Ishikawa gets more out of less practice

Ishikawa gets more out of less practice
SAN FRANCISCO -- Travis Ishikawa has adopted a novel approach to preparing for his rare opportunities to hit. Recently, he has taken less batting practice, not more.

Ishikawa has shelved his near-daily early-hitting sessions and relies on regular batting practice and stints in the indoor cage adjacent to the dugout during the game. The backup first baseman attributed his success off the bench to this change. Entering Monday, Ishikawa led the National League with a .556 pinch-hitting average (5-for-9). That included doubles in each of his previous two at-bats.

"Thinking too much about my mechanics hurts me," said Ishikawa, whose 22 at-bats before Monday were the fewest among any Giants position player on the Opening Day roster. "If I go up there for one at-bat every few days, thinking about where my hands or my stride are, you kind of lose focus on seeing the ball."

Ishikawa, the Giants' primary first baseman last season, realizes that his playing time will remain extremely limited, barring unforeseen circumstances.

"The way Buster [Posey] and Aubrey [Huff] have been swinging, I know I'm not going to get many chances," Ishikawa said. "I go up there kind of almost more relaxed. There's no pressure on me."

Ishikawa has impressed manager Bruce Bochy.

"He's our Smoky Burgess," Bochy said, citing the portly catcher who thrived as a pinch-hitter while spending 1949-67 in the Major Leagues. "He has a calm demeanor about him, which probably helps him pinch-hitting. He's very relaxed. ... He's not overhyped. That's a big part of being successful as a pinch-hitter, being able to control yourself for one at-bat. Sometimes your adrenaline gets the best of you and you get a little overaggressive."