News
Eckstein sticks to unique batting gloves
San Diego (32-41) at Texas (40-33), 5:05 p.m. PT
By Daniel Paulling / MLB.com
06/27/09 11:22 PM ET
ARLINGTON -- The gloves David Eckstein wears while hitting may smell bad and look funny, but he doesn't plan on changing them any time. |
You see, Eckstein has become attached to his wide receiver gloves, and he doesn't ever plan on switching to regular batting gloves.
Eckstein didn't wear batting gloves during high school at Seminole High School in Sanford, Fla. A teammate of Eckstein's at the University of Florida, Paul Rigdon, used wide receiver gloves while playing. Rigdon converted from catcher to pitcher, so he gave his gloves to Eckstein. "They were the school colors, so I started wearing them," Eckstein said. "People would ask about them. I get ridiculed for the smell and how they look. They end up stinking." Rigdon's donated pair of gloves lasted so long that Eckstein decided to continue buying wide receiver gloves because of their durability. Now, Eckstein hits with gloves that are specially made to look like batting gloves on the back but come with the same material wide receiver gloves have for the grip. It allows him to use less pine tar during at-bats. Eckstein didn't play football because his family didn't want him playing contact sports. His gloves are also helping him to a good June. Over his past 10 games, Eckstein is hitting .378 (17-for-45) and ranks as one of the hardest hitters in the Major Leagues to strike out. "Hits are falling," Padres manager Bud Black said. "He's using the whole field, line to line. A lot of times hitters try certain approaches. They don't hit the ball where it's pitched. He's doing that." Pitching matchupSD: RHP Chad Gaudin (3-6, 5.60 ERA)
Gaudin, who has had command issues this season, loaded the bases in the second inning in his last start on three hits and then proceeded to walk in a batter for a run. Rough start? Maybe, though Gaudin recovered nicely, working seven innings. Gaudin would allow one more run and ended up tying his career high with 11 strikeouts, as he got a lot of swing-and-misses on his slider, especially to right-handed batters. Better still, that walk in the second inning was the only one he issued the entire game. TEX: RHP Tommy Hunter (0-0, 5.06 ERA)
Matt Harrison was scratched from this start due to inflammation around his left biceps. He underwent an MRI Friday, which showed no structural damage. Taking the start Hunter, who allowed three earned runs in 5 1/3 innings on May 29 in an emergency start. He was called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City when Harrison went on the disabled list with a sore left shoulder. Hunter has a 3-2 record with a 3.83 ERA for Oklahoma City this season. Tidbits
Outfielder Will Venable wasn't in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Rangers. He injured his left wrist in the batting cages on Friday. ... Tony Gwynn Sr. and Tony Gwynn Jr. are the first father-son combination to hit their first Major League home runs for the same franchise since Ruben Amaro Sr. (Sept. 12, 1961) and Ruben Amaro Jr. (April 8, 1992) did the same for the Phillies. ... Saturday was the 29th birthday for infielder Luis Rodriguez. Musician/actor Drake Bell, Heath Bell's cousin, shares his birthday with Rodriguez. ... The Triple-A Portland Beavers signed first baseman Valentino Pascucci to a Minor League deal and added him to the active roster. He hit .207 with eight home runs in 60 games with Triple-A Albuquerque in the Dodgers organization before being released June 18. Pascucci, 30, has hit 182 home runs in his Minor League career and was a 15th-round selection by the Montreal Expos in the 1999 First-Year Player Draft. Tickets
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• Monday: Padres (Josh Geer, 1-2, 5.86) vs. Astros (Roy Oswalt, 3-4, 4.30), 7:05 p.m. PT
• Tuesday: Padres (Josh Banks, 0-0, 2.84) vs. Astros (Mike Hampton, 4-5, 4.70), 7:05 p.m. PT
• Wednesday: Padres (Walter Silva, 0-1, 9.35) vs. Astros (Brian Moehler, 4-4, 6.05), 7:05 p.m. PT
Daniel Paulling is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
