MILWAUKEE — It’s certainly not “Fight Club,” but Xander Bogaerts did not want to talk about the split grip that analyst Clayton Kershaw pointed out during the NL Wild Card Series broadcast.
He was asked for the origin story in multiple ways ahead of the Padres’ off-day workout on Friday.
“I don’t know,” he said. “It’s working, so let’s keep it going.”
It was not out of the ordinary for Bogaerts to dodge such questions. He’s got a good thing going, and he’s been outed by his teammates as one of the more superstitious guys in the clubhouse.
Bogaerts hit the seventh postseason homer of his career in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series, doubled in Game 2 and has two hits in both postseason games to continue a hot finish to the regular season.
The split grip definitely has something to do with it, too.
The organization suggested it to him during the mid-September trip to Coors Field as a way to combat the rollovers that contributed to 12 double-play grounders and a lot of the weak contact while hitting a career-worst .231 this season.
By keeping 1 to 2 inches of space between his top and bottom hands, Bogaerts is staying through the baseball and creating a swing path that helps loft his hits.
It was a suggestion made to former Padres prospect CJ Abrams during his time at Double-A San Antonio.
Shortly after trying the split grip in Coors Field, Bogaerts fell a single shy of the cycle, the start of a .400/.500/.800 finish that’s carried into the postseason.
“He started doing it,” Padres hitting coach Steven Souza Jr. said, “and he started hitting lasers.”
‘A brilliant business vision’
The NLDS is being played by two teams that could both be put up as arguments for the players’ side of the salary-cap argument that seems destined to lead to a lockout this winter.
The Brewers led the majors with 103 wins despite ranking 19th with a payroll of $147 million. The Padres ranked ninth this year with a $221 million payroll and have surged to rank second or third in total attendance in each of the past four years, largely because of the investment in such players as Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Xander Bogaerts and Jackson Merrill.
The Brewers are proof that a well-run team can compete for championships. The Padres are proof that spending improves your product.
Brewers owner Mark Attanasio was asked for his stance on a salary cap as part of workout day availability. He batted away every pitch to keep the focus on the series, but he did highlight the Padres’ path to their place in the current landscape.
“I look at it most from a business standpoint,” Attanasio said. “From a baseball standpoint and more like a fan, they just went to being a very athletic, dynamic team. From a business standpoint, Petco used to be half-full when we would go, and now it’s full every night. I think Peter Seidler really had a vision that he was able to execute on, as they were the only team in town to brand. It’s like going to a Broadway show and seeing stars.
“A brilliant business vision. And sadly, I was friendly with him. I miss him.”
Notable
RHP Michael King will start Sunday’s Game 2 on regular rest. That would also put him on regular rest should the series extend to a fifth game on Friday, back at American Family Field.