Proving 'Em Wrong
Wallace likes to dispel any doubts
| By Aaron Fitt |
| May 27, 2008 |
According to conventional wisdom, there should have been nowhere for Arizona State's Brett Wallace to go but down after last year. What could he possibly do for an encore after winning the Pacific-10 Conference triple crown as a sophomore?
But Wallace has been defying conventional wisdom for years. A 6-foot-1, 245-pound behemoth with thighs like tree trunks shouldn't have 29 career stolen bases in 39 attempts, but Wallace does. A man as big as Wallace should be tied to first base, or so it goes, but Wallace has slid across the diamond and played strong defense at third as a junior, committing just six errors through his first 48 games before making two in a weekend series against Loyola Marymount.
An Eye For Hitting
And after batting .404/.484/.687 with 16 home runs and 78 RBIs in 63 games as a sophomore, Wallace has actually managed to improve his numbers as a junior, batting .416/.535/.763 with 17 homers and 70 RBIs in just 50 games.
Even with those huge power numbers, Wallace has also improved his 1-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio from a year ago, drawing 41 walks while whiffing just 27 times in 190 at-bats.
"He's a natural hitter, and he's done it for a long time," an American League scout said.
"I believe there's real above-average raw power in there, and he's been better at third base than anyone gives him credit for because of his body. I mean, he's made (eight) errors. He's just a good baseball player."
There isn't a whole lot more for Wallace to prove, but that doesn't stop him from trying. That's one reason Wallace embraced the move to the hot corner when ASU's coaches suggested it last fall. Wallace's flexibility deepened the lineup with additional talented outfield bats and protected two-way star Ike Davis' valuable left arm by allowing him to move from the outfield to first.
Fit To Play Third
Wallace worked hard at the position during fall practices and stayed on campus over winter break to do additional work with Sun Devils assistant coach (and former big league infielder) Andy Stankiewicz.
"I've enjoyed it just because I think it's a challenge," Wallace said. "There were a lot of people coming into the season saying I couldn't do it, and I just take that as motivation. You read about it in the local newspaper or people in the conference saying, 'Wallace is trying to play third, he can't do it.' I wanted to prove that I'm a better athlete than people thought."
In that same vein, Wallace enjoys working out in his free time—getting stronger and leaner has become Wallace's overriding passion. Understandably, he's tired of hearing people question his fitness or agility.
"Especially when I was coming out of high school, I had a bigger body than I have now. It's one of those stereotypes that once you get in it, it's hard to get out of it no matter what you do," Wallace said. "They've let me do things like stealing bags, or this year playing third, whatever it may be, to show people that I'm quicker than they think. It's something that I've always had to fight to show that I can do it. I was born with huge legs, that's just how I was born. This winter I got down to 9.5 percent body fat just to prove I could do it, and people still question my body"
But nobody questions Wallace's bat. Many scouts regard him as the best pure hitter in the 2008 draft, with a mature approach and the ability to sting hard line drives to all fields, not to mention over the fence.
That's why it was so surprising how badly Wallace struggled in the College World Series last year. Wallace finished 0-for-12 with four strikeouts in Omaha, and he grounded into a bases-loaded double play in an elimination game against UC Irvine.
"I think it's unfortunate it happened right then. He had a couple huge hits for us in the super-regional—he's the one who got us to Omaha," Sun Devils coach Pat Murphy said. "Those three games in Omaha . . . Brett Wallace happened to have three games in the World Series when he wasn't at his best, but that doesn't mark his season.
"He's a great ballplayer. He's helped everybody on the team get better, and he has a great attitude. I'm grateful to be part of his whole deal. I think he's got a lot of hits in him."