Sizemore Challenged To Improve - Akron Beacon Journal

He played so well in '06, getting better isn't easy
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sportswriter
WINTER HAVEN, FLA. - Grady Sizemore has played only two full big-league seasons, yet he will have trouble topping himself in 2007.

What more can he do after batting .290 with 28 home runs, 76 RBI and 22 steals in 28 tries as the Indians' leadoff batter? And that isn't all. He also led the American League by scoring 134 runs and amassing 53 doubles.

So the question arises, will Sizemore push himself too hard to exceed the numbers of last season?

``It's not realistic to think you can do that every year,'' Sizemore said. ``But hopefully I can.''

Manager Eric Wedge isn't worried that Sizemore will try -- as they say in baseball -- try to do too much, or that he will succumb to the expectations of others.

``That will always be a challenge for Grady, because he's such an accomplished player,'' Wedge said Wednesday. ``Expectations for him are going to be off the charts.

``But one of Grady's attributes is that he doesn't get caught up in that. He understands what's realistic and what's not.''

Wedge's praise for Sizemore hardly stops there.

``Grady is one of the best all-around players in the game, as far as I'm concerned. He's the greatest young player I've ever been associated with.''

With Wedge's critique in mind, it's no wonder that expectations for Sizemore are a little higher than for most. And at 24, presumably he will have many years in which to build a stellar career.

For Sizemore, what he accomplished in 2006 is far less important than tinkering with his game to get better. For example, he is not proud of striking out 153 times, which put him third in the AL behind Curtis Granderson (174) of the Detroit Tigers and Richie Sexson (154) of the Seattle Mariners. Jhonny Peralta of the Indians was fourth at 152.

``You have to focus on what you didn't get done,'' Sizemore said. ``I need to put the ball in play more. No one likes to strike out, but as long as you put up numbers, strikeouts are not something that's really nipping at me.

``That's probably always going to be a high number for me, but I want to try and get my walks up. Anybody who has a lot of strikeouts doesn't have his plate discipline where he wants it to be.''

Is Wedge happy that Sizemore is ready to address this weakness? Certainly managers fret when one of their players is among the league leaders in strikeouts.

``That's not a concern for me at all,'' Wedge said. ``You always have to give up something to get something. And it's no comparison in that race.''

Despite his overall excellence, mild controversy has accompanied Sizemore's time in the big leagues. To wit: Should Sizemore remain at the top of the order, or should he hit in the middle of the lineup?

Sizemore might never lead the league in batting average or on-base percentage -- the benchmark goals of a leadoff batter -- nor is he likely to be among the AL's top run producers, the indicators of a top-notch No. 3, 4 or 5 hitter.

``Leading off is what I've almost always done, going back to high school,'' Sizemore said.

``Grady enjoys leading off,'' Wedge said. ``And if you move him, you have to have a solution to another problem. If Grady moves to third, for instance, who's going to lead off? And why move one of the best leadoff hitters in baseball?''

Because Sizemore produces a high number of extra-base hits and has a penchant for driving in runs, he is not the prototype leadoff batter. However, he did lead the league in runs, he can steal bases and his on-base percentage is relatively high (.375 in '06).

One statistic in particular demonstrates how effective Sizemore is as a leadoff batter. Last year, he got himself into scoring position or beyond (second, third or back to the plate) 39 percent of the time he reached base. That is one reason he scored more runs than anyone else in the AL.

``We have all kinds of statistical data to show how special he is,'' Wedge said. ``And when he leads off, he's going to get that extra at-bat.''

There are other players who will hit for a higher average and drive in more runs than Sizemore, but there is one area in which he might be peerless: hustle.

``You talk about guys taking days off,'' Wedge said. ``Grady doesn't take a minute off during the day.''

Wedge believes that Sizemore's desire can affect the entire clubhouse.

``Grady's teammates don't have to look any further for a shining example of the way they should be,'' Wedge said.