Making the switch

The Prodigal Beat writer has this on BROCK!

Two summers ago, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers manager Jeff Isom was skippering the rookie level Helena (Mont.) Brewers, when the team's radio announcer approached with an idea.

If this Brock Kjeldgaard kid ever has trouble finding the plate, you might want to try having him stand next to it. You know — hit.

"And I was like, 'I don't know. How many guys actually do that, go from pitcher to position player?' " Isom said. "But I give him credit. He was right."

How's that going?

"I've had a couple of good days, and a couple of bad days," Kjeldgaard said. "I'd just like to be a little bit more consistent day in and day out. There are days it seems like a struggle. But there are other days where I feel really good up there. So I'd like to have a better balance."

Like giving that batting average a nudge. He was scuffling at .215 over 246 plate appearances following Wednesday's 4-3 Midwest League win over the Clinton LumberKings at Fox Cities Stadium, whiffing in his first two at-bats to add to his team-high 92 strikeouts before grounding out to short to end the fifth.

But then came the biggest base knock of the afternoon when he roped a one-out triple to right in the seventh to drive in the game winner.

That triple was on a line and smacked about three feet from the top of the wall. The really impressive thing about it was that the LumberKings outfielders were playing back in that "no doubles" defense to prevent anything getting to the wall. This ball was hit over the head of the rightfielder and made the wall so quick he didn't have time to get back on it. As for the defense...Well, it wasn't a double.

"In our organization, we don't have a lot of guys with raw power," Isom said. "But he's one of those guys who has raw power. It's a credit to what he's done. Yeah, he's striking out a little, but that's just the progression of becoming a hitter.

"When he puts the balls in play, it's usually hit hard. And when he gets a pitch he can handle, he can hit it a looong way."

Amen.