Reds 6, Astros 5

**Stardust** · 04-29-2012, 09:10 PM

Jay Bruce is in one of those rare-air moments of his, when every waist-high fastball finds the fat of his bat. When Bruce is this way, he is a trot waiting to happen. The good thing about it is, he can get hot enough to carry the Reds. The bad thing is, he has no idea what heâs doing.

At least until now. Maybe. Possibly.

âIâm feeling now like Iâm ready to make the right move on the right pitch,ââ Bruce said Sunday. âIn years past, if I hit home runs, I did. If I didnât, I didnât. I didnât know why.ââ

When you reach Bruceâs level of experience and expertise, the gains you make as a hitter are mostly from the neck up. Everybody can hit a fastball 350 feet. Every hitter can guess right on a hanging curveball, even bad hitters. If you have big ability, what distinguishes you is what you do when no oneâs looking.

Bruce smashed his fourth homer in four games Sunday. It was a 381-foot rainbow to right center, a few rows above the 370-foot sign. It gave the Reds a 5-4 comeback win over the Houston Astros. It was the sort of win the Reds have to have, if they aim to fulfill the promise of 2011. A big part of that promise hinges on Bruceâs continued improvement as a hitter.

The difference between good, consistent hitters and good hitters such as Jay Bruce is the ability to make the same, fundamentally sound swing every time. Donât ask me; ask Joey Votto. Votto had 4 RBI Sunday. At the plate, heâs a mechanic, changing a tire.

âTypically, guys who are streaky donât have as much time in the (strike) zone with their barrel,ââ Votto explained. Translation: Their swings arenât sufficiently grooved to allow for the fat of the bat to hit the ball consistently. âI think theyâre also more emotional, too. In the past, Jayâs swing was very inconsistent.ââ

Naturally, so was his offense. Last May, Bruce hit 12 homers and batted .342. The âBruce figures it outââ stories leapt from the pages. Then he hit .217 in June, with two homers and seven batted in. He has been consistently inconsistent:

In 2010, Bruce hit 15 homers in August and September, and 10 the other four months. In â09, he hit nine of his 22 homers in May. Every fantastic month teased us with possibility. Every lousy month taunted our optimism. And, of course, Bruceâs.

âEarlier in my career, I never really knew anything but that I was good at baseball,ââ he said. âUp here. everyoneâs good at baseball. Still, no matter what I did, I expected more.ââ Problem was, Bruce said Sunday, he didnât do the work needed to satisfy his expectations. Heâd been good his whole life without it.

It all changed in the offseason, he said. He dropped 14 pounds. He came to spring training intent on establishing a better work ethic and a more consistent routine.

âThe way I quantify my success now is the work I do and how prepared I am. I have a better grasp,ââ Bruce said. This is the leap all successful people make. Talent is a blessing that becomes a curse that can inform. If youâre smart and motivated, you put the talent to the grindstone. Itâs what Votto has done, and Scott Rolen before him, to name two Reds whose ballpark cubicles are within 10 feet of Jay Bruceâs.

âA guy could have a great two or three-year stretch, then go south,ââ Votto said. âYou see it often. Lots of players get hot. But if theyâre not doing the basic, fundamental things, itâs not going to carry through their whole careers.ââ

Bruce is also working on curbing his enthusiasm. In the past, he has gotten himself out by swinging at bad pitches. The more he flailed, the harder he tried. He didnât have a consistent routine he trusted. Or, as Bruce put it, âThe book right now on me is, get ahead early (in the count) and start throwing bull(spit). I have to change that.ââ

Bruce doesnât know if his newly discovered mental approach will work; he did have an 0-for-19 stretch already. It could be that, like lots of power hitters, heâs just a streaky hitter. What Bruce does know now that he didnât know, even last May, is that grinding is the surest way to success. Talent alone doesnât succeed in the big leagues.

âAlways remember,ââ he said, âthat the game doesnât owe you anything.ââhttp://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll...gory=SPT04