Everyone at Keyspan Park knows designated hitter Chris Fournier — but it’s not because of his stocky 6-foot, 195-pound frame or a batting stance reminiscent of former Yankee Jim Leyritz either.
Wearing his hat without a bend in the bill and down towards his eyes, with a slight tilt to the left, Fournier looks more like John Travolta in “Grease,” during the infamous baseball team tryout scene, than a pro baseball player capable of driving runs in at a whim.
“I’ve been wearing my hat that way since high school,” said Fournier, who hit .369 in his senior year at George Mason University this year. “I like the flat rim with the little tilt to the left look a lot; that’s just the way I rock it.”
Whether you like the fashion statement or not, the good news is that it hasn’t hampered the Connecticut native’s ability to hit.
Though he’s batting only .234, he got on base in 10 of his first 11 Cyclone games.
“The only way I’d change it is if they told me I had to,” said the 22-year-old. “If that doesn’t happen, I don’t see my self straightening it out.”
Manager Edgar Alfonzo isn’t a huge fan of his DH’s fashion statement, but has decided to let Fournier’s play on the field speak for itself.
“Until he drops a fly ball, I don’t mind,” he said. “I had a talk with him about it and he says he’s comfortable like that. Personally, I don’t know how he can see the ball with his hat like that. It looks uncomfortable.”
