Despite 'awkward swing,' Padres high on third baseman

By: DAN HAYES - Staff Writer | Thursday, March 1, 2007 11:31 PM PST ∞

Pieces of his shattered bat fly in front of San Diego Padres' Kevin Kouzmanoff in his at-bat in the second inning against the Seattle Mariners at a charity spring training baseball game Thursday, in Peoria, Ariz.
Associated Press

---

PEORIA, Ariz. ---- Kevin Kouzmanoff's first at-bat in a Padres uniform Thursday was almost completely silent until a fan shouted out, "Welcome to the Padres, Kooz." After a winter as "the guy" the Padres acquired for popular second baseman Josh Barfield, Kouzmanoff's chance to show San Diegans what he's all about arrived at Peoria Stadium in a charity game against the Seattle Mariners.

The right-handed hitting third baseman unofficially started his Padres career with a broken-bat groundout, but later added an RBI single. After a 1-for-3 effort in his first Cactus League game with the Padres, Kouzmanoff is ready to show San Diego what he has to offer.

"It was a good warm-up," Kouzmanoff said. "These people are behind me. It's good to go out there and see those Padres fans wearing their Padres jerseys and saying 'Hey Kouzmanoff, we're glad to have you.' It feels good to have that support and people are behind me. I plan on giving it all I've got and making 'em proud."

If Kouzmanoff replicates his past minor-league numbers this season he'll have no trouble making new fans. The numbers suggest the 2003 All-American at Nevada can flat out hit.

Consider that in 349 minor-league games, Kouzmanoff hit .332 with 59 homers and 259 RBIs. Last season, he had 25 homers and 86 RBIs in 402 at-bats between Cleveland's top two minor league affiliates and a September big league audition. But Padres officials also regard him as a selective hitter. Kouzmanoff's minor-league on-base percentage stands at .395.

And he's done it all with what he acknowledges is an "awkward swing."

Hitting coach Merv Rettenmund knows that Kouzmanoff is aware of how to handle his swing. So there's no drastic changes on the horizon.

"It is a little bit different, but he does a lot of things to make it work right," Rettenmund said. "He's a very smart kid. He knows this swing. For me to walk up and tell him do this and do that, it wouldn't be very smart. I just want to see him go up there and get his feet on the ground, and when he can feel relaxed, take some swings and see how it goes."

All of Kouzmanoff's past successes have come from similar relaxed situations.

The 25-year-old said instructors have always disagreed with what he does at the plate. But it was different at Nevada under head coach Gary Powers. Kouzmanoff walked on to the team for his senior year, impressed coaches and earned All-America status, as well as Western Athletic Conference player of the year honors.

"I've always battled with coaches about my swing," Kouzmanoff said. "But I know myself well enough. (The swing) is a little unorthodox. I just looked unnatural, but I've always had confidence in my swing. I made the team, and (Powers) just let me play."

Kouzmanoff is hoping for a similar experience in San Diego, where the Padres hope he can give them the consistent glove they lacked after releasing Vinny Castilla last July. And though scouts have questioned his fielding abilities, Kouzmanoff thinks he can handle it.

"Maybe it's my unorthodox throw," he said. "But I think I play a good third base. I work hard it and take a lot of grounders."

Manager Bud Black ---- who was hired one day after the Kouzmanoff trade on Nov. 8 ---- thinks he has a good player on his hands. Black said his first order of business was to get the scoop on Kouzmanoff.

"One of the first things I did was call people in Cleveland to get their take on Kevin," Black said. "And those guys came back with glowing reports from the managers that he's played for, to (general manager) Mark Shapiro, to the major-league coaches."

Texas pitcher Edinson Volquez might not give as glowing of a review.

Volquez needed one pitch last Sept. 2 to get a scouting report on Kouzmanoff.

That's when Kouzmanoff became the first player in major-league history to hit a grand slam on the first pitch of his big-league career. Two other players have hit grand slams in their first at-bat.

Kouzmanoff thinks he's capable of building on that performance. He's just looking for a little fan support, too.

"The only thing that's in my control is how I approach the game, how I practice and how I play," Kouzmanoff said. "Whether people support me I don't have any control of that. But I think it'd be easier for me to play and maximize my potential if (they did)."

Contact staff writer Dan Hayes at dhayes@nctimes.com.