BlueClaws Quotables: Andrew Knapp on his success at the plate

Last weekend I spoke with catcher Andrew Knapp, who has been one of the most steady bats in the Class A Lakewood lineup for the second half of the South Atlantic League season.

Knapp, at the time, was at the tail end of a 15-game hitting streak, and a stretch in which he hit safely in 19 of 20 games.

The switch-hitting backstop had Tommy John surgery over the off-season and began playing defense about four weeks ago, when the BlueClaws returned from the All-Star break. Prior to that, Knapp had strictly been used as a designated hitter this season.

Through 40 games with Lakewood, the six-foot-one 190-pounder has posted a .270 average along with four home runs and 16 RBI.

Knapp, who was a 2nd round draft pick by the Phillies last year, spoke with me about his recent success at the plate, how the comfort that comes with playing both side of the game helps him as well as some members of the pitching staff he gets to guide.

-On the topic of his recent hot streak...

I haven't really thought about it much. I've just been trying to go out and do the same thing every day. I feel pretty good at the plate. I think getting behind the dish has helped with that. It's taken a little pressure off my offense, just being able to go out there and hit and not have to worry about doing so much because I'm DH'ing, I get to help the team defensively, so that helps a lot.

-Speaking about the comfort level he feels-

I mean, it's really hard to DH every day and when I'm finally getting back behind the plate, getting to be able to focus on some defense, it takes pressure off the offense. And I think, you know, I've been focusing on my defense a lot, so when I go to the plate, I'm just trying to see a good pitch and hit it, so I'm not doing too much at the plate.

-Talking about the pitching staff in Lakewood-

We've got a good staff here. Everybody's been pitching well. I think Tyler Viza's been doing really well. He's a young guy. He's 19-years-old and he's pitching here against some pretty good hitters. I think Jon Prosinski goes out every time, he's around the zone, he gets ground balls. I mean, for the most part we've got a lot of guys that are going after hitters and I'm just happy to be back there working with these guys.

Comments

Patreon Exclusive: Logan O'Hoppe answers Nine Silly-ass Questions

Logan O'Hoppe, image- Jay Floyd Phillies catching prospect Logan O'Hoppe was the subject of a recent player feature I posted here three days early. When I talked with Logan, he was kind enough to not only chat about some serious baseball related topics, he also had some fun with me and answered Nine Silly-Ass Questions! In this interview, the 20-year-old, who was an All-Star with Class A short-season Williamsport last year, offered his thoughts on his experiences playing in Australia last off-season, super powers, some surprising movies he's never seen, teammate Albertus Barber and plenty more. Read ahead for some excerpts from this Silly-ass interview... -You can 4-for-4 and your team loses, or you can get hit in the groin and your team wins...which do you choose? I mean, if we win, then the whole team has a good night, so I have to go with that one. That really benefits everybody. -Tell me, if you can, four words to describe Albertus Barber . One,...

Rappers in Phillies Caps

Weekend greetings to you phine pholks out there. Today's post features pictures of rappers wearing Phillies caps. Why rappers in Phillies caps, you ask? Because... Any other questions? We will start things off properly by going with a highly recognizable hip hop star. 50 Cent stays constantly relavant by consistantly creating radio friendly material to help sell (G) units, while he "keeps it real" by still rapping about the thug life he lived before becoming the 2nd highest earning black entertainer in America. 50 is seen here in a recent interview rocking a throw-back Phillies cap. Next up we'll use a throw-back screen cap from what may be the very first major appearance by a rapper wearing Phillies gear. Chuck D, of legendary rap group Public Enemy, wore a Phillies cap in the music video for rap anthem Fight The Power in 1989. The song was the lead single from the soundtrack for Spike Lee's film Do The Right Thing . Next up we'll go with some home grown tal...

Is it time to be concerned about Mickey Moniak?

Mickey Moniak with Lakewood in 2017 Almost daily I am engaged via Twitter or email or text messages or in person about Phillies prospects. It comes with the gig. The player that scores the most inquiries is, as should be expected, 2016 top overall draft selection Mickey Moniak . Questions from fans that don't want to seem overly judgmental will ask, “Should we be concerned?” Others, living up to the more stereotypical Philadelphia sports fan reputation, will assert the notion, “He’s a bust! Somebody didn't do his job right!” For the most part I have responded in defense of Moniak and others, letting people know that the youngster’s skills are real and his coaches stand by them. I’d caution fans that he was young, still a teenager, among the five youngest position players in the Class A Advanced Florida State League (per his team the Clearwater Threshers, as of the end of April), and he just needed time to catch up to the older, more mature pitching at that level....

PhoulBallz.com

Search This Blog