Putz: Wild pitches expected with Upton
Feb 29, 2012, 12:53 AM | Updated: 1:06 am
Arizona Diamondback Justin Upton was hit 19 times last season, the most in the National League. But while most of the pitches could have seemed intentional, closer J.J. Putz knows it’s just a common mistake.
“You’ve got to remember one thing: Justin Upton is a tremendous talent, and he’s a big power guy,” Putz told Arizona Sports 620’s Burns and Gambo. “And when you’re facing power guys, the one thing you’re taught is you have to pound those guys inside because you don’t want them to get their arms extended, which is where they get all their power.”
Upton had a career-high 31 home runs in 2011 and was a constant threat at the plate. But even though Upton was hit often, retaliation wasn’t really an option for the D-back bullpen.
“Now, were there some times last year where it looked a little fishy that maybe something might have been going on, sure. But, until you’re really positive on that, I’m not really sure that you can really start going out and plunking people, especially where we were in the season,” Putz said. “We can’t afford to have somebody banged for five games. I know it sucks getting hit, well, I don’t know because I don’t really get hit.”
And while Putz said sometimes “the ball gets away,” he has deliberately hit players at one point or another in his career, like most pitchers. But the only player he repeatedly hits is teammate Willie Bloomquist in spring training.
“It seems like every time we’ve been on teams together and we have intrasquad, for whatever reason he dives all over the plate, so it’s on him,” Putz said.
