Khalil Greene

[CrazyEights]

Of course Spring Training stats don't mean anything. Hopefully Greene will produce when it counts. His success would help this team a lot. It's been awhile since we've had a Shortstop that was good offensively and defensively on a consistant basis.

It is no coincidence Khalil Greene has been Albert Pujols' shadow this spring.

From camp's outset, manager Tony La Russa made certain Greene was in Pujols' hitting group whether on some back field or in the stadium hours before a game. If the Cardinals' new shortstop arrived in need of a consistent approach, La Russa figured there was no better model than a former batting champion, two-time MVP and arguably the game's premier hitter.

After the Florida Marlins intentionally walked Pujols with first base open in a 1-1 game, Greene immediately lined a hit to score Colby Rasmus from second base with the winning run.

Greene, who entered Cardinals camp after being almost universally regarded last season as an offensive enigma with the San Diego Padres, delivered from the cleanup spot.

The hit lifted Green's Grapefruit League average to .418. Marked down throughout his career for lacking contact even in his best seasons, Greene left Monday's game with three strikeouts in 71 plate appearances.

"I'm not going to say I've found something or that I've figured it out. But I feel comfortable where I'm at," Greene said after concluding a two-for-four day. "I've sustained an approach for the majority of the spring. It's something that I've tried to work on daily. I'm just trying to take good swings, not swing ridiculously hard, and stay in the middle of the field."

Greene may represent camp's best offensive news. Lost for most of last season, he has regenerated confidence through consistency rarely experienced during a literally hit-and-miss five-year career.

"I feel good about it. Regardless of results, it's more about feeling that I've got something I can show up every day and work on. In the past, it's been frustrating because not making contact, it's hard to build on anything. It has been for me, at least," he said. "When you're swinging and missing a lot, you're wondering what's happening, thinking about what you need to do to shore up your swing."

Hitting coach Hal McRae and Pujols have offered positive reinforcement. Regarded as pull-happy after crashing 27 home runs in 2007, Greene slumped to 10 home runs and 100 strikeouts in 389 at-bats in 2008. His on-base percentage tumbled to a career-worst .260.

This spring's tutorials have convinced Greene to diminish weight shift while stabilizing his head during the swing. He has also quieted his hands, allowing pitches to "get deeper," a phrase Pujols often uses.

"What's exciting to start with is he's got a good relationship with Albert and with Hal," La Russa noted. "Those are two real good resources."

Greene is finding hits in the middle of the field rather than discovering mostly frustration within a pull mentality. Shadowing Pujols, he also has learned the value of trusting an approach.

"I think that's something I've been looking for: to have a base that I can go back to if something's not working out," he said.

Greene has six doubles this spring, only four less than in last season's 105 games. He has hit safely in 17 of his last 21 exhibition games. Spring stats will be forgotten when the season opens next Monday. But spring's lessons will remain.

"I want to feel like I'm consistently in an at-bat. I'd like to be able to consistently feel like I've got a chance and I'm not searching for something," Greene said.

[missionhockey21]

Greene is a lot more talented than last season's numbers would indicate. I think it was a confidence issue as in he completely lost any confidence he had up at the plate. Now while I don't think the spring numbers are going to get on the back of his baseball card for 2009, I think he has the potential to be slightly above average for MLB shortstops this year with his bat. 3 strikeouts in 70 PA's in encouraging, very encouraging, for someone who struggled to make contact last season.

[HollywoodLeo]

If Khalil waits until after he's no longer in San Diego to quit swinging at the low and away pitch for strike 3 every freaking time I'm going to go irate.

Expect excellent defense (but with the occasional overthrow to first on a routine play), a good slugging percentage, but a poor OBP.

[CrazyEights]

I think you are right about the confidence issue. I don't know what happened last year, but hopefully he get's out of the funk he was in. Hanging around Pujols can't hurt either.

[HollywoodLeo]

He's always had a problem with OBP and the low and away pitch, even before last year.

Last year he quit hitting the long ball and the RBIs, which made his weaknesses stand out even more.

[love_that_reefer]

Injuries have been a problem for Greene as well. Leo is right though, he can't hit a breaking ball away from him.