Campbell Cooking in Brooklyn

August 1, 2008   ·   Patrick Hickey, Jr.   ·   Jump to comments

After their first hearty helping of games in the minor leagues, many young ballplayers begin to understand that they have to change their approach on the field to be successful.

Eric Campbell isn’t one of those players.

Hitting .283 with 13 RBI through the team’s first 35 games in ‘08, the Brooklyn Cyclones third baseman/left fielder believes he’s just getting started proving what he’s capable of on the field.

At 6′3 and 220 pounds, many originally saw Campbell as a DH or someone who would contribute more with his bat than his glove and legs. After half a season in Brooklyn however, Campbell has shown a more than adequate arm from the hot corner and has even proved he could play left field when asked upon. The same thing can be said about his legs, which he’s used to get to balls down the third base line and up against the left field wall that no one thought he had any business near.

Modest and laid back off the field, Campbell is the kind of person that would have a problem telling the collective baseball world, “I told you so.”

He does understand where those same people are coming from though when they try to put a book together on him.

“It’s been like that my entire life,” he said. “After about 30 games, people begin to notice that I’m not a big slow guy.”

Much like the soup that bears his surname, this Campbell comes in many flavors. A lead-off hitter in High School, Campbell knows how to get on base. While his one homer in 35 games may not be eye-popping for a guy with his size and strength, his 17 walks and .392 on-base percentage are stats too big to fit inside a can of “Chunky Minestrone,” making him a hitter that can hurt you with a lot more than a long ball.

Originally looking like he was lost in the shuffle while Dan Murphy and Ryan Church were rehabbing with the team in late June, Campbell has become one of the main ingredients in the team’s offensive attack this season. With Zach Lutz still nursing a variety of injuries as well, it seems that Campbell’s playing time will only increase as the season goes on.

Campbell isn’t thinking about where he’ll be in the lineup once Lutz comes back however and is instead focusing on making the most of the opportunity that has been given to him.

“All I can do is go out there and produce when my name is called,” said Campbell. “Obviously, I want to be in the lineup every day, but I know if I start to do what I have to when they call on me that I’ll stick in the lineup. I think that’s starting to happen now.”

With the team finally back at .500 after a week or so of consistent baseball, players like Campbell will be counted on down the stretch if the Cyclones are to make the playoffs for a third consecutive season.

Confident his game will continue to improve, Campbell is determined to make a lasting impression with the fans in Brooklyn and help the team get back on track.

“Wherever they put me on the field, I have to continue to produce,” he said. “If I keep hitting the way I have been and can get even hotter, I know that I can stay in the lineup.”

Notes-

From the look of the box score, 2007 hero Jason Jacobs is back in town, which may be indicative to the seriousness of Ike Davis’ ankle injury he suffered on Monday in Staten Island. When the team comes back home on Saturday, expect a full-status update on Davis as well as a catch up with Jacobs, who is easily one of the nicest guys to ever put on a uniform in Brooklyn.

Link:

Box Score to yesterday’s 5-4 Cyclones win.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr. and Ron Hatcher.