DETROIT — Jonathan Schoop wanted to give an insightful answer, he really did. But the question was just a bit out of his realm.
The topic, of course, was rookie Spencer Torkelson and his frustrating weekend against the White Sox. Frustrating not so much because of he went 0-for-8 with six strikeouts, but more so because he was called out on strikes three times, a couple of them borderline calls, once when all three called strikes were outside the strike zone.
“Quite honestly,” manager AJ Hinch said, “he probably had the toughest strike zone of any hitter in the series.”
So Schoop was asked what the strike zone was like when he broke in? Did umpires have a breaking-in period for rookies?
“It was different when I came up,” he said. “Pitchers got more respect if they had more years in the big leagues. They’d give him more on the outside corner, more inside. Now it’s kind of the same for everyone. The umpires, they’ve got to stay in that (digital) box.”
Then he stopped himself.
“You know what, though, I was always a free-swinger, so they had no chance to walk me anyway,” he said, laughing.
Free-swinger? In his first three seasons, Schoop had a 3% walk rate.
“You’ve got to swing your way off the island,” Schoop said, referencing his native Curacao. “You’re not going to walk your way off the island. That’s what they told us growing up — you’ve got to swing your way off the island.”
That wasn’t necessarily the message for Torkelson, though Schoop made a point of pulling the rookie aside Sunday.
“It’s hard mentally,” Schoop said. “I’ve been in his shoes. You just want to see hits right now. I told him, ‘You’re getting good at-bats, it’s going to come.’ Sometimes you put too much pressure, you know? We want to do so good right away. Sometimes it takes time.
“You just have to keep believing and don’t let your guard down and start feeling bad for yourself.”
Schoop pointed to his own 0-for-3 performance in Sunday's 10-1 loss to the White Sox. He hit the ball on the screws every time — his first at-bat the ball traveled 380 feet and left his bat with an exit velocity of 100 mph. But it was run down and caught in the cutout in right-center field.
“But yesterday was a good day for me,” he said. “I know we lost and I went 0-for-3, but I hit the ball hard three times. I’m going to take that into today, keep it the same and maybe I get better results. The results didn’t go my way yesterday, but maybe it goes my way today.
“Maybe I get four bloops and I’m happy.”
For the record, Torkelson, who got a preset day off Monday, is not sweating the 0-for-8, and neither is Hinch.
“Tork belongs here,” Hinch said. “It’s just eight at-bats and he’s drawn a couple of walks…So much can change in just a matter of one or two at-bats. He’s in a good spot. It’s not the start he would’ve wanted or dreamed of, but he can help us win.
“Tork’s going to be fine.”
Schoop's comfort zone
One of the unsung aspects of Torkelson’s presence is that it allows Schoop to move back to second base full-time.
“That’s been huge for us,” Hinch said. “Just looking at our defense, it looks totally remade, from a consistency standpoint but also just turning more batted balls into outs.”
Schoop saved runs in each of the first two games, making running catches with his back turned to the infield and then turning quick and making strong throws to the plate, holding a runner at third both times.
“He just looks more comfortable at second, he looks more athletic,” Hinch said. “If we’re turning batted balls into outs in the infield at this rate, we’re really going to like how it looks over the course of the season.”
Schoop, of course, said adding shortstop Javy Baez is the big difference. But the plays around the bag at second, plays in the shift, it's been a lot smoother.
“I’m not going to brag on myself, you know, but you put me at second and the double-play is going to be solid,” Schoop said. “I think I am one of the best in the game at turning double plays.”
That was an area of emphasis this offseason after the Tigers finished at the bottom of baseball in double-play efficiency, even if they were at the top of baseball in outs against the shift.
Because of the roster construction last year, Hinch needed to play Schoop at first base for much of last season. He didn’t hate it, but he may never have gotten fully comfortable there.
“When I went to first base I thought it would be easy,” he said. “I give first basemen a lot of credit now, because it wasn’t as easy as I thought it was. It wasn’t easy at all…But I will still play anywhere, wherever they need me.
“I’m just happy to see my name in the lineup and get to go out and play the game I love.”
Around the horn
Hinch said center fielder Derek Hill (right hamstring strain) has begun a running program in Lakeland. There is still no timetable for when he might get into a game, or at what level the rehab games would take place.
… Lefty reliever Andrew Chafin (left groin strain) was expected to throw a bullpen in Lakeland on Monday and could pitch in a game for the Flying Tigers later this week. Ultimately, he is expected to finish his rehab work at Triple-A Toledo.
… The first game of the Tigers-Red Sox series Monday was scheduled for 5:10 p.m. out of courtesy to the Red Sox, who played a three hour and 40-minute game in New York Sunday night. They didn’t get to Detroit until the wee hours Monday morning.
Red Sox at Tigers
First pitch: 1:10 p.m. Tuesday, Comerica Park, Detroit
