Satin=Solid

July 3, 2008   ·   Patrick Hickey, Jr.   ·   Jump to comments

Hitting .379 with 18 homers and 52 RBI his senior year at the University of California-Berkeley, the Mets made second baseman Josh Satin their sixth round pick in the 2008 draft. Quickly assigned to Brooklyn afterwards, Satin had been solid, collecting nine hits in 30 at bats over his past 10 games, before going down with a wrist injury on Monday. Chatting with DemBrooklynBums.com on June 28, Satin discussed his game and how he’s getting along with his new teammates.

DemBrooklynBums.com: How are you adjusting to Brooklyn so far?

Josh Satin: At first, I was just trying to get acclimated to a new lifestyle. I started off super slow offensively, which made it a bit tougher to adjust. I had a week or two off [in between being drafted and reporting to Brooklyn] and I’ve been trying to get back in the swing of things. The past few days, things have been going better for me. I’ve been working on getting my swing back with the coaches. Other than that, I’m just trying to enjoy myself and play baseball.

DBB: Aside from Zach Lutz, the entire team started off pretty slow offensively. Do you think they were going through the same things you were?

Satin: I don’t know about other guys, but after the draft, I tried to relax. The summer is long, so I wanted to rest a little bit before playing again. If I had it back, I probably would have worked during that time, on a daily basis. I played a lot this college season ad I was trying to give myself a break. When I came back, my swing wasn’t there and I wasn’t ready to face quality pitching, so I had to get myself back to where I’m comfortable. When it happened, I got really comfortable and it’s so much easier now. I’m thinking less about what’s coming and because of that, I’m hitting better.

DBB: What’s your favorite part of playing in Brooklyn?

Satin: The fan base. There re so many people here. I’ve never played in an atmosphere like this. In college, I never had this many fans watching me. It’s fun having this much support. It’s what I would imagine it would be like if I was in the big leagues. It’s great to know when you go out there, that there are probably people in those stands that want you to win more than you do. Like I said, it’s great.

DBB: While it’s way too early to think about the playoff, your manager thinks this team has the potential to go all the way. What do you think about that statement?

Satin: Up and down the lineup, there is so much talent and so many guys on the bench that can get things done. I can’t imagine a team in this league that has what we have. We just have to put everything together. I don’t see how it couldn’t happen; we all get along great. There are also quality picks from last year’s draft too like Lutz who have been here before, so we have a little bit of everything on this team.

DBB: The coaching staff has said that at this point, you’ve established yourself as the everyday second baseman. How does that feel?

Satin: It feels really good to know that the majority of the time you’re going to be out on the field. It helps you get in a rhythm, especially at the plate. You can relax more because you know you’re the guy. I just have to concentrate on my game now and make sure I do everything I can to help this team win.

DBB: Speaking of such, what is your game?

Satin: In college, I was an offensive second baseman, who defensively made all the routine plays, very steady. I’m not flashy by any means. I was more of a power hitter in college, but I haven’t flashed that yet because I’m just trying to ease my way in and just get hits and get on base. I want to help the team, so I’m just trying to drive in some runs. As the season comes along, I expect the power to come.

DBB: Is there a second baseman at the major league level you try and emulate?

Satin: I compare myself to Jeff Kent a lot, but my favorite second baseman is Chase Utley.

DBB: I won’t tell the people that read this that little nugget of information. [Or will I?] Anyway, moving on, why Kent?

Satin: [Laughs] Kent is just really solid at second base, but he doesn’t get the credit he deserves and offensively, I’d love to play like him.

Links:

Box Score to last night’s 4-3 Cyclones Win

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr. and Ron Hatcher.