SLUMPING KOUZ NEEDS TO STEP IT UP AGAINST FORMER TEAM

SLUMPING KOUZ NEEDS TO STEP IT UP AGAINST FORMER TEAM

by Jason Martinez
posted 6/13/08

For the first time, Kevin Kouzmanoff will be facing the team that drafted him in the 6th Round of the 2003 draft. The team that traded him before the
2007 season. The team that he played for when he crushed a grand slam on the first major league pitch he had ever seen.

The Padres start a three-game series with the Cleveland Indians today. Kouzmanoff, in the midst of an 0-for-17 slump, could be the key to the offense
in the series. With three left-handed pitchers (Jeremy Sowers, Cliff Lee, and CC Sabathia) set to face off against the Padres, only Kouzmanoff (.294 BA)
and Brian Giles (.309) have had success against left-handed pitchers. While Edgar Gonzalez and Michael Barrett have been good in limited action, no
other regular has batted better than .236 against left-handed pitching.

So what if Kouz doesn't have a good series? I've been talking about it here more than anywhere else, but trust me on this one, if Kouz does not have a
positive impact offensively against Cleveland, the Chase Headley to third base talks will start popping up all over the place.