Ellis, a
.262 career hitter coming into the season, took stock of himself and his
abilities and ended up with the starting job. And to say his emergence
as a team leader and potential All-Star is remarkable would be a serious
understatement.
"(I) made the decision that I was going to come
in and be who I was; lock in my identity as a player," said Ellis, whose
three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth Saturday beat Houston 6-3.
“(I was) going to be who I was as a person and who I was as a player,
and quit trying to do things I wasn't physically capable of doing. Just
kind of relax and free the game up.
"I also wanted to have a more
outward focus, to focus on my teammates and mainly my pitching staff. I
wanted to focus on them and what they're trying to do, and help them get
through the tough spots in a game. I want to push them and encourage
them, and it kind of takes the pressure off myself and frees me up to
make my own game happen."
So far, that's been exactly the case for
the 31-year old from Cape Girardeau, Mo., who in 37 games is hitting
.317 with five home runs, 23 RBI and a phenomenal .442 on-base
percentage. In his previous 87 games in the majors, he accounted for two
homers and 28 RBI.
At 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds,
Ellis looked like a prototypical home run hitter — big build, big
swing. But he finally realized that not all physically strong hitters
are created equal, and that it was time to concentrate on driving in
runs and doing other things.
"And I've suddenly started hitting home runs," he said with a laugh.
"For
a long time, people wanted me to find a way to tap into my size and
strength and hit for more power. And it (became) one of those things
where you try and do something more powerfully, you're not going to be
able to do it. You try to hit a golf ball harder and you're going to
slice it or fade it deep into the trees. You try to hit a baseball
harder, and your swing's going to slow down and you're not going to be
consistent.
"So for me, stepping away from trying to hit for more
power has enabled me to drive the ball more. (I've) focused on hitting
line drives, focused on having good at-bats and competing at the plate.
I'm trying to have the same at-bat every time up — no matter who I'm
facing or what they're throwing."
Hitting coach Dave Hansen says
the change in Ellis isn't all that surprising because of the work ethic
and desire to improve that he brings every day.
"This guy is
relentless," Hansen said. "All the guys on this team are hard workers,
and A.J. knows what he's trying to do out there and what he wants to
accomplish and he works toward that every single day. He has a plan for
everything he does on the field and he sticks with it.
"He's out
there in the cage for the early (hitting) work, focusing on getting his
mind right for the game. And he does it while playing the most grueling
position on the field at catcher. Those guys are working on blocking
balls; they come out early to throw to make sure their arm and footwork
is right. And if they're not in the lineup, they're catching two or
three bullpens, which means another 45 minutes in a crouch. That's why
it's not unusual to see a catcher with great defensive skills, but their
hitting lacks; or vice-versa.
"To see (Ellis) put it all together is incredible."
And
the pitchers he has to work with every day are thankful that Ellis is
willing to put in the hard work and focus on their needs to be
successful as well as his own.
"He studies the game more than
anybody I've ever seen," closer Kenley Jansen says. "He's always the
first one here at the ballpark, and he's studying the team we're playing
and also the team we're playing next, getting ready for their hitters.
He's just so good, man. He so much knows what he's doing.
"That
makes the game a whole lot easier (for pitchers). We've still got to
throw the pitch, but you know he's on the same page with you as far as a
hitter's weakness. If I have a doubt about how to pitch a certain guy
in a certain situation, it's great to have him back there with a plan on
how to get the guy out. The trust factor is very good — and very
important."
The individual accolades that might come Ellis' way if
he continues playing at an All-Star level would be nice, but it would
mean more to him if the Dodgers are the team getting the last out in the
final game of the World Series.
"The team hardware definitely
means more to me than any individual awards ever will," Ellis says. "I
was never caught up in the individual thing, winning awards and stuff
like that. I guess that's one good part of not being a highly-rated
prospect when I first showed up. I just kind of grinded away, enjoyed
being on the field with my teammates.
"For me it's always been
about being part of a winning team. This year I'm an everyday guy and
it's great, but if they thought there was a guy who could do a better
job helping the team win games, I'd be comfortable with that, too.
"I
realize there probably won't be many lasting individual accolades for
me personally in my career, so I want to be remembered for being part of
a winning team. Especially a winning Dodger team that brings a World
Series back to Dodger Stadium."
Ellis acknowledges being humbled
by the success he's had this season, and his teammates and coaches have
no trouble making sure he knows how much they respect him and his
team-oriented efforts.
During a postgame interview Sunday, backup
catcher Treanor, whose home run helped the Dodgers to a 5-1 win over the
Astros, deferred his moment of glory to remind everyone that the
Dodgers wouldn't be where they are without their unselfish catcher.
"Everybody, please vote for A.J. for the All-Star team,” Treanor said. “He deserves it. He's having a great year."
