Iguchi's become second to none
CHICAGO -- Practice started with White Sox hitting coach Greg Walker breaking out the seldom-used ''curveball machine." Walker said he awoke around 4 a.m. yesterday and thought that the White Sox hadn't seen a breaking ball quite like David Wells's in some time.
''It's no big deal," said Walker. ''It's a small thing really, but [Tadahito] Iguchi was one of the guys I thought should take a turn at it just to get used to it. He'd faced David before, but hadn't had a lot of success. Just wanted some of our guys to see it before batting practice. Just trying to replicate what we might see in the game."
Walker set the machine at about 75 miles per hour, the usual speed of Wells's curveball. He said Iguchi took about 25-30 swings, more than the other White Sox hitters. And when Iguchi got one of those curveballs from the Red Sox starter last night with two outs in the fifth inning, he sent it into the left-field bleachers for a three-run homer that was the difference in Chicago's 5-4 win in Game 2 of the Division Series.
Iguchi may be a 30-year-old rookie, but he had plenty of big-game experience during eight seasons playing for Fukuoka in the Japanese Pacific League. He averaged 36 doubles, 26 homers, 99 RBIs, 30 stolen bases, and hit at a .337 clip over his final two seasons in Japan, and he helped deliver Fukuoka two league championships, including hitting a Game 7 homer in 2003.
His opportunity last night came at the expense of Red Sox counterpart Tony Graffanino, who committed an error two batters earlier, letting a potential double-play grounder by Juan Uribe roll between his legs. Graffanino was almost off the hook as White Sox leadoff man Scott Podsednik fouled out to third for the second out. But Iguchi got what Wells considered a hanging breaking pitch, and didn't miss.
Walker said Iguchi has been an absolute joy to coach since coming to Chicago. Walker said that he studied a lot of video on Iguchi before the White Sox obtained him, and he realized Iguchi's swing was so sound it wasn't necessary to change anything. Most White Sox hitters hit soft-toss with Walker before the game, but Iguchi does not.
''The kid is really bright," said Walker. ''We gave him all kinds of tape to watch so that by the time he started playing for us he knew most of the pitchers he was facing. From the day he got here, he's been a professional. He even leads BP groups and guys in BP groups take things very seriously."
White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen has often said that Iguchi was his team's MVP this season. That sentiment didn't change last night.
''When he came to the stage he knows he has to change the game for us and he did," Guillen said. ''One of the biggest reasons we're here is because of Iguchi. He made the plays, hit the home runs. That kid did everything for this team and that's why I keep saying [he's our MVP]."
Asked whether he could compare playoff baseball in the major leagues to Japan, Iguchi said through interpreter Ryan McGuire, ''There's not really much difference, but the fact that in the States, when you're playing at home it's pretty much all of your fans, whereas in Japan you have half and half, so it's interesting to see what's going to happen [in] Boston."
Iguchi joined the Yankees' Hideki Matsui as the only Japanese players to homer in the postseason. He also reached on an infield single in the fourth.
''This guy can really hit and he's made such a difference to the top of the order in our lineup," said first baseman and cleanup hitter Paul Konerko. ''I feel bad for Tony [Graffanino] because it seems things like that always happens to the best guys. We caught a break and Iguchi made the most of it, that's for sure. We're so happy to have him here."
