=== vs Sheets & Co. ===

Congrats to mighty Case, who put Tout Wars Round One decisively in the M's ledger.  Kotchman attacked the ball aggressively all night, and was visibly "on" fastballs and curve balls without getting caught in between.

A roped double deep into the gap, a game-winning RBI, four ribbies total ... and he'd have had three hits (with the game-winning run scored) if the umps hadn't jobbed him on the single in the 8th.

If you look at Sheets' first matchup with Kotchman, you'll see five pitches everywhere other than the lower-in quadrant that is Kotchman's bane.  Next three AB's, same story:  21 pitches on the evening, not a single one of which was anywhere near the 25% of the zone that is Kotchman's Achilles heel.  (Well, okay:  two jam pitches on the hands, and one knee-high, centered FB.  The other 18 were "nowhere near" the death quadrant.)

This is a good sign.  It's difficult even for ML pitchers to hit an area eight inches square.

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=== Stick That in Your Blog & Smoke It, Doc ===

Word is that Kotch went to Wakamatsu and argued for the 3 slot.  Gotta love that in a hitter.  On that backdrop -- Wok scrutinizing Kotchman's pre-game bravado -- Kotchman delivered the following.  Check me out, I'm bad, no brag, just fact:

• Double that served notice on the Oakland-Ben-Sheets-A's in the very first inning.  1-0 lead shoulda stood up through nine
• Man on 3B, 1 out, deliberately stroked FB to LF for a sac fly
• K
• Soft line-drive for a money hit late in the game ... blown call, though
  
• Bases loaded!, 2 out!, 3-2 pitch!, 96 fastball! from super-closer! lined right back up the middle for the victory

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=== Egos and Ids Dept. ===

Kotchman was on the postgame TV, and instanter we saw Sandy's point about Kotchman's lack of self-confidence.  Just then it hit us:  Sandy saw Kotchman play in Atlanta...

Never saw such acute anxiety out of a 5-year ML vet like that.  Hey, that's okay:  Ty Cobb would have interviewed the same way.  But it does underline that, perhaps, a psych job has room for opportunity there...

..................

Dr. D isn't holding his breath.  :- )  The first LH curve ball he saw, fanned him horribly.  And the pitchers haven't yet gone into his low-in zone. 

Not saying I'm converted.  I am not.  Just acknowledging that, for one night, this was the rawhide-tough RBI man the M's envisioned.  :golfclap:

Supposing that Kotchman were to drive in 110 runs behind Ichiro and Figgins' relay race, the AL West would be in some serious twubble.

Cheers,

Jeff