Star on the rise: third baseman Hank Blalock: rangers left-handed slugger dodges the spotlight, but his talent will lead him on the path of greatness

Baseball Digest, July, 2004 by Chris Jenkins

WITHOUT QUESTION, HE was the most influential player in major league baseball last year, more so than Barry Bonds or then-teammate Alex Rodriguez. He was the star of Stars, the player whose late-inning home run not only decided the Midsummer Classic, but home-field advantage for the World Series.

Put it this way: Hank Blalock beat Eric Gagne last year. Who else did that? Nobody.

As it turned out. Blalock's gift mattered not to the New York Yankees, who lot to the Florida Medias in six games in the World Series. Didn't seem to matter much to Blalock, either.

"I went back to San Diego over the winter," said Hank Blalock, "and nobody said anything."

Meaning, even back in Blalock's hometown, his recognition value went up zero percent. Just as well. Just the way he wanted.

For a guy who hates to bring attention to himself, though, Blalock sure does things with a baseball that keep bringing attention to him. Through the first few weeks of the 2004 season, he had a .339 average, having already brutalized Anaheim with eight RBI in a four-game series at Texas.

Last year, the only American League third baseman to bat for a higher average than Blalock's .300 was batting champion Bill Mueller of the Boston Red Sox (.326). Blalock had the same number of homers (29) as Eric Chavez of the Oakland Athletics, a three-time Gold Glove recipient who is generally considered the A.L.'s best all-around third baseman, and the consensus is that Blalock has been defending the corner as well as Chavez since last year's All-Star break.

Of course, you didn't hear it from Blalock. If you want to get Blalock to talk about himself, you better enroll in dental school. Because you're going to be pulling some teeth in the process.

"He's not a guy who needs to hear himself talk," said Texas skipper Buck Showalter, whose own gift of gab got him a national-TV gig between managerial stints. "He'll just like this 10 years from now. He'll never have the disease of 'me.'"

Contractually, anyway, Blalock is due to spend half of the next decade with Texas. As they were trying to work out trades for A-Rod over the winter, the Rangers worked out a five-year contract worth $15 million to Blalock.

Still only 20 when getting his first call-up to Texas in 2001, Blalok was the youngest player on a major league roster on Opening Day the following season, plugged into a lineup with two sure Hall of Famers in catcher Pudge Rodriguez and shortstop Alex Rodriguez.

Looking around the Texas clubhouse now, you realize the Rangers' most accomplished position player is Hank Joe Blalock, a mere five years out of Rancho Bernardo High.

"We don't have a single individual superstar now, but a lot of similar players," Blalock said. Asked if the departure of Rodriguez might mean Blalock taking more of a leadership role, he said, I'm never gonna change. I think that if you're going to become a team leader, you have to have a five- or six-year track record, not a one-year wonder type of deal."

For starters, however, the one year wasn't had. As he has this year, Blalock came out of camp hot, leading the majors in hitting (.382) as late as May 13. Chosen for the All Star Game as a reserve, he batted with two out in the eighth inning at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, cracking a two-run homer that decided a 7-6 A.L. victory and stood the rest of the season as Dodger Gagne's lone blown save of 2003.

"Nothing I did surprised me at all," said Blalock, who began this season with a nine-game hitting streak after belting seven homers in spring training. "I think of last year and I think of how I slacked off in September. My last 65-70 at-bats, I was terrible (.132). Mentally and physically, I got drained, at bothered me. I'd had such a good half, and when I wanted to finish strong, I sort of plateaued. I ran a little low on gas.

"This year, I want to stay locked in until the last game's over. You're talking about a six-month season. I plan on being on a team that's in the playoffs, so that's a seventh month."

On the strength of a lineup that's been beating the ball around mercilessly, the Rangers got off to a halfway decent start, but Blalock didn't want to hear about people being surprised that Texas was still around .500.

"We're not happy being better than people thought we'd be," he said. "We're not happy with being mediocre."