News
Slumping Gwynn stands by his swing
Center fielder struggling since break, out to simplify game
By Corey Brock / MLB.com
09/16/09 4:22 PM ET
SAN DIEGO -- The hardest part about his slump since the All-Star break, Tony Gwynn was saying the other day, wasn't so much watching his batting average take a nose dive, but fighting the urge to ditch his swing and start all over."You fight that all the time when you're struggling, you want to make a change that will show up immediately," Gwynn said. "But it doesn't work like that. I have made enough changes over my career to know that you've got to stick with something, iron it out and then run with it."
That hasn't been easy for Gwynn, who parlayed a return home, being traded to his native San Diego from Milwaukee, and getting a chance to play every day right away into what was a batting average near .300 for two-plus months.
Then came a slump after the All-Star break, as Gwynn is hitting .191 since Aug. 2. He had three hits on Monday, but was unable to get down two critical bunts in what became a loss for the Padres against the D-backs.
"It's a mindset. I'm just going to be aggressive in the zone and not worry about where my hands are, where I'm standing in the box," Gwynn said. "... I am working on simplifying things. It was working great for me until those last two at-bats."
What Gwynn, the son of Padres' Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, is experiencing isn't abnormal for a young player still finding his way, and in Gwynn's case, handling the opportunity to play on a nearly everyday basis and what that entails.
"He got off to such a great start, momentum, had the confidence and he came into what was a comfortable environment ... everything was rolling for him," Padres manager Bud Black said of Gwynn, who took a .262 average into Wednesday's game.
"Then I saw the league make some adjustments, pitch selections, that I think Tony now is starting to realize what they're trying to do to him. ... He'll get it back."
Gwynn said the two missed bunts on Monday and his inability to bunt well since arriving in San Diego, is a big reason why he's been unable to turnaround his funk at the plate.
"That's why my slump has lasted as long as it has, because I've struggled with my bunts ever since I've gotten here," Gwynn said. "Usually, that's the thing that keeps me out of those long, extended periods when I'm not swinging the bat well.
"Unfortunately, I haven't been able to do it well. It's been rough, but you learn a lot about yourself during these times."
Corey Brock is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
