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December 11, 2006

Prospectus Q&A

Freddy Sanchez

by David Laurila

A 29-year-old infielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Freddy Sanchez won the National League batting title in 2006, posting a .344 average. A lifetime .313 hitter in 1,104 big league at-bats, the native of Burbank, California also led the NL with 53 doubles while pounding out 200 hits and knocking in 85 runs. Originally taken in the 11th round of the 2000 draft by the Red Sox, Sanchez was traded from Boston to Pittsburgh, along with Mike Gonzalez, for Brandon Lyon, Jeff Suppan and Anastacio Martinez on July 31, 2003.

Last Wednesday, Sanchez was named the winner of the 17th annual Tony Conigliaro Award, which honors a major-league player who has overcome adversity through the attributes of spirit, determination and courage. David Laurila sat down with Sanchez for BP to talk hitting, awards and the thrill of being a big leaguer.

David Laurila: You've always hit for a high average. What makes you a good hitter?

Freddy Sanchez: A lot of it has to do with good hand-eye coordination. I have an ability to put balls into play, and fortunately they've been finding some holes. Another thing is that I've put in a lot of hard work. Repetition is a big part of hitting, and I’ve spent countless hours in the batting cage, trying to make myself better.

DL: I've read that your approach at the plate is primarily "see the ball and hit it." How much attention do you pay to charts?

FS: I don't really look at them at all. Pitchers don't always work the same, and come game time they're pitching mostly to the situation. I will look at video, to see tendencies and arm location. I mostly want to see where a pitcher’s release point is so I can pick up the ball better.