Cincinnati Reds' Ryan Ludwick faring well after initial hiccups – MLB News
The Cincinnati Reds' left fielder Ryan Ludwick on Friday, July 27, said his performance now is getting as good as he had envisioned. Acknowledging the fact that he had witnessed some ups and downs at the start of the season, Ludwick did – however, say that he has got his swagger back now.
"I think if you took away the first month of the season, this is what I envisioned happening this year," Ludwick said on Friday. "Obviously, I got off to a rough start. I said a month and a half ago that this was the best I've felt since 2008-09. I still feel that way. I'm not quite as locked in as a couple of weeks ago, but I kind of got my swagger back. I know I can play here again."
The Cincinnati Reds have an eight-game winning streak now, outshining the rivals in the league with ever more confidence and force. While each player is contributing, Ludwick has made remarkable progress lately at a time when the team’s All-Star Joey Votto is out of lineup due to knee surgery.
A quick look at his performance in the recent week shows that Ludwick has done outstandingly well with the bat. Take, for example, his .301 average in last 30 games whereby he has had a record of 31-for-103.
In 103 at-bats of last 30 games, Ludwick has hit 16 RBIs coupled with seven homers, empowering the offence to a great extent despite the conspicuous absence of Votto.
Ludwick’s ups and downs were a reality as far his performance was concerned. But he owes a special thanks to both general manager and manager of the Reds.
"I think Walt and Dusty [Baker] were trying to catch lightning in a bottle because I had a couple of bad years," Ludwick said. "I still believed in myself.”
In a total of 76 appearances this season so far, Ludwick now has an average of .248 with 44 RBIs to his credit and 15 home-runs. If he continues this show of power, he will definitely be an invaluable source of strength for the Reds’ offence, bringing in more victories for the team.
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