Danny Bomback is hitting .325 for the Pittsfield Colonials. (Photo courtesy Heather Cachat)
Believing in the swing
Danny Bomback didn't change his approach at the plate, and after a slow start his average now sits at .325.
Originally published on
8/20/2010
by
Chuck King
Some batters change their approach when they aren’t hitting. Danny Bomback trusted his stroke.
Bomback struggled to start the season for the independent Can-Am League’s Pittsfield Colonials and was hitting in the .260s as recently as late May. Since then, though, Bomback’s bat has been a major reason the Colonials are in the playoff hunt.
“It wasn’t like I wasn’t hitting the ball hard and I was struggling and I was striking out, I was just hitting it right at people,” said Bomback, whose 11-game hitting streak heading into Friday has lifted his average to .325. “I feel like I’ve been swinging the bat well all year. Lately they have been falling.”
After leaving FAU in 2007, Bomback had spent three seasons in the Pittsburgh organization. The Pirates, who were using Bomback as a utility player, released him on the final day of 2010’s spring training.
“Obviously nobody wants to get released, but it was kind of a relief,” Bomback said. “The last few years I haven’t really played much. Right now I’m showing I can do it - I can play every day. …At the end of the season if somebody looks at my numbers and wants to give me shot at spring training, that would be great.”
Bomback has played mostly second base this season, but did catch a few games when the Colonials were in a bind. Lately he’s also become their bizarro closer, finishing blowout losses on the mound.
The righthander volunteered to pitch in two games in recent weeks, allowing an earned run while striking out one in an inning of work in a 15-2 loss to Bockton on Aug, 12. Six days later Bomback recorded the Les Capitales’ final out in a 19-3 loss at Quebec, lowering his ERA to 6.77.
“I’m happy about that,” Bomback joked. “My first outing wasn’t bad but one pitch, the guy just hit a home run. My second outing I came in and threw two pitches and got an out.”
Stepping up: Michael Crotta’s last three outings for the Class AAA International League’s Indianapolis Indians have been solid, but he doesn’t have much to show for them. Crotta pitched at least six innings, allowing two runs or fewer in each of those outings, yet only compiled an 0-1 record. …Brandon Kloess delivered a dominating performance in his most recent appearance for the advanced Class A South Carolina League’s Winston-Salem Dash, recording five of his six outs via the strikeout in two scoreless innings against Frederick.
Low and away: The short season Staten Island Yankees are apparently still trying to determine whether they like Mike Gipson as a starter or reliever. After three consecutive appearances out of the pen, Gipson started on Thursday, allowing four earned runs in 2 2/3 innings. …Travis Ozga went 0-for-4 on Thursday, his first game since coming off disabled list for the Class A South Atlantic League’s Savannah Sand Gnats.
Indy ins and outs: Chris Salberg rebounded well from his first loss of the season. Salberg struck out six St. Paul batters while allowing one run in six innings of work to improve to 10-1 for the American Association’s Sioux Falls Pheasants.