of passage for a minor leaguer aspiring for the big time is coping with adversity.
As any professional player will relate, playing baseball well is tough enough without having to battle yourself. Make some mistakes or get yourself mired in a slump and the best tonic is the power of positive thought.
Rock Cats shortstop Trevor Plouffe displayed the ability succinctly last week, leaving his problems in the past, maintaining focus on the moment at hand and reaping the benefits.
On May 30 against Binghamton, Plouffe and the Rock Cats reached a low point. The Twins' first-round selection in the 2004 draft made three errors that helped the B-Mets pile on seven unearned runs en route to a 12-2 victory.
Plouffe could have allowed the ordeal to traumatize him. The Rock Cats have had first-round picks in the past who lost their competitive edge after hitting a bump in the road. Instead, he put together an incredible week at the plate and made every play in the field to earn Eastern League Player of the Week honors.
In the five games after his unfortunate defensive hat trick, Plouffe went 11-for-20 (.550) with a home run, three doubles, five RBI and five runs scored. He raised his season batting average from .247 to .279.
The results of Plouffe's first three professional seasons have been mixed. He posted a .283 mark and made just six errors in 60 games in his first year at Elizabethton in the short-season Class A Appalachian League. In his two full Class A campaigns, he hit .223 and made 35 errors at low-A Beloit and hit .246 with 29 errors at high-A Fort Myers.
The Twins certainly did not let numbers dictate their assessment of the soon-to-be 21-year-old Californian. They promoted him to Double-A and remain very positive about his development.
And by overcoming adversity, Trevor Plouffe showed this week that he is worthy of their respect.
As any professional player will relate, playing baseball well is tough enough without having to battle yourself. Make some mistakes or get yourself mired in a slump and the best tonic is the power of positive thought.
Rock Cats shortstop Trevor Plouffe displayed the ability succinctly last week, leaving his problems in the past, maintaining focus on the moment at hand and reaping the benefits.
On May 30 against Binghamton, Plouffe and the Rock Cats reached a low point. The Twins' first-round selection in the 2004 draft made three errors that helped the B-Mets pile on seven unearned runs en route to a 12-2 victory.
Plouffe could have allowed the ordeal to traumatize him. The Rock Cats have had first-round picks in the past who lost their competitive edge after hitting a bump in the road. Instead, he put together an incredible week at the plate and made every play in the field to earn Eastern League Player of the Week honors.
In the five games after his unfortunate defensive hat trick, Plouffe went 11-for-20 (.550) with a home run, three doubles, five RBI and five runs scored. He raised his season batting average from .247 to .279.
The results of Plouffe's first three professional seasons have been mixed. He posted a .283 mark and made just six errors in 60 games in his first year at Elizabethton in the short-season Class A Appalachian League. In his two full Class A campaigns, he hit .223 and made 35 errors at low-A Beloit and hit .246 with 29 errors at high-A Fort Myers.
The Twins certainly did not let numbers dictate their assessment of the soon-to-be 21-year-old Californian. They promoted him to Double-A and remain very positive about his development.
And by overcoming adversity, Trevor Plouffe showed this week that he is worthy of their respect.
posted by Ken Lipshez at
8:12 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home