LaHair hopes output secures place with Cubs

LaHair hopes output secures place with Cubs

LaHair hopes output secures place with Cubs
ST. LOUIS -- Bryan LaHair feels comfortable at the plate and in right field. Now, it's just a question of whether he's done enough to fit into the Cubs' lineup.

LaHair owns a .327 average in 18 games since being called up.

"I'm just having fun enjoying it and going day to day," he said.

There is one school of thought that it's tough to evaluate players in September. LaHair hit a Triple-A Iowa franchise-record 38 homers and led the Pacific Coast League with 109 RBIs this season. His .331 batting average in the Minors ranked seventh in the league. Shouldn't that be enough?

"I am who I am," LaHair said. "The kind of hitter I am is the kind of hitter I am. I'm going to keep working hard to put good at-bats together, and as long as I'm hitting balls hard, I think good things will happen."

LaHair isn't strictly a pull hitter -- that didn't start until a couple of years ago, he said -- but he does hit to the opposite field.

"Being able to hit the ball to the opposite field allows you to hit .300," he said. "I'm not going to lose that, that's my swing. I get my hits that way."

The Cardinals employed a modified shift against LaHair. It's almost as if they can't decide whether to use one or not.

"At the same time, I'm getting a lot of different pitches," LaHair said. "They're not just throwing me fastballs. They're throwing inside, outside, throwing back and forth. Right now, I'm trying to make adjustments as quick as possible. I think the more I see these pitches and the more I play against these teams, the better I'm going to get."