ajc: McLouth focusing on command of the strike zone

And you shall not steal at a 50% clip!

For Nate McLouth, the results in Triple-A Gwinnett haven’t been markedly improved – he’s hitting .224 through 29 games – but he said his timing is better and he feels more comfortable.

For a player who felt “off” at the plate from the first week of spring training, it’s a step in the right direction.

“I maybe would like to have a few more hits, but I’m hitting the ball well,” McLouth said. “I’ve made a lot of hard outs. My command of the strike zone (is better). I’m walking a lot and not striking out a lot.”

...But the former All-Star center fielder has tried to make the best of the situation, facing a crossroads of sorts at only age 28.

“This has been by far the toughest point in my career,” McLouth said. “But you can go one of two ways, you can feel sorry for yourself and shut it down or you can come down here and iron things out and keep working with a good attitude, and I feel like that’s what I’m doing.…It’s just a tough time. I haven’t let it affect who I am and the way I play the game. I know I can still play. I know I can still hit. And that’s why I was glad I was given this opportunity to come down here and rediscover it.”