Byline: Tony Jackson News Staff Writer
TUCSON -- For Kurt Abbott, the first half of spring training has been a blur.
Literally.
The Colorado Rockies utility infielder is hoping his new contact lenses arrive in time for today's game against the Seattle Mariners. But then, he also was hoping they would arrive in time for Wednesday's game with the Chicago White Sox.
They didn't, but Abbott's swing did. He started at third base, singling twice in four at-bats, his first hits of the spring, drawing a walk and scoring two runs in a 7-5 loss to the White Sox before 4,168 at Tucson Electric Park.
Abbott had gone hitless in his first eight at-bats but appeared to be finding his groove in Tuesday's split-squad victory over Milwaukee in which he hit the ball well four times in an 0-for-4 effort, including a towering sacrifice fly to right in the eighth inning.
``I'm feeling good,'' he said. ``I got off to a slow start, but I'd like to save some of this for April. These first few at-bats, I really haven't felt good and haven't seen the ball.''
Abbott, who suffers from astigmatism, has been battling the problem since ripping his left lens before spring training. An ophthalmologist then recommended he switch to a different type of lens.
``He said I could be 20 / 30 or 20 / 40 with it,'' Abbott said.
Instead, the new lenses only irritated Abbott's eye, causing him to switch back to the old right lens and order a new pair, which he was awaiting.
Every other aspect of Abbott's spring, though, has been utterly enjoyable. Traded to the Rockies by Oakland last June, Abbott went through frustrating periods of inactivity the rest of the 1998 season. But now, he has been reunited with the same manager, Jim Leyland, and coaching staff with whom he won a World Series two years ago in Florida.
``I absolutely love it,'' he said. ``I told the guys last year when there were rumors that he was coming here, I said, `If you ever get the chance to play for Jim Leyland, you'll enjoy it.' . . . Once you've played for Jim Leyland, you've probably played for the best there is.''
Not what it seems - Armed with a new three-year, $3.9 million contract, Rockies reliever Chuck McElroy appears to be paying dividends already. In four appearances, including a perfect seventh inning against the White Sox in which he struck out two of three batters, he has given up only two hits and no runs.
By his own admission, however, all is not well.
``I'm just rushing it a little bit right now,'' McElroy said. ``This was better than the last two outings.''
McElroy is experimenting this spring with throwing a breaking ball when behind in the count. That is something he has not done in the past, and something that caught up with him in the latter stages of last season.
``I can't just rely on my fastball all the time,'' he said.
Hometown hero - Almost a decade after being picked up by the Houston Astros as a non-drafted free agent from Cal Poly-Pomona, Colorado Springs resident Dave Hajek is a member of the Rockies and slated to play first base for his hometown Sky Sox.
But against the White Sox, with shortstop Neifi Perez still nursing the bruised elbow that kept him out for the third consecutive day, Hajek started and delivered a two-run single in the sixth inning.
It was a rare bit of major league heroism for a career minor leaguer. Hajek spent seven seasons bouncing around the Houston farm system before brief stops last year in the Detroit and San Diego chains. He and his 13 major league at-bats finally landed with the Rockies as a six-year minor league free agent last winter.
Medical watch - John Thomson's spring debut figures to be pushed back to next week. He threw without pain in his right shoulder during a bullpen session Tuesday and is scheduled for a side session today.
Trainer Tom Probst prefers Thomson participate in another side session before going into a game. He wants to avoid a setback once Thomson gets into game action.
Perez, out since Sunday when he was hit by a pitch on the right elbow, is ready to return to action today . . . Second baseman Mike Lansing, who experienced back spasms Tuesday, had Wednesday off . . . Outfielder Derrick Gibson remains sidelined because of a sore Achilles' tendon.
