Early Keppinger: Fixing what wasn't broken

Seeing Jeff Keppinger hit now it's hard to imagine him going 0-for-32 in low A Ball. But he did, thanks to a roving instructor with Pirates, who Keppinger wouldn't name.

"They came in and switched me up halfway through my first year. They told me they wand me to spread out and use right field. I never used to hit the ball to right field at all. Now, it’s pretty much my niche. I just worked on it.

"I started off 0-for-32. The rover came in town and had me switch up, and it didn't work out. I asked my coach after if I could back to what I was doing and he let me."

But Keppinger took heed of what the Pirates wanted him to do and re-invented himself as a hitter.

"That offseason, I worked on it. I worked on hitting the ball the other way, hitting the four hole, groundballs up the middle. I went to High A. About halfway through the season, my manager was letting me put on my own hit-and-runs. I just got it down. I think finished second in the league in hitting. I didn’t hit for any power."

"I just gave up trying to hitting for power. It was (difficult) at first because I didn’t think there was any problem. I was getting my hits. I wasn’t striking out. I has more walks that strikeouts. And I actually had power."

Keppinger hits for some power now. He had five home runs and 16 doubles in 241 at-bats last year. He picks his spot. He picked one yesterday when he got ahead of Doug Davis 2-0.

"I got ahead in the count. I know in the two hole, these guys don't want to walk me. They fall behind, I'm going to get one down the middle. I'm quick enough to get ready and get to that spot. If they want to paint 2-0, fine. They fall behind 3-0, it's even better. I'll take my walks for Griffey to go deep."