DETROIT — Once upon a time it was called the “Sophomore Jinx.”
It was a convenient and descriptive label for a second-season regression experienced by major league players who had an impressive rookie year.
Sort of like what Tigers’ third baseman Nick Castellanos is going through now.
Castellanos exited Thursday’s game after eight innings, batting .224 following a game in which he had a triple plus a double in three official at-bats.
Last season, the rookie Castellanos batted .259 with 11 home runs and 66 RBIs.
But this year it’s been a downward spiral of bad results followed by bad swings, which leads to bad results followed by more bad swings.
“Sometimes you get paralyzed by analysis,” Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said Thursday. “I talked with him on the plane to Cleveland. He had some better swings in Cleveland.”
He also had three days off in which to fully concentrate on relearning some old (good) habits at the plate. Taking his mind off the results and focusing on the mechanics.
“I told him, ‘I’ll bet when you were in high school you got in the box and just hit. You weren’t thinking about where your hands are, where your feet are. Let’s get back to that.’”
Castellanos has hit less than .200 for most of June but cries that he needs a spell in Toledo to work in a pressure-free environment are being ignored, at least for the moment.
He had a two-run first-pitch double to right that was a key part of a six-run fifth inning Tuesday night in Cleveland. HIs triple Thursday was to right but his double was banged to left. Hits to right field are a sign that the third baseman is getting back on track.
He’s still having at-bats where he quickly gets down 0-2 in the count and then strikes out at anything with a bend in it. That’s an indication Castellanos could be so fearful of getting behind in the count that the thought becomes a reality.
“You get so bothered by the physical that it becomes mental,” Ausmus said.
Andrew Romine filled in strongly for Castellanos while the manager was giving the third baseman some mental breathing room. But Romine is not Castellanos.
“The thought is that we need Nick,” Ausmus said. “We’re a better team if Nick’s hitting like Nick can hit.”