Tromp, image- Jay Floyd
Clearwater Threshers outfielder Jiandido Tromp has been a key contributor as he helps to lead his team’s offense in the chase of a Florida State League playoff berth.
With seven games remaining in the regular season schedule, the Threshers are three games behind division leading Dunedin for the second half North division title.
In 54 games since he was promoted to Class A Advanced Clearwater in June, the 22-year-old Aruba native sports a .242 average with 12 doubles, a triple, nine home runs and 31 RBI.
This week I spoke with the righty batting Tromp about how he’s helping make Clearwater great again with his recent success (seven RBI in the last four games), the team’s postseason hopes and more. Read ahead for that quick interview.
–You are enjoying some solid success here in August. What do you attribute to the improved offense recently?
Adjustments. Knowing how they’re trying to pitch you to get you out, staying more to the middle of the field, ’cause they’re more consistent throwing off-speed pitches for strikes, trying to put a good swing on it and, hopefully, it falls for a hit. (Staying) focused on putting up a good AB and also not striking out a bunch has helped me a lot lately.
-Is confidence a big factor for you when you have a good stretch of success?
It is definitely, not really the hits that boost your confidence but the amount of Good AB’s that you put together that makes you feel stronger at the plate.
-How happy are you with the season you are having this year, having been promoted from Lakewood about midway through the year?
It’s been good to me so far. In instructs last year they taught me some things and told me to work on them this past off-season that, of course, I did and I feel like I’ve improved in every aspect of the game.
-Is there any feedback you have gotten from coaches or teammates that has really helped you make improvements this summer?
They tell me to just go out there and have fun and that’s what I try to do every day even when things aren’t going your way or the way you want it to.
-The Threshers are close in the standings for the top spot in the division. Is there a lot of excitement among the team right now in this division title chase?
Yes! Everybody knows that every game right now is big for us so we’re trying to do whatever it takes to win them all.
-Do you have a routine that you are sticking to or any superstitions before/during a game?
I like to eat Skittles before a game. I don’t know why (laughs).
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