Hansen Has Hit It Off in an Unassuming Role

By J.A. Adande

June 26, 2002 12 AM PT

At some point this summer, a public address announcer will say Dave Hansen’s name, he’ll step to the plate, get a hit and a record will fall.

Don’t expect much fanfare. It’s the Dodger record for pinch-hits, and the only thing less glamorous than a pinch-hitting record is ... pinch-hitting itself.

If you think about it, pinch-hitting is the batters’ equivalent of a closer in pitching. Late-inning specialist. Called upon in pressure situations.

The most dramatic home run hit in Los Angeles was a pinch-hit: Kirk Gibson’s wobbly legged homer off Oakland’s Dennis Eckersley in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. That ought to help the cause.

Uh-uh. Pinch-hitters get no love. They don’t even get a title without a hyphen.

Eric Gagne makes the switch to closer, saves a few games (OK, saves a lot of games) and the crowd greets him like a rock star when he runs out of the bullpen at Dodger Stadium.

Dave Hansen? He could grab a vendors badge and work the aisles selling peanuts and the only way he would get a second glance was if he gave the wrong change.

This for the man who needs only three more pinch-hits to break Manny Mota’s team record of 106.

Where’s the justice?

“Nothing in this game is unfair,” Hansen insists. “I’ve brainwashed myself to always think of the positives of anything. It’s not a glamorous role by any means, but I enjoy the heck out of it ... now. When I first started 10 years ago, I didn’t even know how I was doing it. It was just happening. Over the years of experience it just became part of me as a baseball player.”

Actually, it’s come to be his defining quality as a baseball player. Aside from the occasional fill-in to give a starter the day off, Hansen’s job is to wait on the bench until his name is called.

“From a preparation standpoint, or a guy that accepts that role

Either he found his niche, or it found him. In 1992, the year he started 98 games at third base and had the most at-bats of his career, he also had his lowest batting average (.214). The next year he played in only 84 games, and had 105 at-bats, but he batted .362 and set a Dodger record with 18 pinch-hits.

He still yearned to start, and after a few more years, including one spent on the Chicago Cubs’ bench, he left for Japan for a season to be an everyday player.

While there, he learned to teach himself, to correct his errors.

“Because of the communication gap, you’re just not going get the same coaching,” he said.

His family enjoyed learning a new culture and the time they spent together. But he missed the intense competition of the major leagues. So when the Dodgers called to offer him another job, he happily accepted it, knowing full well he would be a pinch-hitter.

And instead of working by himself, he got tips from perhaps the greatest pinch-hitter of all-time. Mota, who has been a coach with the Dodgers for 23 years, used to hold the major-league record for pinch-hits. His mark of 150 was broken by Lenny Harris last year.

Mota has distilled the technique into these basics: concentration, positive thinking and believing in yourself.

“Those are, to me, the three ingredients to be a good pinch-hitter,” Mota said. “Besides that, you’ve got to make contact. And if you make contact, you’ve got to pray.”

Said Hansen: “I’ve learned a lot from Manny. Probably most of the mental preparation and the approach to pinch-hitting from Manny. He obviously had it down.”

Hansen starts focusing from the time he steps on the field for practice, even if his turn at the plate might not come for another four to five hours--if it comes at all.

He likes to face a lot of off-speed stuff in practice, because adjusting to different tempos is the hardest part of coming in cold.

“It’s all mental,” Hansen said. “It’s so different from playing every day and getting in the flow of the game, because you’ve got to get in the flow of the game from the bench. It’s kind of tough.”

He gets so focused, he didn’t even notice a curious daughter poking around to see what daddy was doing during an interview in the dugout. And he wasn’t aware of the team pinch-hit record until reporters mentioned it.

“I didn’t know I was that close,” Hansen said. “Because the rule of thumb for pinch-hitting is that you don’t worry about numbers, stats. All you worry about is how you feel day-to-day. Because if you start worrying about the big picture, it’s too much to handle.”

Hansen set a record with seven pinch-hit home runs in the 2000 season. Harris and John Vander Wal are the only active players with more pinch-hits in their careers.

And now Hansen is closing in on the Dodger record.

“The record is meant to be broken,” Mota said. “Who else better than Davey Hansen to break the record?

“He’s a great hitter. He’s a great friend. He’s a great person. I’d be happy the day Dave Hansen breaks the record. He’s a great human being.”

Maybe it just takes a fellow pinch-hitter to acknowledge it.

J.A. Adande can be reached at: j.a.adande@latimes.com.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Pinch Him!

Dave Hansen, above, is closing in on the all-time Dodger pinch-hit record. A look:

Dodger leaders:

Manny Mota...106

Dave Hansen...104

Chris Gwynn...52