Appy notes: Pasquantino opens with a bang

With a name that's hard to miss, Vinnie Pasquantino made noise with his bat when his professional career began.
The Burlington Royals first baseman created the first big splash of the season in the Appalachian League with a pair of games featuring two home runs in the first week. That included two long balls in his debut.

"I was more anxious than nervous," Pasquantino said of playing as a pro player. "This is what I've been waiting to do my entire life."
Not only did the left-handed slugger have an impressive first game, but he repeated that four games later with another two-homer performance -- both coming in road games.
Pasquantino, an 11th-round pick last month out of Old Dominion, said he was encouraged that his third career home run went to the opposite field. That form of power began to develop in his third college season.
"In school, I found a little bit of opposite-field power this year," he said. "So that was cool with the first one at Princeton to be oppo."
It also came with his mother watching on her birthday.

A native of Richmond, Virginia, Pasquantino said he received good instruction right away from Royals staff about how to approach the dawn of his professional career.
"Get to the fastball," he said. "I try not to get beat, if possible. I got into some good situations."
And he converted. He said that took away potential tension that might come for players surrounded by new teammates.
"We knew what kind of power he had coming in," Burlington manager Chris Widger said. "I think he surprised us in a good way with how he has been aware of the strike zone."
Pasquantino has hit some bumps since the opening stretch, but it hasn't come without impressive plate appearances.
"Now we've seen him really hit some balls hard with good at-bats and not get anything for it," Widger said.
For Pasquantino, it's about keeping an approach that works for him. He said he has been encouraged since joining the Royals organization to be aggressive so he can reap the benefits of his power.
"Go get your swings off. Don't be cheated," he said. "If I can go up there and hit the ball hard, then I win. … I'm not worried about home runs. I'm worried about a good swing."
In part because of Pasquantino's contributions, the Royals won four games on their season-opening six-game road trip. Last year, the team didn't win its fourth road game until July 20 on its 16th try.
It was a memorable beginning, and perhaps the 6-foot-4 first baseman left an impression along the way.
"Vinnie Pasquantino isn't a generic name," he said. "I have my Italian heritage to thank for that."

In brief

Tough act to follow: Bluefield Blue Jays manager Luis Hurtado says he's grateful to be in the Appalachian League after a similar role the past two seasons in the Gulf Coast League. "That's big shoes to fill," Hurtado said. "When I got the news I was going to come here, I was surprised." He takes the spot previously held by Dennis Holmberg, who had been Bluefield's only manager since the affiliation began with Toronto in 2011. The long-time Minor League skipper compiled more than 1,500 victories, including directing Bluefield to four playoff appearances in the his eight years in charge.
Small-ball approach: Through a dozen games, the Bristol Pirates hit a league-low four home runs. After a brutal start to the season, the Pirates won four of five games while posting just two home runs during those victories. The Pirates, who had only one triple through 12 games, are doing it more with small ball. Bristol has ranked last in home runs in the league in two of the past three years.
Check the time: In a move initiated by farm directors, all games in the Appalachian League are scheduled to begin no later than 6:30 p.m. This has been described as one-year trial, with the goal to limit late-night situations especially for teams when they commute for certain series. The vote came at the Baseball Winter Meetings before new president Dan Moushon took over for retiring president Lee Landers. "It's worth a shot," Moushon said. "We'll see what happens."