LAKEWOOD, NJ – It has been a tough season for Hagerstown Suns’ outfielder Ambiorix Concepcion, since he started off the year cold.

Literally.

“I came from the Dominican Republic and cold there is like 70 degrees,” Concepcion explained. “I played this year in like 30 or 40 degree weather. It was hard for me to make the adjustment.”

The outfielder’s bat showed its frost as Concepcion hit only .165 with two home runs and eight RBI in the month of April, but as the mercury rose on the thermometer, so did the 23 year-old’s batting average.

“It’s been tough with the cold weather, since I never dealt with the cold weather before,” he said. “And now I know what to do in the cold weather for a full season.”

Concepcion hit .260 in both June and July and .305 this past month. Overall, he is hitting .247 with 14 homers and 58 RBI for the Suns.  He is showing more patience at the plate, by laying off the pitcher’s pitches.

“It was hard now, because everyone knew me,” Concepcion, who was featured in many publications before the season, said. “I played with the same team [all year] and I had to make a lot of adjustments. When I played at Delmarva, they kept throwing me sliders. And I have to learn to make the adjustment, if I want to be in the majors.”

One area that hasn’t suffered has been his defense and Concepcion has displayed his cannon of an arm all season.

“Concepcion played very well [in the field],” manager Gene Richards said. “He’s very good at centerfield and right field as well.”

Baseball America ranked the Dominican outfielder fifth out of all prospects in the Met organization and many other publications jumped on the bandwagon before the season, after he .305 with eight home runs and 46 RBI for the Brooklyn Cyclones in 2004. But, times may have changed and Concepcion will be ranked lower. That doesn’t matter to the laid back player, who feels this year has been a success.

“I feel ready and I know I am ready [to move up],” he said. “I don’t make those decisions, but I can play in AA or AAA, because I played a full season.”

And if he is stuck in the cold weather again, he will be ready.

“I know how to sit by the heater,” Concepcion said with a smile.

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