Confident Tuiasosopo

Here is something on ex-Rattler Matt Tuiasosopo at the Mariner site. It is similar to other stories that have been written about Tuiasosopo this season.

Tuiasosopo regains form in AFL

The swagger Matt Tuiasosopo had as a star teenage athlete has returned.

His head is held high, his chest expanded just a little.

"It feels good to feel good again," the Mariners' third-round Draft choice in 2004 said. "I got my swing back this year and did some good things. I got that confidence and swagger that I had. I feel like the player the Mariners drafted."

After a demoralizing 2006 season, which included a .185 (40-for-216) average in 62 games with Double-A San Antonio, and .167 (13-for-78) mark in 21 games with the Arizona Fall League Peoria Javelinas, Tuiasosopo returned to his Seattle-area home to get his mind back in order.

...

As the end of the 2008 season approaches, Tuiasosopo has helped the Javelinas contend for the AFL West title the past two months, ranking second on the team with 14 RBIs through Tuesday night.

He has excelled with runners on base, batting .370 (10-for-27) with runners in scoring position, did most of his hitting during the daytime, batting .295 under the sun and .091 under the lights, and handled left-handed pitchers well, batting .368.

This may be the first story about improvement that includes .091 as a data point. Small sample size of 1-for-11 in three games though. Don't you just love it when I get all SABR? All of the splits for Tuiasosopo during the Arizona Fall League are HERE.

Familiar ground is covered at the story. You may feel a slight bit of deja vu while reading it.