Statistics lie. According to the official 1993 American League averages, Mike Huff of the White Sox, a reserve outfielder, batted .182: eight hits in 44 at-bats. But, to me, he’s the equivalent of .300 hitter, because every time he makes an outstanding catch, I credit him with a hit.
Huff appeared in 43 games with the Sox last season. In exhuming my trusty scorebook, I discovered I had six asterisks next to his name, one for each sensational catch. The way I have always figured it, a hit taken away is as good as a hit. So in my book, he was 14 for 44, a .318 average.
I found Huff Monday at the Northwestern University fieldhouse. He and his brother Matt, who last summer signed with the Texas Rangers, were working out: stretching, long tossing, taking groundballs, 20 minutes against a pitching machine, concluding with an hour in the weight room.
Huff introduced his brother.
“I’ve got the good looks, but he’s the power hitter,” he said, laughing.
“Tell him what you’ve done.”
The kid brother didn’t speak. He seemed shy.
“He led the Big 10 in home runs the last two years,” Mike said. “And last summer, after he signed with Texas, he led the Pioneer League in RBIs. All he needs is time and experience. He’s going to be a big power hitter.”
Mike Huff, 30 last August, isn’t a power hitter-four home runs in 205 major-league games. Rarely does he swing for the fences.
“If I get the right pitch and pull it a little bit, it might go out” he explained. “But I can’t hit the ball in the air, consistently, 400 feet, so why hit fly balls?”
Instead, Huff hits the ball on the line or on the ground. And like 99.4 percent of the professional ballplayers, he has an abundance of confidence and insists his .230 lifetime average is not an accurate index of his offensive ability.
“I’m a .275 to .300 hitter, always have been at every level,” he said.
Huff batted more than .300 in five different minor leagues and was hitting .268 for the Sox in 1991 before he went down with a shoulder injury. At that time he was playing every day. But he has since been reduced to a utility role, filling in as a late-inning defensive replacement.
“The guy who plays every day always has the best chance to hit for a better average,” Huff explained.
There is no question the degree of difficulty increases when a player is coming off the bench in the late innings.
Because he wasn’t endowed with a lot of power, Huff has to use his head.
“I have to learn the catchers and the pitchers,” he said.
Could he explain further?
“Certain catchers are worried about people stealing. And with men on base, they call for more fastballs and pitches away-the easiest pitches to handle in a steal situation.
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“With pitchers, I try to get to know which pitches they use to get ahead on the count. Joe Smith can have the best fastball in baseball. He knows everybody is looking for his fastball, so he’ll open with his mediocre curveball for a strike. They will do that early in the count, and once they’re ahead, then they’ll go to their fastball.”
I asked if, through constant practice, it is possible for a hitter to increase his bat speed.
“Probably a little, but not much,” Huff replied. “Anyway, a quicker bat is not enough. It’s an asset. But hitting is a whole package. It’s where your hands are, your head, your hips, your feet, your stride. Some hitters like Paul Molitor and Joe Carter (of the world champion Toronto Blue Jays) have such a quick bat they use it like a fly swatter. Great wrist action with a sharp snap. They’re exceptions. A lot of good hitters have average bat speed.”
And what about power? Can a player bulk up and become a consistent long-ball threat.
“If I took a year’s sabbatical and did nothing but lift weights, I might be able to put five feet more on flyball. If I played every day and had 600 at-bats, instead of hitting 10 home runs, I might hit 15. But it wouldn’t help. I’d just be hitting more fly balls.”
I asked about his contract. Was he signed for the coming season?
“Ron Schueler (White Sox general manager) sent me a contract. He told me to wait a few weeks. I guess he wants to see how everything falls in place.”
Last year, Huff led all White Sox hitters during spring training with a .421 average, but he was sent out to make room for Bo Jackson.
It’s probable that Huff will be on the bubble again this spring, but if Schueler and field manager Gene Lamont consult with their pitchers, they will discover that I am not alone in my belief that Mike Huff is a .300 hitter.