TIGER WOODS, Prince Fielder and Usain Bolt all have names that seem like manifest destiny. Add San Jose Giant Brandon Belt to that list.
Belt is truly living up to his last name. In his first season playing professional baseball, the left-handed first baseman is leading the team in RBIs while batting .366. At 6 foot 5 inches, Belt towers over most teammates and opponents and appears lanky, despite weighing 215 pounds. He seems to shrink at the plate as he enters his batting stance, a slight crouch with hands behind his left ear and close to the body. Only as he lashes out at the ball does his body open up, legs and arms twisting as his hands extend, revealing the tall frame.
A hitter always wants to extend his arms, and Belt is no different. “This year I just went out there and took what the pitchers are giving me,” Belt says. “They are throwing me a lot of stuff away and that’s what I am hitting.”
A former pitcher, Belt just recently made the switch to become a full-time position player, having been moved to first base by his coaches at the University of Texas. “I haven’t been a hitter for that long,” Belt says. “I have been a pitcher most of my life. I just now started hitting and I am going to learn a lot about pro hitting.” He says his experience as a pitcher is playing a big role in his offensive success now. “I know the tendencies of pitchers,” Belt says. “I know what they do in certain situations.”
Belt is also leading the league bases-on-balls with 38, again living up to his name—or his initials. “I feel that has been the best part of my hitting approach,” Belt says. “I know my strike zone very well and I can figure out the ump’s strike zone pretty quick and I can make adjustments. The Giants like it whenever you look for your pitch, and that’s what I have been doing.”
Like all minor leaguers, Belt’s goal is to make it to the major league. But he seems patient. “Definitely in the back of my mind,” Belt says. “I would love to be up there. But I have plenty of stuff to work on. Some parts of my game are advanced, some parts of my game need refinement. Just play hard, and hopefully they like what they see.”
SanJose.com – Staff
