ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

D-backs rookie A.J. Pollock stays calm, shines on Opening Day

Apr 2, 2013, 6:23 AM | Updated: 6:31 am

The Arizona Diamondbacks came away with a 6-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night, and center fielder A.J. Pollock played a huge role in his Opening Day debut.

Pollock might have been a novice when it came to Opening Day, but you wouldn’t know it by his performance against St. Louis.

The 25-year-old outfielder recorded three hits against the Cardinals. That’s tied for the most by a D-backs rookie on Opening Day, joining Travis Lee, who collected his trio on March 31, 1998 against the Rockies.

“We were patient and it’s all about hitting mistakes,” Pollock said. “Today we capitalized on it. I think we did a good job of being patient and waiting for a pitch to hit and we did some damage.”

In 2012, Pollock played 31 games for Arizona and bounced back and forth between the majors and Triple-A Reno.

Pollock hit .318 in 106 games with Reno last year in the Pacific Coast League. He also was named Most Valuable Player of the National Championship game in 2012.

He got the start at center field on Monday because of the sprained elbow injury former Reno Aces teammate Adam Eaton suffered during spring training. So far, he’s taking advantage of the opportunity and says he was able to remain calm and composed for Opening Day because of his previous experience with the team.

“I felt good. It was like last year when you get called up and then you go back to the minors for a while and then you get called up again. It’s almost like going through your first debut again,” said Pollock after the game Monday night. “I got a little practice getting the nerves down and just relaxing. I guess tonight I just felt really comfortable and I just wanted to have fun.”

The message he told himself all night: it’s still just baseball.

“It helps a lot, mostly if you can settle yourself down, you realize it’s the same game you play but a lot of the times you get the fans out there, you get 48,000 fans screaming and it really kind of dictates you know what you’re doing and kind of gives you more energy and you try to do too much,” said Pollock. “It really kind of settles you down if you can just get used to it.”

Comments

Comment guidelines: No name-calling, personal attacks, profanity, or insults. Please keep the conversation civil and help us moderate comments by reporting abuse.
comments powered by Disqus

Arizona Diamondbacks

Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno...

Arizona Sports

Roundtable picks: One Diamondbacks young player to watch in 2024

Which Arizona Diamondbacks player should continue an upward trend in 2024? Gabriel Moreno, Brandon Pfaadt and Alek Thomas are possibilities.

10 minutes ago

Chase Field flyover...

Damon Allred

Diamondbacks’ Hall ‘battling’ to keep Chase Field roof open for Opening Day

The roof at Chase Field continues to be a hot button topic, especially after an exhibition game was rained out on Monday.

50 minutes ago

Merrill Kelly throws a pitch...

Alex Weiner

Meet the Arizona Diamondbacks’ 2024 Opening Day roster

The Arizona Diamondbacks finalized their 26-man Opening Day roster on Thursday ahead of their matchup against the Rockies.

1 hour ago

Manager Torey Lovullo speaks with Corbin Carroll...

Arizona Sports

Roundtable: Expectations, predictions for the 2024 Arizona Diamondbacks

What are the expectations for the 2024 Arizona Diamondbacks? Arizona Sports show hosts and editors make their predictions.

4 hours ago

Zac Gallen...

Arizona Sports

Diamondbacks agree to TV, cable and satellite channel contracts

The Arizona Diamondbacks will air on linear TV channels as well as streams under an MLB-produced broadcast partnership in 2024.

7 hours ago

Jordan Lawlar, D-backs...

Damon Allred

Diamondbacks shortstop Jordan Lawlar to have thumb surgery

Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Jordan Lawlar will have surgery on his right thumb after tearing a ligament, GM Mike Hazen said on Wednesday.

22 hours ago

D-backs rookie A.J. Pollock stays calm, shines on Opening Day