Jurickson Profar turned around his hitting woes after a phone call to retired baseball wizard Adrian Beltre
Heading into the A's recent series against the Orioles, infielder
Seeking answers and some hitting advice to turn things around, Profar made a phone call. No, he didn't call a family member or someone within the A's organization.
He called
Profar said he called up Adrian Beltre Sunday to wish him a Happy Birthday and ask for hitting tips. He went on a hot streak at the plate in Baltimore shortly after.
— Martín Gallegos (@MartinJGallegos) April 12, 2019
Sure enough, after chatting with Beltre, Profar had his best stretch so far as a member of the A's, picking up six hits in his next four games, including his first two homers of the season.
Apologies will be accepted in the form of RTs, likes, or a good old fashioned, "Was wrong about that one." 😉#RootedInOakland pic.twitter.com/q96EJixMNw
— Oakland Athletics (@Athletics) April 11, 2019
Now, I'm not saying that Profar's call to Beltre was directly responsible for his offensive turnaround, but I'm also not not saying that, either. They were teammates for all of Profar's six seasons in Texas, and Profar replaced Beltre in his final game as a Ranger last season. There's clearly a bond there.
Additionally, Beltre is a sort of baseball wizard, having done so much for so long at such a high level and earning a reputation around the league as one of the consummate professionals of his era, entertaining everybody the whole way.
Will Profar keep up this hot streak for the rest of the season? No, baseball is a game of ebb and flow, and players fluctuate between good stretches and rough stretches all the time. But it also shouldn't surprise anybody that a phone call with Adrian Beltre sparked a hot streak, considering he knows a thing or two about hitting.
Even in retirement, he still finds ways to make his presence felt.
Adrian Garro joined MLB.com in 2016. Throughout his travels, both Bartolo Colon and Vin Scully have placed their hands on his shoulders. Not at the same time, though. That'd be amazing.
