PITTSBURGH -- As Spencer Horwitz finished cleaning up and prepared to head out of the Pirates’ clubhouse, there was one more thing left to do: wipe down his bat and give it the TLC it deserved.
You have to take care of a piece of lumber like that, after all. It had a pair of doubles in it Saturday, one for an RBI, both key knocks in a 2-1 Pirates win over the Brewers at PNC Park.
And Horwitz does take care of his bats, keeping them in plastic bags to keep the humidity out. It’s a trick he picked up from Ichiro Suzuki. That bat is supposed to be 33 1/2 inches long and weigh 31 ounces. In the dog days of August, he’ll feel it if that weight is off. He knows the bat he used Saturday is 31 ounces now, and he’ll weigh it at the end of the week to confirm it still is 31 ounces.
"I don't like seeing point-six of an ounce heavier,” Horwitz said. “It's something I started doing. It seems to be helping."
You can see that mentality in parts of Horwitz’s game, even the superficial. He rocks a red glove at first base. He bought it when he was still with the Blue Jays, but after he got traded to the Pirates, he decided to keep it because he liked it (plus it goes well with the black and gold accents of the team’s uniforms). He’s walked out to the remix of Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy” ever since Double-A because he likes the vibe, the fact that everyone can enjoy it and, of course, he’s hit with it.
After all, why move off a winner?
"A big thing I work on is trust, but verify,” Horwitz said. “Trust what works, but make sure it doesn't go too far. Not afraid of change, but you also have to have a strong foundation."
That foundation has helped make Horwitz into a big leaguer and into a trade target for the Pirates this winter. He was supposed to be a major player in this lineup at the start of the year, but he underwent right wrist surgery in the later stages of the offseason, which caused him to miss the first month and a half of the season.
All of a sudden, the player that has found success in routine and meticulous care found himself in uncharted territory. He’d never hit the injured list before, and nobody knew exactly how many reps he would need to make up for a missed Spring Training.
“I've never been on that side before, missing time, missing games. It sucks,” Horwitz said. “I don't wish it on anyone, but at times there's nothing you can do about it. It's out of your control. I think that's what helped me the most. One step at a time, just mini goals and mini accomplishments and those days add up."
Those little wins are starting to become Major League success stories. He clubbed his first home run with his new club Thursday. Two doubles Saturday were pivotal in the Pirates' win. This is the first time he’s been labeled as an everyday first baseman, while the glove and footwork have improved, too.
He’s still working back from that injury, but he’s looking like the guy the Pirates thought they were getting this winter.
“It’s been really cool to see him not try to make up for that month and a half, especially with the trade coming in,” manager Don Kelly said. “He’s just being himself. That’s who he is. He works hard every day, goes out there and plays the game the right way and holds himself to a high standard in how he prepares and expects himself to compete.”
Horwitz does the prep work. His bats are proof of that. Now it’s making sure that lumber is being put to good use to help extend this little run of success the Pirates have had this homestand.
“I want to help this team as much as I can,” Horwitz said. “It's different, being with a different team that definitely wants you. I just want to earn their trust, earn their respect, any way I can."