3 July 2008

Despite slump, Trundy sees positives for Commodores

By George Kostinas
Falmouth Bulletin

Falmouth —

Any Cape Cod Baseball League manager will tell you anything can happen; you can’t count on anything.

Falmouth got off to a 5-2 start, including four wins in a row.

“Not bad. We’ve been up and down. There have been nights when we haven’t hit well and nights where we haven’t pitched well, but it’s not a bad start,” says Commodores field manager Jeff Trundy.

“You don’t want to put too much stock on the start of the season. What we want is to get consistency as the season goes along,” Trundy adds.

He must have had a premonition; Falmouth did not win a game in its next five outings with four losses and a tie.

But Trundy also realizes it can swing back in the other direction.

He notes that last season his Commodores got off to a slow start, picked it up, played consistently, finished in second place and defeated the Bourne Braves to win the Western Division championship before losing to the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox in the league championship series.

The Commodores are in the thick of the Western Division race and continue to hit the ball well with a .274 average.

They are led by A.J. Pollock, an outfielder from Notre Dame who hails from Hebron, Conn.

Despite missing three games due to injury, Pollock is among the league batting leaders and as of Sunday had a .385 average on 15 hits, five doubles and 12 runs scored.

“He’s having a lot of good at bats,” says Trundy. “One thing, in the time I’ve been following him, is he doesn’t strike out a lot.”

Pollock is a contact hitter and that’s a real good quality for a leadoff batter.

“I just try to be competitive every single at-bat. You just can’t take off on any at-bat,” says Pollock.

“His bat stays through the strike zone for a period of time, and that gives him a better chance to make contact. He’s a line drive hitter,” says Trundy. “That’s what we like to see: make contact and drive the ball.”

He has also done a fine job in centerfield; despite not have blazing speed, he is fast enough to cover the ground.

“We’re very pleased with him. I like the way he goes about his business, and he is a great teammate,” says Trundy.

Pollock is getting some help from his teammates, especially Trevor Coleman (Missouri) and Darin Ruf (Creighton).

Coleman’s hitting, ironically, has picked up during the Commodores losing streak as he brought up his average up from .250 to .300-plus.

Ruf, was not even listed on the roster at the beginning of the season; he is a temporary player who has worked his way into the Commodores’ lineup with solid hitting and fielding at first base.

Ruf had been among the league leaders, but had a number of “oh-fer” games and has dipped below .300.

Kevin Nolan (Winthrop) has also been effective at the plate. He started the season with a 4-for-5 performance and has hovered around .300.

And things might get even better for the Commodores as Brian Fletcher, a hard-hitting outfielder from Auburn who just missed making Team USA, will be joining the club.

“He’s got some pop in his bat. He hit 10 or 11 home runs at Auburn, and he plays in a pretty good conference,” says Trundy.