The assumption with young left-handed hitters is that they will struggle against left-handed pitchers, a judgment that does not necessarily extend to right-handed hitters and right-handed pitching. Call it one of the quirks of the game.
Quietly determined in all aspects of his profession, Casey Kotchman has been doing his part to batter this particular perception into submission. The Angels first baseman came into Tuesday night's assignment against Mariners ace Erik Bedard hitting .426 against lefties after going 3-for-3 against Jarrod Washburn in the series opener. Kotchman is the club leader against southpaws in hits (20), RBIs (10), slugging (.617) and on-base percentage (.460).
"Yeah, I've heard I'm doing pretty well against them," Kotchman said through a deadpan expression. "I'm going to have to start doing better against right-handers, or they might bench me."
He was kidding. Kotchman is hitting .293 against righties, significantly better than the club's overall .249 mark. His .324 average against all comers had him third in the AL, behind budding Rangers superstar Josh Hamilton (.331) and the Yankees' Hideki Matsui (.328).
Kotchman also carried an AL-best .366 road average and has been the hardest player in the league to strike out, going down just once every 16.8 at-bats.
Factor in his superb defense, and you have one of the most productive athletes in the league handling first base for the AL West leaders.
"Casey's been one of our most valuable players in the field -- he might be the most valuable," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He's hit anywhere from fourth to seventh. He's brought a presence at first base that's made every infielder play at a higher level. He's saved countless runs [with his glove] and is having a great year in the batter's box, too. He's been very productive."
Kotchman talks every day with Garret Anderson, a career .291 hitter against left-handers and batting .292 against them this season. Kotchman has adopted many of Anderson's theories while following the keep-it-simple formula.
"They talk hitting a lot," Scioscia said. "Casey's always had the ability to hit lefties. It can't hurt to be around someone like Garret with his perspective on hitting left-handers."
Kotchman said he values Anderson's veteran leadership as much as his hitting expertise.
"If you look around the locker room," Kotchman said, "you do have a lot of veteran guys who have a calming, soothing effect on everybody. There's no panic or ugency. They're not putting any pressure on young guys. The only pressure anybody has, they're putting on themselves."
His bat, concentration level, discipline and ability to use the whole field have enabled Kotchman to flourish in unfriendly environs.
"If you have a low-maintenance car, you have less problems," Kotchman said. "I try not to be too high-maintenance with my swing."
Low maintenance, high performance. You can't beat that formula.
