A’s Curtis a consistent hitting machine

25 July 2007


 


By MARK A. BROWN

    Playing for the Chatham Athletics this summer has given Jermaine Curtis the chance of a lifetime, as he tests his mettle against the best ballplayers in the country.

    But the trip east from his Fontana, California, home has allowed Jermaine to do something he is not able to do at UCLA – wear jersey number 42.

    That uniform number is retired at UCLA in honor of Jackie Robinson, the ex-Bruin who broke the major league color barrier in 1947. Curtis grew up admiring the legendary Brooklyn Dodger, and honored him by playing for Robinson’s alma mater and wearing 42 on his wrist bands.

    As he enters his junior year, where he will again man the hot corner at Jackie Robinson Field, the rangy third baseman is proving to be consistent. After leading the Bruins in hitting his first two seasons, he’s also at the top of that category with Chatham.

    “The competition here is great, and you face the best of the best,” Jermaine said. “Overall, it’s a different game here.”

    He spent last summer in Minnesota, playing summer ball in the wood bat Northwoods League and hitting .269 with the Alexandria Beetles. “It was tough adjusting to the wood, but I learned a lot up there,” he said. “But the Cape League is definitely tougher.”

    Curtis enjoyed a stellar freshman season with the Bruins, batting a team-high .336 (including a .390 mark in Pac-10 Conference play) and a .457 on-base percentage. However he was devastated this winter when he was declared academically ineligible for UCLA’s first 24 games in 2007.

    During his absence, the Bruins stumbled to an 11-14 record. Once he returned, batting in the leadoff spot, UCLA went 19-12 to earn a trip to the NCAA tournament.

    In the regionals at Long Beach State, Jermaine went 7-for-14 as the Bruins beat Pepperdine, Illinois-Chicago, and the host 49ers to advance to the Super Regionals. UCLA fell short of the College World Series, dropping a pair to Cal State Fullerton, but Curtis finished the season with a .329 batting average.

    His on-base average dropped to .412, as his walks fell from 24 to 15, and Jermaine admits he did more free swinging at the plate. “Last year [at UCLA] I just tried to get on base a lot,” he said.

    His approach did yield higher power numbers. He clubbed four home runs after hitting none as a freshman, and saw his RBIs increase from 21 to 33.

    Jermaine now wants the best of both worlds – to hit for power while remaining an on-base threat. This summer he has been working to become more patient at the plate and credits Chatham assistant coaches Patrick McGee and George Barnes for their guidance. “I’m an aggressive hitter and I get a little anxious sometimes,” Curtis said. “If I saw a pitch I wanted, I’d just go after it.”

    Now Jermaine tries to extend his at-bats and hold out for a pitch he can tag. “Ted Williams said you’ll see at least one mistake by a pitcher per at bat,” Jermaine said. “So I’m trying to wait for it.”

    The work seems to be paying dividends. Entering play last weekend, Jermaine led the A’s with a .339 batting average. He’s also drawn seven walks for a .406 on-base mark while striking out just six times, and he’s homered twice to tie for the team lead.

    The Cape League has provided the ultimate challenge for a fastball hitter like Curtis. “I like hitting them, but the pitching talent in this league is the best,” he said. “If it’s located well, you can’t touch it.”

    Perhaps, but he’s touched enough of them. Though he is primarily a pull hitter, Jermaine’s quick wrists and strong legs and arms have generated line drive power to all fields. On July 12 he smacked a three-run blast over the left-center-field wall at Veterans Field in the eighth inning to help the A’s prevail in a 12-11 slugfest over Yarmouth-Dennis – a game Chatham trailed 11-1 in the sixth.

    At third, Jermaine’s glove work, quick reactions and strong arm have proved valuable, especially on bunts. With just one miscue in the field to date, Curtis said he wants “to play error-free ball the rest of the season.”

    Among active major leaguers, Curtis looks to Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez for inspiration. “I just love the way he plays – the swagger, and his approach to the game.”
Jermaine’s biggest objective this summer does not involve individual achievement. “I want to help the Chatham Athletics win the Cape League title. That’s my number one goal.”
 


 


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