Buster Posey's first hit of 2012 spring training came on Wednesday night, and it was a long one. Posey blasted an opposite-field home run to tie the Giants with the Indians 2-2 on Wednesday.
Posey had been struggling at the plate through four games and it had to have been relieving to finally make contact, especially when that contact resulted in a solo homer.
"I'm just glad I hit it hard," Posey said afterwards, via Chris Taft of MLB.com. "I think that's the goal every time, coming up to bat."
For manager Bruce Bochy, the most impressive thing was probably where Buster hit it. And not in a "out of the park" sense, but a "he finally generated power to the opposite field" sense.
"That was a good sign," Bochy said. "It means you're staying in there, not pulling off the ball, not getting out front."
Posey getting back to his comfort level as a high-level hitter is paramount to the Giants succeeding this season; he believes he's finally starting to really come around
"I think [my timing is] getting better," Posey said. "I'm seeing the ball well. That's No. 1."
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Here's the other thing that's vital about Posey hitting the ball hard: he'll begin to develop more confidence on his surgically-repaired ankle, because hitting will start to feel more natural to him.
And if Posey can get in a groove, the Giants are going to be a dangerous contender in 2012. It's still only one hit, and it's way too early to get too excited about Posey's return from injury, but there's never anything bad about having a first hit clear the fence.
