Sultan of swing

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 25/08/2016 (2800 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Reggie Abercrombie is rewriting the history books with every mighty swing he takes.

The Winnipeg Goldeyes centre fielder is the home run king of the American Association, having broken the league record of 87 last month. He’s since put up 11 more dingers and may hit the century mark before the season wraps up in early September.

“It feels good to keep getting it higher and higher and higher,” Abercrombie said Thursday following batting practice at Shaw Park. He noted former Goldeyes teammate and current Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks player Josh Mazzola is now second in league history with 89 and counting.

“He’s young and going to keep playing for another 20,000 years and I never know what I’m going to do next year. So I’m just trying to make it hard on Maz,” Abercrombie joked.

The 35-year-old former major leaguer, who played with both Houston and Miami, said he’s more focused these days on team accomplishments than personal accolades.

“My only number I’m concerned with is the number of games Laredo is back of us and how many games we’re behind St. Paul. As long as we keep winning and make the playoffs, then if the home runs come, they come. My whole thing is about playoffs. The individual stuff is over,” said Abercrombie.

Abercrombie struggled out of the gate, batting just .232 with six home runs and 22 RBI through the first 43 games of the year. The Goldeyes seemed to mirror their slumping star, with a mediocre 21-22 record.

Since then, both player and team have caught fire. Abercrombie entered play Friday hitting .371. After Friday’s three-run shot, he now has 13 home runs and 39 RBI in the past 48 games and Winnipeg had compiled a 32-16 record in that span.

“I was trying to be something I wasn’t and making this game harder than it is, trying to go out and do too much and carry the team on my back,” Abercrombie said.

He credits manager Rick Forney and hitting coach Tom Vaeth with helping to get him back on track.

As well, the addition of veteran slugger Willie Cabrera through an early July trade gave the Goldeyes’ offence another jolt.

“In this lineup, you really can’t take anybody for granted. Once you do, we jump on you just like that,” said Abercrombie.

“Our team feels pretty much unstoppable. We’ve got a lot of unselfish guys. We feed off each other and that’s how it goes. It seems like every night it’s a different person who picks up this team.”

Abercrombie says he plans to keep playing baseball regardless of the level as long as it remains fun and his son, now six, doesn’t require him to go get a “real job.”

‘As long as we keep winning and make the playoffs, then if the home runs come, they come. My whole thing is about playoffs. The individual stuff is over’– Fish outfielder Reggie Abercrombie 

“You can’t call this work. You’re doing something you love to do and getting paid for it,” he said.

“Our skip told us at the beginning of the year you never know when this can be over, so you gotta have fun as long as you can. I just worry about next year, next year. Right now I’m just playing in the moment.”

Abercrombie was named a finalist this week for the American Association’s inaugural Man of the Year Award. All 12 teams submitted a nominee, and the field was then narrowed to three based on voting by team managers and media representatives.

The winner of the award, meant to represent dedication to the craft, hard work and determination, kindness, and community service, will be named at the end of the year.

Abercrombie is a regular volunteer at Winnipeg school gyms, community clubs, libraries and hospitals.

“I enjoy being a leader, being a voice out here. There’s a great group of people here in the front office. They make it easy for me. I love kids and they know this,” he said. “It’s an easy role for me because I feel like a big kid. Everyone says I’m the oldest on the team but I’m the biggest kid on the team and have the most fun.”

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca